4 C> Vc> \.^ /\-^;:X c°*..i.^-"°^ ./.-^kX c°'..-- o V -Aq^ S>' > V" ♦'•^'* C-. A I . * • " "^ C" * 'bV v<^d^ %..^^ /Jjfe'-, v./ .'isS£^% ^^..^'^ V-^' 'a>c,' V<^' 1^ - 1 • ". %.*" •^': ^^/ .-^^"t %.*' 4 O. 62d Congress | HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES | ^^^^'™ Sd Session J \ No. 1252 MESSAGE OF THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES TRANSMITTING THE REPORTS OF THE COMMISSION ON ECONOMY AND EFFICIENCY COMMUNICATED TO THE TWO HOUSES OF CONGRESS WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 8, 1913 JANUARY 8, 1913. — Referred to the Committee on Appropriations and ordered to be printed, with illustrations WASHINGTON 1913 L--- 3d Session I HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES { ^o ^2^5? MESSAGE OF THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES TRANSMITTING "T^T^ , THE REPORTS OF THE A >> "commission on economy AND EFFICIENCY COMMUNICATED TO THE TWO HOUSES OF CONGRESS WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 8, 1913 JANUARY 8, 1913. — Referred to the Committee on Appropriations and ordered to be printed, with illustrations WASHINGTON 1913 D. OF D. AU 25 1913 \ t^ TABLE OF CONTENTS. Page. Message of the President 1 Letter of the Secretary of War 7 Report to the President on the work of the commission 13 . Inquiries and work of the commission relating to the budget 15^ Inquiries and work of the commission relating to organization 15 Inquiries and work of the commission in relation to personnel 17 Inquiries and work of the commission relating to functions and activities of the Government 19 Inquiries and work of the commission in relation to accounting and re- porting : 19^ Inquiries and reports of the commission relating to office practice and equipment 25 Inquiries and reports of the commission relating to Government housing 30 Inquiries and reports of the commission relating to the subject of standardi- zation 31 Inquiries and reports of the commission into individual services, groups of services, and related work ■ . . 33 Inquiries and work of the commission relating to navigation services.. 33 Inquiries and work of the commission relating to health service 34 Inquiries and work of the commission relating to statistical service 35 Inquiries and work of the commission relating to cartographic and sur- vey services 35 Inquiries and work of the commission relating to central accounting ^ and auditing services 35"^ Conclusion 36 Business methods of the ofl&ce of The Adjutant General 39 Summary of recommendations 41 Summary of savings 43 Savings in salary cost shown by divisions of the office 44 Reduction in appropriations 45 Amounts appropriated, expended, and recommended for salaries, together with proposed reduction in appropriation for salaries 46 Section I. — Introductpry 47 Scope of investigation 47 General criticisms of existing organization, methods, and classes of work 47 Organization. 47 General description of methods 49 Personnel records , 49 Correspondence records , 49 Conclusions with respect to handling and filing correspondence 50 Method of conducting telegraph business 55 Methods of preparation and distribution of circulars descriptive of deserters 55 Furnishing information from old military records 56 Cooperation of employees 56 III IV TABLF OF CONTENTS. Business methods of the office of The Adjutant General — Continued. Section I. — Continued. Page. Classes of work incidental to main functions 56 Index to general orders, 1861 to 1880 57 Keport on organization and casualties of Union and Confederate Armies. 57 Office quarters 57 Eeduction in force 58 Cooperation with War Department 58 Section II. — Functions and organization of The Adjutant General's Office. 59 General 59 Work connected with present military personnel and operations 59 Work connected with records of former organizations 60 Organization 62 Functions and work of particular divisions 62 Administrative Division 63 Publication branch 63 Orders Division 63 Distribution Division 63 Mail and Record Division 63 Correspondence and Examining Division 63 Miscellaneous Division •. 63 Enlisted Men's Division 64 Recruiting Division 64 Rolls Division 64 Division of Appointments, Commissions, and Personnel 64 Military Academy Division 64 Returns Division 65 Medical Division 65 Regimental Records Division 65 Archives Division 65 Tenth Street branch 65 Seventeenth Street branch 65 Section III. — Criticisms and constructive recommendations Tvith respect to the general business system of the office 66 1. Handicaps due to organization 66 Administration Division '. . 68 Mail and Record Division 69 Correspondence Division , 69 EnHsted Men's DiAdsion 70 Officers' Division 73 Regimental Records Division 75 Archives Division 78 Carding Division 80 2. Defects in methods 81 A. Defects in methods of handling and filing correspondence 81 (1) Folded fifing 83 (2) Briefing 85 (3) Subject correspondence files 85 (4) Personnel correspondence files 89 (5) Recording 90 (6) Indexing statement of service cases 96 (7) Press copying "- 98 (8) Record drafts of outgoing communications 100 (9) Use of forms for correspondence 102 TABLE OF CONTENTS. V Business methods of the office of The Adjutant General — Continued. Section III— Continued. Page. 2. Defects in methods — Continued. (10) Employment of symbols for interdivisional correspond- ence 105 (11) Use of the dictation machine 107 B. Five-minute mail-messenger service 108 C. Defects as shown by comparison of present with proposed methods of handling and filing correspondence — illus- trated by means of selected cases, outlines, and charts. . . Ill Case I. Discharge from Army of private 118 Case II. Opening and closing auxiliary recruiting stations . 131 D. Unnecessary cost of preparation and dispatch of telegrams and cablegrams 135 Telegrams 135 Cablegrams 143 E. High cost of preparation and distribution of circulars descrip- tive of deserters 147 F. High cost of furnishing information from old military records. . 147 G. Defects in methods of administrative control 150 3. Unnecessary work performed 158 4. Unsuitable condition and location of office quarters 159 Location 160 Administrative and Current Work Divisions 160 Archives Division 161 Ford's Theater Building and annex 166 Building at 610 Seventeenth Street 1 169 Building at 1712 G Street 169 Section IV. — Criticisms and constructive recommendations with respect to the work of each division of the office 170 Administration Division 170 Publication branch 175 Distribution Division 190 Orders Division 190 Mail and Record Division 193 Miscellaneous Division 202 Correspondence and Examining Division 207 Enlisted Men's Division 211 Recruiting Division 216 Rolls Division 222 Appointment, Commission, and Personnel Divi-^iou 235 Military Academy Division 241 Returns Division 245 Medical Division 257 Regimental Records Division 267 Archives Division 277 Tenth Street branch 282 Seventeenth Street branch 317 Appendixes 327 I. A detailed description of the general functions and vrork of The Adjutant General's Office 327 II. Descriptive statements of the location, work, methods, and organization of each division of the office 337 A. Administration Division 337 B. Publication branch 348 VI TABLE OP CONTENTS. Business methods of the office of The Adjutant General — Continued. Page. Appendixes — Continued. II. Descriptive statements of the location, work, methods, and organization of each division of the office — Continued. C. Distribution Division 353 D. Orders Division 354 E. Mail and Record Division 357 F. Miscellaneous Division 377 G. Correspondence and Examining Division 382 H. Enlisted Men's Division 396 I. Recruiting Division 398 J. Rolls Division 405 K. Appointment, Commission, and Personnel Division 418 L. Military Academy Division 422 M. Returns Division 426 N. Medical Division 433 O. Regimental Records Division 438 P. Archives Division : 450 Q. Tenth Street branch 459 R. Seventeenth Street branch 472 III. A brief on the legal aspect of the carbon copy as compared with the press copy 476 "^ Office of the Chief of Engineers (Mail and Record Division) 481 I. Introduction, location, and general description of functions 483 Description of the functions of each division and section 484 Mail and Record Division 484 Military section 484 River and harbor section 485 Miscellaneous civil section 486 Accounts and contracts section 486 Maps, files, and drafting section 486 II. Description of the location, work, and methods of the Mail and Record Division 489 Incoming correspondence 489 Stamping and numbering 489 Recording 490 Forwarding original papers 490 Indexing 490 Outgoing correspondence 490 Dispatching 490 Recording 490 Indexing 491 Files 491 Filing space 491 Distribution 492 Record card 492 Index or cross reference 492 Permanent documents ^ . 493 Bulky packages 493 Temporary or "held-up " documents 493 Suspension 493 Personnel 493 Clerical cost 493 TABLE OF CONTENTS. VII Office of the Chief of Engineers (Mail and Record Division) — Continued. page. III. Critical comment and constructive recommendations pertaining to the Mail and Record Division 494 Summary of recommendations 494 Administration 495 Office stamp 495 Self-indexing and flat filing 496 Unimportant and routine correspondence 496 Record card 496 Index card 497 Perforated carbon copy 498 Press copy 498 Mailing list 498 Useless papers 499 Binding records 499 Rearrangement of files 500 "Held-up" files .500 Suspension files 500 Crowded conditions 500 Light 501 Care of rooms 501 Messenger boy 501 Conclusions 502 Bureau of Insular Affairs 503 I. Introductory 505 (a) Summary of recommendations, conclusions, and estimated savings 505 (b) General statement of functions of bureau 506 (c) General statement of organization and personnel 507 II. Critical and constructive suggestions pertaining to the present organ- ization 508 (a) General 508 (b) Suggested readjustment of salaries 513 (c) Suggested abolition of Statistical Division 514 Scope of statistics compiled by the Philippine Government. 514 Scope of semiannual summaries of foreign commerce of the Philippine Islands 517 III. Critical and constructive suggestions pertaining to methods and pro- cedure 521 (a) Handling and filing correspondence (Record Division) 521 (b) General administrative and correspondence work (Correspond- ence and Administrative Division) 529 (c) Compilation and miscellaneous detail work (Miscellaneous Division) 530 (d) Distribution of supplies (Miscellaneous Division) 534 (e) Storage of Cuban, Philippine, insurgent, and other records. . . 535 (f ) Compilation of financial statistics 537 Suggested changes 540 IV. Appendix. Detailed descriptive statement of present organization and methods 543 VIII TABLE OF CONTENTS. Page. Office of the Surgeon General 565 I. Introduction (and recommendations of the commission) 567 II. Descriptive reports 568 1. Location, work, methods, organization, and salary expense of the Record, Correspondence, and Examining Divisions. . . 568 2. Location, work, methods, organization, and salary expense of the Supply Division 574 3. Location, work, methods, organization, and salary expense of the Sanitary Division 578 4. Location, work, methods, organization, and salary expense of the Personnel Division 582 5. Location, work, methods, organization, and salary expense of the Museum Library Division 587 III. Critical comment and constructive suggestions 589 Handling and filing of correspondence in Record Section 589 Making longhand drafts of outgoing communications and the use of form letters 591 Editing of mail 591 Recording requisitions on record cards in the Supply Division. . . 591 Press coyping of letters and the use of form letters 592 Consolidation of the two sections of the Supply Division 592 Compilation of statistics ;.. 593 Maintenance of personnel records of officers of the Medical De- partment 594 Monthly returns of officers' personnel to the Adjutant General... . 595 Enlisted Men's Section 595 Organization of divisions affected by recommendations 596 Office of the Signal Corps 599 I. Introduction 601 II . Descriptive statements 601 1. Location, work, methods, organization, and salary expense of the Administrative Division 601 2. Location, work, methods, organization, and salary expense of the Electrical and Telegraph Division 605 3. Location, work, methods, organization, and salary expense of the Disbursing Division 610 III. Critical comment and constructive recommendations 614 Office of the Chief of Ordnance , 623 I. Introduction, with summary of recommendations of the commission. . 625 II. Description of the location, work, methods, organization, and salary expense of the Mail and Record Division v 625 III. Critical comments and constructive recommendations of the commis- sion 629 Department of Justice 631 I. Introduction 633 1. Conclusions and recommendations, with summary of estimated savings 633 2. General statement of scope of the inquiry 634 3. Organization of the department in general 635 4. Central organization for handling and filing correspondence 635 5. Summary of reported cost by bureaus and divisions 636 6. Basis of present report 637 TABLE or CONTENTS. JX Pago. Department of Justice — Continued. II. Critical comment and constructive suggestions as to jjresent methods of handling and filing correspondence 637 1. Critical comment and recommendations pertaining to depart- ment as a whole 637 (a) Location of files 637 (b) Proposed system of filing :■ 642 (c) Receiving, opening, and assigning ■ 647 (d) Indexing and recording 649 (e) Distribution of correspondence 653 (f) Press-copying correspondence 653 (g) Dispatching correspondence 653 (h) Filing correspondence 654 (i) Departmental docket of cases 654 (j) Summary of savings, Division of Mail and Files 655 2, Critical comment and recommendations on the practices in the several bureaus and divisions 656 (a) Superintendent of Prisons 656 (b) Office of appointment clerk 661 (c) Office of the pardon attorney 662 (d) Bureau of Investigation 665 (e) Division of Accounts 666 (f) Public Lands Division 667 (g) Office of disbursing clerk 668 (h) Office of Solicitor for the Department of Commerce and Labor 669 (i) Office of the Solicitor for the Department of the Treasury 671 (j) Bureau defending suits in Court of Claims 672 Appendix 677 Methods of keeping e'fficiency records of employees in the National Bank Re- demption Agency of the Department of the Treasury 755 Introductory note 757 Provisions of present method. . .'. 761 Criticism of present system 763 Work performed is measure of efficiency 763 Purpose of keeping efficiency record 764 Only one positive element of efficiency ' 764 Negative elements of efficiency 765 Unfairness of considering all elements of efficiency as credits. 765 Disastrous results of limiting ratings on ability 766 "Industry "' should not be rated 767 Office discipline not to be confused with measurement of efficiency 768 When negative elements of efficiency should be rated 769 Penalties for tardiness suitable 769 Penalties for failure in attendance too severe 770 Penalties for errors suitable, with one exception 773 Present system not fair and impartial 773 How present methods should be changed 773 Exact value of each clerk's services can be rated in terms of money 774 Standard on which rating in terms of money is based 774 Standard for a day's work 774 Standard for wage for each class of employment 776 Standard for recognition for special skill 777 X TABLE OF CONTENTS. Methods of keeping efficiency records of employees in tlie National Bank Redemption Agency of the Department of the Treasury — Continued. Page. Standard for penalties for errors 777 Standard for penalties for tardiness 777 Standard for penalties for illness 777 Table A. — Showing method of calculating the value (in dollars) of counting or sorting one note per day per year 781 Table B. — Showing method of calculating the value (in dollars) of making one strap per day per year 781 Table C. — Showing method of calculating the value (in dollars) of one error in the various classes of work 782 The readjustment of coefficients , 786 Need of readjustment of salaries shown by new ratings 786 Distribution of work 788 Cost of keeping record 788 Acknowledgment 789 Appendixes 789 Report on the electric lighting of Federal buildings of the Department of the Treasury 799 Introduction 802 Report on Federal building, Chicago ,111 807 United States post office, customhouse, and courthouse, Cleveland, Ohio 859 United States post office and customhouse, Cincinnati, Ohio 874 United States post office and courthouse, Knoxville, Tenn 888 United States post office and customhouse, Chattanooga, Tenn 892 United States customhouse and post office, Birmingham, Ala 897 United States customhouse and post office, Macon, Ga 903 On the establishment of an independent public-health service 909 The recovery of fiber stock of canceled paper money 917 MESSAGE. To the Senate and Hovse of Representatives : I submit for the information of Congress the report of the com- mission appointed by me to carry on the work authorized under act of appropriation of June 25, 1910, which made available $100,000 — To enable the President, by tbe employment of accountants and experts * * * to more effectively inquire into the methods of transacting the public business * * * with a view of inaugurating new or changing old methods * * * so as to attain greater efficiency and economy therein, and to ascertain and recommend to Congress what changes in law may be necessary to carry into effect such results of his inquiry as can not be carried into effect by Executive action alone. Pursuant to tliis authority a preliminary investigation was insti- tuted under the Secretary to the President with a view to determining what ground should be covered and what staif and organization would be required. This preliminary inquiry was carried on until March, 1911, when, at mj^ request, the term of the appropriation was extended to June 30, 1912, and $75,000 was added. Of this $175,000 made available for the first two years the amount expended for the preliminary inquiry was $12,252.14, leaving $162,747.86 available for the 15 months remaining after March 8, 1911, when the commission was organized. By special message of January 17, 1912, I requested that $250,000 be made available for the current fiscal year. . Only $75,000, however, was appropriated, and to this was attached a restriction to the effect that not more than three salaries could be paid in excess of $4,000 per annum, thereby forcing a complete reorganization of the commission. At the same time the Congress by special resolution requested a report from the commission with recommendations on the organization and w-ork of the Patent Office — this to be submitted to Congress not later than December 10, or a little over three months after the resolution was passed. -Although $10,000 additional was appropriated for this pur- pose, it was impossible within the time to organize a special staff which could do such a highly technical piece of work. A further limitation to constructive work has been' found in the short period 1 72734 "—IT. Doc. 1 2.52, 62-3 1 2 MESSAGE OF THE PKESIDENT. for which funds have been made available. Many of the problems ©f administration which should be gone into require months of con- stant attention. The commission has not felt free to undertake work which could not be reported on before the expiration of the appro- priation, and the appropriation for the current fiscal year was not passed until August 24, the authority expiring June 30 following. I mention these facts to indicate some of the handicaps under which the commission has labored in prosecuting one of the most difficult, far-reaching, technical inquiries that has ever been undertaken, and one from which economies have already been realized many times greater than the cost. Im planning the work to be done by the commission the first con- trolling fact was that there was no basis in information for judgment as to what changes should be made or what would be the effect of any recommended change, no matter how simple it might at first appear. As was stated in my message of January 17, 1912, on the subject : — TMs vast orgauizatiou has never beeu studied in detail as one piece of administrative meclianism. Never have the foundations been laid for a thor- ough consideration of the relations of all of its parts. No comprehensive effort ifiias been made to list its multifarious activities or to group them in such a way as tO' present a clear picture of what the Government is doing. Never has a complete description been given of the agencies through which these activities are performed. At no time has the attempt been made to study all of these activities and agencies with a view to the assignment of each activity to the agency best fitted for its performance, to the avoidance of duplication of plant and work, to the integration of all administrative agencies of the Government, so far, as may be practicable, into a unified organization for the most effective and economical dispatch of public business. ; The only safe course, therefore, was first to obtain accurate knowl- edge of the vast administrative mechanism of the Government ; get a clear notion of what the officers and agents of the Government were doing in all of its departments, bureaus, and subdivisions; find out how each part of the service was organized for performing its activi- ties, what methods are being employed, what results are being ob- tained, where there are duplications of work and plant, wherein the organization and methods are ill adapted or ill adjusted. In each case, as first drafts of descriptive reports have been com- pleted by the commission, they first have been submitted to the services whose organization and work are involved, so that this part of the work has been a joint product of all services. This has been done for the double purpose of having a statement of fact that is beyond controversy, and to lay the foundation for the consideration of the critical comments and constructive suggestions that have fol- lowed. MESSAGE OF THE PRESIDENT. 3 To the present time 85 reports have been submitted which carry recommendations. Fifteen of these reports, most of which recom- mend constructive legislation, have already been sent to Congress, viz : 1. Outlines of organization of the Government. Submitted January 17, 1912 (published as H. Doc. 458). 2. The centralization of the distribution of Government publications. Sub- mitted February 5, 1912 (published in S. Doc. 293). 3. The use of window envelopes in the Government service. Submitted February 5, 1912 (published in S. Doc. 293). 4. The use of the photographic process for copying printed and written docu- ments, maps, drawings, etc. Submitted February 5, 1912 (published in S. Doc. 293). 5. Methods of appointment. Submitted April 4, 1912 (published in H. Doc. 670). 6. The consolidation of the Bureau of Lighthouses of the Department of Commerce and Labor and the Life-Saving Service of the Department of the Treasury. Submitted April 4, 1912 (published in H. Doc. 670). 7. The Revenue-Cutter Service of the Department of the Treasury. Sub- mitted April 4, 1912 (published in H. Doc. 670). 8. The accounting offices of the Treasury, with recommendations for the consolidation of the six auditors' offices into one. Submitted April 4, 1912 (published in H. Doc. 670). 9. The Returns Office of the Department of the Interior. Submitted April 4, 1912 (published in H. Doc. 670). 10. Travel expenditures. Submitted April 4, 1912 (published in H. Doc. 670). 11. Memorandum of conclusions concerning the principles which should govern the handling and filing of correspondence. Submitted April 4, 1912 (published in H. Doc. 670). 12. Supplementary report on the centralization of the distribution of Gov- ernment publications. Submitted April 4, 1912 (published in H. Doc. 670). 13. The use of outlines of organization of the Government. Submitted April 4, 1912 (published in H. Doc. 670). 14. Report on retirement of superannuated employees. Submitted May 6, 1912 (published as H. Doc. 732). 15. Report on "The Need for a National Budget." Submitted June 27, 1912 (published as H. Doc. 854). The reports of the commission already submitted which call for Executive action relate to a variety of subjects. Included in these reports are recommendations: For the modification of orders and practices related to the administration of the civil-service laws; the installation of a uniform system of accounting and reporting; forms and instructions for the preparation and submission of a budget; the use of window envelopes; the introduction of labor-saving office devices ; more economical Government housing ; better lighting, heat- ing, ventilation, and sanitation; the better utilization of waste; the more economical disposition of obsolete and condemned stores and other property; the discontinuance of the jurat in the preparation of claims for reimbursement; the promulgation of rules governing travel expenditures. 4 MESSAGE OF THE PRESIDENT. With respect to many of these, affirmative action has been taken, but in nearly every case it is necessary to proceed slowly with the making of changes, which have already been ordered, as it neces- sarily requires months to make any change which broadly affects the service without causing so much confusion as to seriously interfere with the transaction of Government business. On December 9 I transmitted the report of the commission, with its recommendations, on the organization and work of the Patent Office. This rejDort is printed as House Document No. 1110. I am transmitting herewith. 11 other reports, the recommendations con- tained in which have my approval, as follows : 1. Business metliods of the office of The Adjutant General of tlie War Department. 2. The handling and filing of correspondence in the Mail and Record Division of the office of the Chief of Engineers. 3. The handling and filing of correspondence and the doing of statistical work in the Bureau of Insular Affairs. 4. The handling and filing of correspondence in the office of the Surgeon General. 5. The handling and filing of correspondence in the office of the Signal Corps. 6. The handling and filing of correspondence in the office of the Chief of Ordnance. 7. The handling and filing of correspondence in the Mail and Record Division of the Department of Justice. 8. Methods of keeping efficiency records of employees in the National Bank Redemption Agencj^ of the Department of the Treasury. 9. Report on the electric lighting of Federal buildings of the Department of the Treasury. 10. On the establishment of an independent public health service. 11. The recovery of fiber stock of canceled paper money. The first six of these reports have been the result of intensive study of methods employed in the offices of the AYar Department at Washington, which point to detail reductions in cost which may affect the appropriations for 1914. These, together with the recom- mendations of the Secretarj^ of War, are sent for your information. In the opinion of the commission, an estimated saving of over $400,000 a 3^ear can ultimatelj^ be made by favorable action on the changes in methods which are recommended in the six offices of the War Department alone. One report above listed relates to the question of personnel. This is important both in its relation to efficiency of organization and economy of work. -A number of other reports, containing recom- mendations for changes in the details of methods which, in the opinion of the commission, will produce marked savings in annual cost of transacting the business of the offices investigated are in the hands of the services interested. These will be sent for the informa- tion of the Congress as soon as action has been taken or other con- clusion has been reached. MESSAGE OF THE PRESIDENT. 5 Q The report on electric lighting of pnblic buildings is significant of the inattention to administrative details in a subdivision of the service which is charged with the operation and maintenance of sev- eral hundred Government buildings. Until this inquiry was begun no attempt had been made in this office to find out what was even the gross expenditures for operation as distinct from maintenance, or capital outlays, either for each building or for the whole service, and there were no means provided for knowing the heating, lighting, cleaning, or other costs as subdivisions of operation. The head of the office was presumably interested in construction ; the primary responsibilit}^ of the department was for the care and custody of funds; the result was that no attention was given to the develop- ment of the information essential to the central direction and control over operative services. And it may be said that the condition found in this office is typical of the condition found in many of the opera- tive services. The report covers only a partial inquiry into lighting efficiency. The report submitted relative to the recovery of fiber stock of can- celed paper money proposes that the method of macerating this stock which has been in use for about 40 years be discontinued and that more modern methods be adopted. Under modern methods of treat- ing this jDaper stock it is deinked and defibered with but a small loss of pulp, and such stock when recovered can be used in the manufac- ture of new money paper, at a saving, as compared with the present method of macerating and sale, of about $100,000 per annum. While during the time and with the staff available it has not been possible to make final detailed reports on more than a few of the hun- dreds of offices at Washington, and in only one office outside of Wash- ington has work of this character been undertaken, the reports which are submitted will serve to illustrate the character of results which may follow an extensive investigation of office technique and pro- cedure. It is further to be noted that the offices which have been re- ported on are those which have been frequently under scrutiny. From what is known of the offices outside of Washington it is thought that it is in this field that the largest opportunities for economy will be found — partly due to the fact that these offices have not been brought under scrutin}^, and partly due to the fact that a large number of them are dominated by political appointees. ^ As illustrating the relative importance of services outside of Wash- ington, it is of interest to note that the cost of clerk hire at the New York post office alone is more than that incurred in the Departments of War, Navy, State. Justice, and Commerce and Labor at Washing- ton; that in the customhouse at New York the cost of clerk hire is greater than in any one department at Washington. 6 MESSAGE OP THE PRESIDENT. In my opinion the technique and procedure of every branch and office of the Government should be submitted to the same painstaking examination as has been given to those on which reports have been made. To do this, however, ample funds must be provided. As stated in previous messages to Congress on the subject, there is no greater service that can be rendered to the country than that of the continuance of the work of the commission until some form of or- ganization is provided for continuously doing this kind of work under the Executive. I have asked, therefore, that $250,000 be provided for the continuation of the investigation which has been so well begun, and that these funds be made available March 4. In my opinion this is not a matter in which the Congress should assume that public money will be unwisely spent. At a total cost of about $230,000 dur- ing the 21 months covered by the work of the commission, facts have been developed and recommendations have been made that, if fol- lowed up, will result in savings of millions of dollars each year. This has been done under the handicap of inadequate funds and un- certainty of continuation, which interfered with the making of plans which could not be completely executed within a few months. It would be very much to the advantage of the administration if the President were authorized to spend whatever amount he may deem to be necessary within the next two years, the only condition attached being that he render an account of expenditures, Wm. H. Taft. The White House, January 8, 1913. LETTER OF SECRETARY OF WAR. War Department, Washington^ December 18, 1912, The President. Sir: Some months ago I requested the President's Commission on Economy and Efficiency to investigate the business methods of The Adjutant General's Office in reference to the question of the cost of handling and filing correspondence in that office. Subsequently I extended the scope of the investigation to include the general man- agement of the office, and later it was extended to the Surgeon Gen- eral's Office, the Office of the Chief of Engineers, the Office of the Chief Signal Officer, the Office of the Chief of Ordnance, and the Bureau of Insular Affairs. Reports on these offices have now been submitted to me by the commission, together with recommendations for changes and improve- ments in their business methods and estimates of the amount of the savings which would thus be accomplished annually in the manage- ment of each office. I have examined them and have the honor to transmit them herewith to you. As will be disclosed by these reports, the work of the commission has been extremely thorough, and their investigation can not fail to be of immense benefit to the administration of those bureaus of the War Department. Their recommendations include not only the substitution of new and superior systems of administration for methods that are less economical and effective, but their investiga- tion has in some instances disclosed wasteful and improvident de- tails. Their investigation into The Adjutant General's Office in par- ticular reveals that the methods of handling a large part of the correspondence of that office are antiquated and extremely compli- cated, and they estimate that under simpler and more modern methods a saving of over $300,000, or over 38 per cent, of its appro- priations for employees' salaries can be ultimately saved to the Government. The commission recognizes that the work is done promptly and accuratelj'', but finds that the cost is unnecessarily high, if not extravagantW so, and that great economies are possibJ* without any loss of efficiency. « LETTEK OF SECEETAEY OF WAK. With the essential recommendations I am in hearty concurrence, and I am glad to say that most of the chiefs of the respective bureaus also concur as to these essentials. Some of the proposed reforms have already been introduced in some of the bureaus, and the expe- rience thus achieved has been and will be most helpful in making the introduction general, A portion of the recommendations I am establishing at once by order. As to the remainder, I have appointed a committee, taking representatives from the War Department and also from the commission, who will study further the question of applying the remainder of the recommendations as to which there is some difference of opinion in some of the bureaus. After considering the reports which the various bureau chiefs concerned have made upon the recommendations of the Economy Commission, and conferring personally with these bureau chiefs, I feel satisfied that large economies can be effected in the War De- partment within the next two years. On the other hand, it must be remembered that the prompt and satisfactory manner in which these bureaus, as a general rule, handle their business must at all hazard be maintained, and it ma}^ well be that the total savings, estimated by the commission may be fixed at too high a figure. I am quite clear that such savings can not be accomplished in the first year during which the proposed reforms are instituted. The experience of the Corps of Engineers in making similar reforms in their field offices has indicated that the extra effort of instituting the changes postponed the realization of the full amount of the economies until the second year. I also believe that in making any such drastic changes as are con- templated in these reports, involving entirely new methods and a large ultimate reduction of the clerical force, a portion of the sav- ings accomplished should be devoted toward increasing the salaries of the remaining clerks upon whom the accomplishment of the reform devolves. In no other way can the morale and esprit de corps neces- sary to realize the full benefit of the change be inspired in the per- sonnel of the office. Finally, I do not believe that it will be necessary to accomplish the necessary reduction by arbitrarily dismissing any of the present force. The losses in the personnel of the War Department through deaths, resignations, discharges, and transfers amount to nearly iO per cent of the force annually, and during the past year there has been accomplished a reduction of the entire classified force of 5 per cent. I believe that the same policy of taking advantage of this natural reduction could and should be carried out in the future in accomplishing the changes recommended by the commission. LETTER OE SECRETAEY OF WAR. U In this connection, however, I desire to call especial attention to eared that in most of the concerns visited a record of some sort had previously been kept, but with logical aiTangement of communications in the files it had been found practicable to do away with such records. It appeared to us, therefore, from our studies of the systems in the ofBces visited that the recording of correspond- ence in the War Department can be materially reduced and in some oflices almost eliminated by the use of a flat filing system, with modification to meet the requirements of different bureaus. Eespectfully submitted. Robert E. Parkee. Herbert L. Davis. Thos. G. Caemick. W. D. Searle. F. L. Brigham. It seems, therefore, that the commission has received full confirma- tion of its position in regard to the adaptability to the business of The Adjutant General's Office of the principles set forth in this report in regard to handling and filing correspondence. It may be appro- priate to add here that the principles advocated are simply a repeti- tion or extension of the conclusions reached bj^ the commission in February, 1912, and set forth in Circular No. 21. METHOD OF CONDUCTING TELEGRAPH BUSINESS. Telegi-ams and cablegrams are being prepared and dispatched with little or no regard for cost. No attempt has been made to take advantage of night rates or to arrange for the consolidation into one message of several telegrams to be sent to a single officer in the course of a day's business, or to omit unnecessary words from the messages. In the work of coding cablegrams no advantage has been taken of the economical method of enciphering used in other branches of the War Department, which if adopted in The Adjutant General's Office would reduce the present cost of cablegrams 50 per cent. METHODS OF PREPARATION AND DISTRIBUTION OF CIRCULARS DESCRIPTIVE OF DESERTERS. The Adjutant General's Office is distributing annually throughout the country approximately 13,000,000 circulars containing descrip- tions of men deserting from the Army. The method now followed results in distributing a very large number of circulars which are not used and in fact can not be used by those receiving them. The work 56 EEPOETS OE COMMISSION ON ECONOMY AND EFFICIENCY. of revising the present, mailing list and of arranging for the proper distribution of descriptions of deserters could be performed in a very short time. The adoption of proper methods for distributing these descriptions would not onl}'' effect a very large saving in expense, but would make such descriptions as are sent out more effective. FILING OLD MILITARY RECORDS AND FURNISHING INFORMATION THERE- FROM. At the present time the old military reiSords are filed in four dif- ferent buildings, and in some instances records which clearlj'^ belong in one file are divided into sections located in separate buildings. Furthermore, some of the records are arranged with only small regard to the principal use to be made of them. The present location and arrangement of the old military records are such as to make it neces- sary to incur a very heavy expense in furnishing information from them. A large part of this expense could be readih^ eliminated by the proj^er filing of the records. COOPERATION OF EMPLOYEES. Under the system employed, notwithstanding the reporting methods described, there has been practically no inducement to employees to stud}^ new methods or suggest improvements in the service, for the reason that if it appeared that these improvements would result in greater efficiency or economy of administration their proper share of the credit for recommendation would have been completely oblit- erated; but if the new methods proposed proved unsuccessful, the full burden of failure would have rested upon the proponent. On the other hand, in private corporations inducements are offered to everyone to devise improvements in the service. Frequently prizes are given to employees for valuable ideas and suggestions, and their efforts in this regard, when successful, are usually rewarded by pro- motion to higher positions. CLASSES OF WORK INCIDENTAL TO MAIN FUNCTIONS. The Adjutant General's Office has followed, so far as possible, the policy of maintaining and operating plants for the manufacture of goods or the furnishing of utilities which it may need in the conduct of its business. For example, it is maintaining a printing office, a bookbindery, a carpenter and blacksmith shop for the manufacture and repair of equipment, and a plant for generating electricity. Other offices and bureaus, with very few exceptions, have long since taken advantage of the superior facilities of the Government BUSINESS METHODS OF OFFICE OF THE ADJUTANT GENEKAL. 57 Printing Office for performing all printing and binding work. The work performed at the Tenth Street printing establishment maintained by The Adjutant General's Office is crude and very ex- pensive. The work of the binding section could be performed much more quickly and at less cost at the Government Printing Office. The carpenter shop occupies an entire floor of the Seventeenth Street branch, and its work is very expensive because of the hand methods employed. It would be much cheaper to purchase filing equipment than to attempt to manufacture it on a small scale and by the use of obsolete methods. The cost of generating electricity at the Tenth Street branch is 50 per cent greater than the cost of current purchased from the local company. Moreover, the current as now generated is available only fi'om 9 a. m. to 4.30 p. m. During other hours, gas is used for lighting. INDEX TO GENERAL ORDERS, 1860 TO 1880. A class of work which it is believed should be discontinued is that invoh'^ed in the preparation of a new edition of the index to general orders for the years 1860 to 1880. This work is believed to be unnec- essary in view of the fact that the orders for each year of this period are thoroughly indexed, and, moreover, a consolidated index for the whole period was prepared some years ago. It has been ascertained that the present indexes serve all important demands and there ap- pears to be no justification for incurring a very heav}^ expense for preparing from original sources an entirely new index. REPORT ON ORGANIZATION AND CASUALTIES OF THE UNION AND CONFED- ERATE ARMIES. One branch of The Adjutant General's Office has in ]3reparation a report on the organization and casualties of the Union and Confed- erate Armies. Thousands of dollars have been expended to date on this work, and it is far from completion. The work may be impor- tant and desirable, but no proper authority for its conduct has been shown b}^ The Adjutant General's Office. Work of such magnitude should be undertaken only upon the granting of proper authority. OFFICE QUARTERS. At the present time The Adjutant General's Office is using a large number of its best rooms for filing old militaiy records, which are consulted only for the purpose of furnishing information for a set- tlement of pension claims and for historical use. At the same time about one-fourth of the employees of the office are housed in old buildings, which are dangerous from the standiDoint of fire risks, in an insanitary condition, and wholly unsuitable for use as offices. 58 EEPOETS OF COMMISSION ON ECONOMY AND EFFICIENCY. EEDUCTION IN FOKCE AND DETAIL OF EMPLOYEES TO OTHER BUREAUS. In arranging for the reduction in force which can be effected by the adoption of the commission's recommendations, it is suggested that those employees who can be relieved from their present duties be as- signed to fill such vacancies as may occur in the clerical force of The Adjutant General's Office or of any other office or bureau in the War Department, Under the present law the clerical force of The Adjutant General's Office can not be detailed to other offices or bureaus of the War De- partment. The commission has, however, recommended that the present restriction as to detailing clerks from The Adjutant General's Office be removed, so that any clerks who may not be needed in The Adjutant General's Office after the adoption of more economical methods can be detailed to other branches of the War Department. COOPERATION WITH WAR DEPARTMENT. It is manifest that many of the recommendations contained in this report can not be set forth in sufficient detail to enable those con- cerned to arrive at a complete understanding of the steps necessary to install the systems or methods recommended. The commission, however, will be pleased to assign members of its staff who, having studied the details of the recommendations made, can cooperate with the offices concerned in the development and installation of the new methods recommended. SECTION II. Function and Organization of The Adjutant General's Oefice. GENERAL. The functions and work of The Adjutant General's Department are prescribed in part by statute, in part by Army regulations, and in part by War Department general orders. The Army regulations describe The Adjutant General's Department as "the department of records, orders, and correspondence of the Army and the militia." The Adjutant General's Department includes the central " office " in Washington and such officers and men in the military organizations as may be detailed for duty to The Adjutant General's Department. This report is limited to the consideration of the " office " in Washington. As has been said, the work of this office consists principally of the handling and filing of correspondence, including Army reports on personnel and movements of troops, and of furnishing information from the records in its custody. The work falls into two main classes, (a) that connected with present military personnel and opera- tions, and (b) that connected with the records of former officers and men and of former militaiy organizations. Incidental to these two main classes of work, The Adjutant General's Office conducts print- ing, binding; and carpenter-shop work. WORK CONNECTED WITH PRESENT MILITARY PERSONNEL AND OPERATIONS. This work, as stated above, consists principallj^ of the handling of the correspondence, orders, and records of the Army. The work may be divided into the following groups : 1. Recording, authenticating, and communicating to troops and individuals in ttie military service all orders, instructions, and regulations issued by the Secre- tary of War through the Chief of Staff. This includes printing and distributing approximately 17,650,000 Army orders and circulars. 2. Preparing and distributing commissions. 3. Compiling and issuing the Army Register and the Army List and Directory. 4. Examining, recording, and consolidating the general returns of the Army, which include the (a) bimonthly muster rolls, (b) monthly "Army returns" of services of officers, (c) recruiting reports, (d) enlistment contracts, and (e> miscellaneous reports. 59 60 REPORTS OF COMMISSION ON ECONOMY AND EFFICIENCY. 5. Arranging and preserving the reports of officers cletailed to visit encamp- ments of militia. 6. Preparing the annual returns of the militia required by law to he sub- mitted to Congress. 7. Managing the recruiting service. 8. Recording and issuing orders from the War Department remitting or miti- gating sentences of military convicts who have been discharged from the military service. 9. Maintaining the personal identification system. 10. Furnishing information from the records concerning the personnel and operations of the present military establishment. 11. Forwarding personal mail to officers and enlisted men. The number of communications received annually by The Ad- jutant General's Office in connection with the business of the present military organization is given in the War Department's report on " Handling and filing of correspondence," under date of February 15. 1911, as follows: Orders issued by Army commanders 159,000 Current Army reports and returns 189,000 Letters from the staff departments and the Army at large 140,000 Letters from miscellaneous sources 87,000 Total 575, 000 In addition to these incoming communications, 70,000 private let- lers for officers and enlisted men were received in the Adjutant Gen- eral's Office and forwarded to them. The number of outgoing communications was not reported in any detail, so it is impossible to state separately the number of communi- cations sent out in connection with the business of the present mili- tary organization, and the number sent out in connection with the work on the records of former military organizations. The total number of outgoing communications of the two classes was reported as " about 356,000. This number does not include approximately 17,650,000 printed Army orders and circulars issued from this office annually." The methods followed in handling and filing correspondence are described in detail in Appendix I. WOKK CONNECTED AVITH RECORDS OF FORMER ORGANIZATIONS. The Adjutant General is vested with the custody of the military and hospital records of the volunteer armies and of the permanent military establishment. Upon the muster out or discharge of volun- teers or militia from the service of the United States, and upon the disbandment of any organization in the permanent military estab- lishment, all the records that pertain to them and that have not been filed in the Adjutant General's Office are transferred to and filed in BUSINESS METHODS OF OFFICE OF THE ADJUTANT GENERAL. 61 that office. The archives of the Adjutant General's Office inchide the following : 1. All militarj^ records of the Revolution:u-y War. 2. Records of all organizatioDS, officers, and enlisted men that have l)©eu in the military service of the United States since the Revolutionary War. 3. Records of the movements and operations of troops. 5. Medical and hospital records of the Army. 6. Identification cards. 7. Records of the Provost Marshal General's Bureau. 8. Records of the Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands. 9. Confederate records, including those pertaining to the legislative, execu- tive, and judicial branches of the Confederate Government. The Adjutant General takes an}^ necessary steps to complete and correct the records in his custody. At the present time about 30 emploj^ees are employed in prepar- ing record cards shoAving the military services of the men Avho served in the Confederate Army during the Civil War. This work was begun in 1902, and it is estimated that with the present force the work will be completed in two or three years. Kecord cards showing the militar}'- service of the men in the Union Army have been prepared. These record cards are used for furnishing information requested in connection with the settlement of pension claims and other cases involving military histories. The Adjutant General's Office answers all inquiries for informa- tion contained in the archives in its custody, provided these inquiries do not require administrative action by any other bureaus of the A¥ar Department. The information furnished from the documents and records include that concerning pension, pay, bounty, and other business pertaining to or based upon the military or medical his- tories of former officers and enlisted men in both the volunteer and the permanent military organizations. The War Department's report on the handling and filing of corre- spondence states that about 135,000 letters requesting statements of military service of individuals are received annuallj^ These requests are received from the Pension Office, Auditor for the War Depart- ment, General Land Office, and other Federal departments and offices; from the adjutant generals of the several States, the Grand Army of the Republic and other associations, and from individuals. Another function performed by The Adjutant General's Office is the compilation of historical data on former military organizations. At present the " publication branch " is compiling record cards show- ing the military history of the companies and other military organi- zations in the Federal Army during the Civil War. It is the ex- ijectation that this compilation will eventually be published. The distribution of the voluminous report on the " Official Eecords of the Rebellion " is handled by The Adjutant General's Office in accord- ance with an act of Congress approved March 3, 1903. hZ REPORTS OE COMMISSION OjST ECONOMY AND EFFICIENCY. ORGANIZATION. Beside the " central office," the functions of which have been de- scribed, The Adjutant General's Department includes the officers and enlisted men in the several commands detailed to perform the work of The Adjutant General's Department and the recruiting stations. The organization described below is that of the " central office " in Washington only. The personnel in The Adjutant General's Office consists of officers detailed for such duty and of the civilian force authorized by Con- gress in appropriation acts. In addition to The Adjutant General, who is the head of the department, five officers are usually detailed to the " office " in Washington, and are designated as " adjutants general." For the fiscal year 1913, Congress authorized the employ- ment of 638 civilian employees in Th.e Adjutant General's Office, with a salary roll of $781,950. The appropriation act stipulated that " all ■emplo5^ees provided for b}^ this paragraph for The Adjutant Gen- eral's Office of the War Department shall be exclusively engaged on the work of this office for the fiscal year nineteen hundred and twelve." The divisions into which The Adjutant General's Office is divided are as follows: 1. Administration Division. 2. Publication branch. 3. Distribution Di^'ision. 4. Orders Division. 5. Mail and Record Division. 6. Correspondence and Examining Division. 7. Miscellaneous Division. S. Enlisted Men's Division. 9. Eecruiting Division. 10. Rolls Division. 13. Appointment; Commissions, and Personnel Division. 12. Military Academy Division. 13. Returns Division. 14. Medical Division. 15. Regimental Records Division. 16. Archives Division. 17. Tenth Street branch. 18. Seventeenth Street branch. Functions and Wokk of Particular Divisions.^ 1 Detailed descriptive reports of the functions and work of the divisions of The Adju- tant General's Office are contained in Appendixes I and II. As related to each of the several divisions, the work of the office is subdivided as follows: BUSINESS METHODS OF OFFICE OF THE ADJUTANT GENERAL. t)<3 ADMINISTRATIVE DIVISION. General supervision of the entire business and personnel of The Adjutant General's Office. PUBLICATION BRANCH. Furnishing statistical and historical information from the " Official Eecords of the Union and Confederate Armies," verifying the text of inscriptions for memorials in the various national military parks, preparing for publication a compilation showing the geographical and tactical organizations, engagements, and casualties of the Union and Confederate Armies, and a subject index of the General Orders and Circulars of the War Department from 1860 to 1911; also the reading of proof for various publications of the office and War Department. ORDERS DIVISION. Furnishing and preparing for printing and distribution all drafts for special and general orders and changes of orders, such drafts being originally prepared in other divisions of The Adjutant Gen- eral's Office. DISTRIBUTION DIVISION. Maintaining a file of all books, forms, circuhirs, orders and regula- tions of the Army and dispatching them to the organizations and personnel thereof. MAIL AND RECORD DIVISION. Receiving, briefing, recording, and indexing the correspondence of The Adjutant General's Office and custody of the correspondence files. CORRESPONDENCE AND EXAMINING DIVISION. Drafting and writing replies to communications requesting in- formation relative to the service of former officers and enlisted men and reviewing and copying for signature the drafts of some com- munications which are prepared in other divisions of the officei, ■ MISCELLANEOUS DIVISION. Th,e handling of miscellaneous correspondence arising in connec- tion with the work of The Adjutant General's Office, the preparation of general orders, and the custody anxi compilation of efficiency reports concerning the commissioned officers of the Army. 64 EBPOETS OF COMMISSION OIST ECONOMY AND EFFICIENCY. ENLISTED men's DIVISION. Preparation of corresjDonclence relating to the changes in status or .station of enlisted men, discharge of enlisted men from the Army, questions arising in connection with desertions, fraudulent enlist- ments, absences without leave, and requests of enlisted men to be jDlaced on retired list. EECRUITING DIVISION. Conduct of correspondence relating to the establishment and dis- continuance of recruiting stations, the work of recruiting officers and enlisted men, the distribution of recruits to military organizations, and the final passing upon certain applications for enlistment; also the custoch^, examination, and tabulation of reports showing the number of enlistments, at each recruiting station or depot, and advertising for recruits. ROLLS DIVISION. Custody of original Army reports and muster rolls, the keeping of registers of enlisted men, ansAvering inquiries from governmental sources requesting statements of military service of enlisted men, conduct of miscellaneous correspondence with the statf departments and the Army at large, and the preparing of answers to the various inquiries from miscellaneous sources on subjects relating to enlisted men. DIVISION OF APPOINTMENTS, COMMISSIONS, AND PERSONNEL. Conduct of correspondence and the preparation of orders relating to the commissioned personnel of the Regular and Volunteer Armies of the United States. Specifically it consists of conducting corre- spondence and preparing orders relating to nominations, appoint- ments, commissions, assignments to duty, personal movements, pro- motions, resignations, and retirements of commissioned officers. military education at civil institutions and the several service and garrison schools of the xVrmy, and miscellaneous matters arising in connection with the officer's service from the time of his commission until his separation from the service. MILITARY ACADEiNIY DIVISION. Conduct of correspondence pertaining to management of the United States Military Academy, and the appointment, examination. and admission of cadets to the academy, the maintenance of records showing the representation of States and congressional districts at BUSINESS METHODS OF OFFICE OF THE ADJUTANT GENEEAL. 65 the Military Academy, and the notification of Congressmen of exist- ing vacancies. RETURNS DIVISION. Custody of files of original returns from all organizations and military posts of the Regular Army, compiling the records of service of officers and organizations of the Regular and Volunteer Armies of the United States, and furnishing information from all the records in its custody. MEDICAL DIVISION. The custody of, and the furnishing of information from, medical records of the Arm}^, both Regular and Volunteer troops, and both officers and enlisted men from 1821 to 1910, inclusive. REGIMENTAL RECORDS DIVISION. Custody of, and furnishing information from, the index record cards and personal papers of volunteers in the several wars, and original regimental records. ARCHIVES DIVISION. Custody of, and furnishing information from, original military records, other than regimental records, and from records of the reconstruction period. Also the records of the Provost Marshal General's Bureau, prisoner of war records, and the Confederate records. TENTH STREET BRANCH. Furnishing statements of service from, and the custody of, identi- fication records of enlisted men of the Regular Army, and of the card records and personal papers of volunteer soldiers in the several wars. Also printing forms, blanks, envelopes, etc., for the office. SEVENTEENTH STREET BRANCH. The custody of part of the Confederate prisoner of war records and of duplicate military records; repairing and rebinding books and documents, making mail jackets, carpenter, repair, and cabinet work for The Adjutant General's Office. 72734°— H. Doc. 1252, 62-3 5 SECTION III. Ckitigisms and Constructive Recommendations with Respect to THE General Business System of the Office. The purpose of this section is to point out in what respect it is thought by the commission the Office of The Adjutant General oper- ates at a disadvantage, due to conditions which are adverse to oper- ating with greatest economy and efficiency, and to indicate what changes it is thought could be made to improve those conditions. To this end a brief statement is made of present conditions and methods which are thought to be unfavorable; this is followed by critical consideration of the results attributable to the conditions and meth- ods described, with constructive suggestions, the adoption of which, it is believed, will either improve the efficiency of the service or effect economies, or both. The critical comment and constructive sugges- tions of the commission are presented under the following general leads : 1. Handicaps due to organization. 2. Defects in methods. 3. Unnecessary worli performed. 4. Unsuitable condition and location of quarters. 1. HANDICAPS DUE TO ORGANIZATION. The excessive number of divisions is primarily responsible for the large number of communications exchanged between divisions. All through the organization of The Adjutant General's Office it is ob- served that one group of divisions prepares the correspondence and another furnishes to the former the facts and information from the records which enter into that correspondence. This condition re- quires the first group to be continually requesting, by written state- ment on the record card, the information it desires, and the second group to communicate that information to the former by means of the record cards — an interchange of correspondence within the office which occasions a great deal of clerical work, much of it waste, due to the fact that the record divisions naturally furnish to the corre- spondence divisions information considerably in excess of that neces- sary to the reply in particular cases, because of the general nature in which the requests on the record cards for such information must be BUSINESS METHODS OF OFFICE OF THE ADJUTANT GENERAL. 67 framed. The consolidations recommended by the commission will reduce the amount of this intercommunication by at least 50 per cent, and correspondingly reduce the quantity of matter transported by the five-minute mail messenger service. There are 18 separate divisions and "branches" in the Office of The Adjutant General, some of them organizations of only from 3 to 11 employees. A considerable increase in efficiency would be secured by consolidation of some of the divisions whose work is closely connected with other divisions. The commission recommends the following divisional organization for the office : 1. Administration Division, to be composed of the present Adminis- tration, Orders, and Distribution Divisions, and a small part of the publication branch. 2. Mail and Record Division, Avhose functions will be reduced to the custody of the correspondence files primarily, and the incidental work of receiving, opening, and distributing incoming and dispatch- ing outgoing mail. 3. Correspondence Division, to be formed by a consolidation of the l^resent Miscellaneous and Correspondence and Examining Divisions. 4. Enlisted Men's Division, to be formed by a consolidation of the present Enlisted Men's, Recruiting, and Rolls Divisions, the Corre- spondence and Examining and Medical Divisions, and the identity section of the Tenth Street branch. 5. Officers' Division, to be formed by a consolidation of the present Returns Division, Division of Appointment, Commission and Per- sonnel, and Military Academy Division, the efficiency section of the present Miscellaneous Division, and small parts of the Correspond- ence and Examining and Medical Divisions. 6. Regimental Records Division, to consist of the present Regi- mental Records Division, a part of the Tenth Street branch, and a part of the Medical Division. 7. Archives Division, to consist of the present Archives Division, a part of the Seventeenth Street branch, a part of the Medical Divi- sion, and a part of the publication branch. 8. Carding Division, to be a temporary division for the completion of the carding of Confederate military records now being conducted by sections of the Tenth Street branch, the work of this division to be limited to the carding of these records and the division to be dis- continued upon the completion of that work. The consolidations here recommended, together with the transfer and elimination of work recommended in other sections of this report, will cause the following divisions and branches to be discontinued : 1. Orders Division. 2. Distribution Division. 68 EEPOKTS OF COMMISSION ON ECONOMY AND EFFICIENCY. 3. Returns Division. 4. Military Academy Division. 5. Recruiting Division. 6. Rolls Division. 7. Miscellaneous Division. 8. Medical Division. 9. Seventh Street branch. 10. Publication branch. The considerations which have guided us in making the above rec- ommendations in regard to the organization of The Adjutant Gener- al's Office are as follows: 1. Administration Division^ to he formed hy consolidation of Admin- istration^ Orders^ and Distribution Divisions, and part of 'publi- cation branch. The principal function of the Orders Division is to supervise the printing and issuance of orders which are prepared in other divisions of The Adjutant General's Office. The principal function of the Distribution Division is, as its name implies, to distribute the large number of general and special orders issued by The Adjutant Gener- al's Office and to keep the stock of stationery and issue the same upon requisition to the various divisions. There are 8 employees in the Orders Division and 7 in the Distribution Division. The size of these divisions is so small, and their functions those usually committed to the office of a chief clerk, that it would be desirable to have them taken over by the Administration Division. The publication branch has two employees who devote part of their time to proof reading. Such work logically belongs in a Publication Division, but in view of the fact that there is so little proof reading to be performed and that the other work now being conducted in the publication branch has been found unnecessary or to be of such char- acter that it could be performed to better advantage in other divisions, it is unnecessary to maintain a separate Publication Division. It is therefore desirable to transfer the proof reading to some central di- vision where it can be performed to as good advantage as in the old publication branch. It is accordingly recommended that the experi- enced proof reader now assigned to the publication branch and draw- ing a salary of $1,400 be transferred to the Administration Division. It is unnecessary to assign any " copy holder " to the Administration Division, as the holding of copy can be best performed by an employee temporarily assigned to that work from the division whose copy is be- ing read. BUSINESS METHODS OF OFFICE OF THE ADJUTANT GENEEAL. 69 Upon the adoption of the recommendations for changes in the Ad- ministration Division, and for transfers to this division of other di- visions and work, the number of employees will be as follows : Personnel of Administration Division. Transferred from— At $2,500. At $2,000. Class 4. Class 3. Class 2. Class 1. At $1,000. Total employ- ees. Total salaries. Present Administration Division 1 2 4 3 1 2 1 1 1 1 11 6 7 1 $19,900 7,600 Orders Division 3 3 1 Distribution Division 1 10,000 Publication branch 1,400 Total 1 2 5 6 4 6 1 25 38,900 2. Mail and Record Division. The functions of this division will be reduced to the custody of the correspondence files primarily, and the incidental work of receiving, opening, and distributing incoming and dispatching outgoing mail. The number of employees will be as follows. 1 chief of division $2,000 1 clerk, class 4 1, 800 4 clerks, class 3, witli salaries aggregating 6, 400 14 clerks, class 2, with salaries aggregating 19, 600 13 clerks, class 1, with salaries aggregating 15, 600 2 clerks, at $1,000 2,000 35 clerks, with salaries aggregating 47, 400 3. Correspondence Division., to he formed hy a consolidation of Mis- cellaneous and Correspondence and Examining Divisions. One of the main functions of the Correspondence and Examining Division is to engross, in typewritten form for dispatch, communica- tions which are originally drafted on the record cards by handwriting or typewriting in other divisions of the office, principally the Rolls and Eegimental Records Divisions. In another part of this report it is recommended that these communications be prepared in final form in the divisions where the first draft is now prepared. It is also recommended in another part of this report that the effi- ciency section of the Miscellaneous Division be transferred to the new Officers' Division, and that the work of handling applications for certificates in lieu of lost discharges and applications for the removal of the charge of desertion, which is now being done in the 70 REPORTS OF COMMISSION ON" ECONOMY AND EFFICIENCY. Correspondence Division, be taken over by the new Enlisted Men's Division. These changes will leave in the Correspondence and Examining Division and the Miscellaneous Division the real miscellaneous cor- respondence of the office. With the reduced amount of work in each division and the like nature of the correspondence, the logical con- clusion is a consolidation of the two divisions under the title " Cor- respondence Division." Upon the adoption of the recommendations providing for the cre- ation of the new Correspondence Division, and the transfer to that division of the functions and work above mentioned, the number of employees will be as follows : Personnel of new Correspondence Division. Transferred from— At S2,000. Class 4. Class 3. Class 2. Class 1. At $1,000. Total employ- ees. Total ' salaries. Present Correspondence and Ex- amining Divisinn 3 4 2 2 2 1 5 1 11 9 1 $16,800 12,000 2,000 Miscellaneous Division Chief of consolidated division... 1 Total 1 3 6 4 6 1 21 30,800 4. Enlisted Men's Division, to he formed hy a consolidation of Rolls, Recruiting, and Enlisted Men^s Divisions, a part of the Cor- respondence and Examining and Medical Divisions, and the iden- tity section. The controlling reason in bringing us to a recommendation for the consolidation of the Rolls Division, Recruiting Division, and Enlisted Men's Division, lies in the fact that the records in the Eolls Division serve as the foundation for a very large part of the work in the nature of correspondence emanating from the Recruit- ing and Enlisted Men's Divisions. The consolidation would effect a saving due to the elimination of messenger work, the writing of memoranda and reports on record cards, as well as an indirect sav- ing resulting from the fact that when a man once took up a case and formed a grasp of the subject matter he would not have to let it go until the reply or action had been drafted in connection there- Avith. This would, of course, save a great deal of time, although it is difficult to measure the same in terms of monetary value. The size of some of the divisions is another consideration. The present force of the Rolls Division is 52 persons, that of the Enlisted Men's Division 10, and that of the Recruiting Division 11, a total BUSINESS METHODS OF OFFICE OF THE ADJUTANT GENEEAL. 71 of 73. With the adoption of our recommendations, the force in these divisions would be as follows : Rolls Division 25 Enlisted Men's Division 7 Recruiting Division 6 Total 38 With the force in the Enlisted Men's Division and Recruiting Division cut down to seven and six persons, respectively, and in the absence of technical work in either of these divisions, there is no reason for their continuing to be independent. The business of the three divisions can just as well and much more economically be transacted if a consolidation is effected. The work of handling recruiting questions, matters concerning the status of enlisted men. and the furnishing from the records of information in regard to enlisted men, can be grouped into sections of a division which will have to do with all questions arising in connection with the enlisted man. The handling of correspondence in relation to applications for certificates in lieu of lost discharges an^ applications for the removal of the charge of desertion, now a function of the present Corre- spondence and Examining Division, should be transferred to the new Enlisted Men's Division, where the records upon which such cor- respondence is based are maintained. The present Correspondence and Examining Division also en- grosses nearly all the communications drafted in the present EoUs Division. The commission recommends that this correspondence be prepared in final form for dispatch in the new Enlisted Men's Division, in order to avoid the duplication of work incident to hav- ing one division prepare the first copy in draft of correspondence, and another division the final or " fair " copy for dispatch. ' The number of clerks at each salary grade who should be trans- ferred from the present Correspondence and Examining Division to the new division for the purpose of carrying on this work is as follows : Salary per annum. 1 clerk, class 3 1 $1, 600 2 clerks, class 2 2,800 3 clerks, class 1 3,600 8,000 Those medical records now in the custody of the Medical Division which pertain to enlisted men in the Regular Army, and which are needed in the conduct of business connected with current military affairs, should be transferred to the proposed Enlisted Men's Division. It is desirable to centralize in one division the records which must 72 EEPOETS OF COMMISSION ON" ECONOMY AND EFFICIENCY. be consulted in reporting on the service of men in the Regular Army and thus avoid the large amount of unnecessary work now performed in referring cases from one division to another for the completion of statements of service. The medical records to be transferred to the proposed Enlisted Men's Division should constitute a separate section or division of the files in that division. A large part of the work performed by the Medical Division in con- nection with current Army business is the receiving, classifying, and filing of the monthly reports of sick and wounded and the medical report cards. This work, together with that of furnishing informa- tion from the records, now requires the services of Y searchers. It is accordingly recommended that these men be transferred to the pro- posed Enlisted Men's Division. Three of these employees receive salaries of $1,400 per annum and 4 receive salaries of $1,200 per annum. The saving to be effected from this proposed consolidation is in the elimination of expense incidental to the rehandling of cases and to the maintenance of a separate division. This involves not only the work of the searchers in referring a case from one division to another and the work of the messenger force in carrying the cases from one divi- sion to another, but it also involves the work of receiving clerks, record clerks, section chiefs, and division chiefs who are now em- ployed in each of the separate divisions engaged in furnishing infor- mation. The direct saving to be effected from the consolidation here proposed is shown in another section of this report, together with similar savings in the Medical Division to be effected by other recom- mendations. The identity section, which is now located in the Tenth Street branch, has the custody of all identification records of men in the Regular Army. This section also prepares the circulars descriptive of deserters. All the work of the identity section is connected with current military affairs and is closely related to the other work to be conducted by the proposed Enlisted Men's Division. The transfer of the identity section will enable the office to conduct the work assigned to that section more promptly and at a less cost. Unneces- sary work now performed in referring cases from the Rolls Division to the identity section will be eliminated through this consolidation. The number of men at each salary grade necessary for the conduct of the work of the identity section is as follows : Salary per annum. 1 clerk, class 3 $1,600 2 clerks, class 2 2, 800 8 clerks, class 1 9, 600 2 clerks at $L0OO 2, 000 16, 000 BUSINESS METHODS OF OFFICE OF THE ADJUTANT GENEEAL. 73 At the present time the examining section of the Mail and Record Division maintains the files of beneficiary cards which are used in furnishing the identity section with the address of the beneficiaries of enlisted men who have deserted. This file logically belongs in the identity section, for whose use the file is maintained, and should be transferred to the new Enlisted Men's Division for the use of the identity section. The work of preparing the beneficiary cards and of furnishing information therefrom requires but a small amount of time as at present conducted. This work will, however, be reduced if the file is in the identity section, where the desired information can be directly procured and used without the present necessity of re- questing the information on a correspondence record card and of in- dorsing the reply thereon. It will be unnecessary to transfer any employees to the identity section in order to perform the work con- nected with the file of beneficiary cards. Upon the adoption of the recommendations providing for the crea- tion of the new Enlisted Men's Division and the transfer to that division of work now performed in other divisions the number of employees will be as follows : Personnel of new Enlisted Men's Division. Transferred from— At $2,000. Class 4. Class 3. Class 2. Classl. At $1,000. Total em- ploy- ees. Total salaries. Present Enlisted Men's Division. . . 1 1 1 2 1 1 5 2 4 2 3 2 1 1 19 3 4 8 1 2 7 6 26 6 7 13 1 $10,000 9,000 Present Recruiting Division Present Rolls Division 32, 800 Present Correspondence and Exam- ining Division 8,000 Present Medical Division 9,000 16,000 2,000 Identity section of Tenth Street branch 1 Chief of consolidated division 1 i Total 1 3 5 18 36 3 • 66 86, 800 5. Officers^ Division, to he formed hy consolidation of Returns^ Ap- pointment, Commission, and Personnel, and Military Academy Divisions, and part ^of the Medical and Correspondence and Ex- amining Divisions. The recommendation for the consolidation of the Returns Divi- sion, the Division of Appointment, Commission, and Personnel, and the Military Academy Division is based upon the same reasons that underlie our recommendation for the consolidation of the Rolls, En- listed Men's, and Recruiting Divisions. The three divisions first 74 EEPOKTS OF COMMISSIOlSr ON ECONOMY AND EFFICIENCY. named have to do with the Army officer from the time he begins his education at the Military Academy until he is retired from the service. There is even more interchange of communications be- tween the Division of Appointment, Commission, and Personnel and the Returns Division than exists in the case of the Recruiting, En- listed Men's, and Rolls Divisions. Questions are continually arising in the Division of Appointment, Commission, and Personnel which require that division to communi- cate with the Returns Division in order to procure from the records the facts essential to prepare a reply. When one division depends almost exclusively on another for the information which enters into its correspondence, good business practice demands a merger. The consolidation would eliminate a great amount of intercom- munication, as Avell as the recording on the record cards by one division of data to be used by another in drafting a reply in a par- ticular case. The consolidation would expedite the disposition of cases, since the communications conld go direct from thOi opening- room to the man who is to handle the case, who would have at his hand the data essential to the reply, and having such data could Avith greater facility draft the communication based thereon than would be the case if the data had to be written on the record card and interpreted by a clerk who had not made the search, but who gave his exclusive attention to the preparation of correspondence based upon reports prepared by another. The Military Academy Division has only three employees and deals mainly with questions concerning the selection, nomination, and entrance to the academj^ of cadets. There is nothing technical about this work such as to justify a separate division being main- tained. In fact, by the adoption of our recommendations regarding the methods of work in that division, one clerk will be able to per- form its functions, with time to spare. The portion of the Medical Division to be transferred to the pro- posed Officers' Division consists of the medical records of officers in the Regular Army. These records should be filed in the division hav- ing the custody of the strictly military records for officers, so as to permit a complete report on an officer to be made in one division. The present method of filing medical records in a separate division a part of which is located in a building at a distance from the files of all other records of officers makes it necessary to refer a case calling for military and medical history from the Returns Division to the Medical Division in the State, War, and Navy Building and thence to the files in the Army Medical Museum. This rehandling of cases is unnecessarily expensive. BUSINESS METHODS OP OFFICE OF THE ADJUTANT GENERAL. 75 The records of officers in the Kegular Army subsequent to 1884 which are filed in the Army Medical Museum should be transferred to the Officers' Division, together with such medical records in that part of the Medical Division located in the State, War, and Navy Building as are necessary for conducting business connected with current Army affairs. The quantity of records to be transferred is small, there being only 40 file boxes (or about one-half of one file case) of officers' records for the period from 1884 to 1910. The amount of work performed on these records is so small that it is un- necessary to transfer any employees from the Medical Division to the Officers' Division in order to handle the small increase in work resulting from this transfer. Upon the adoption of the recommendations for the creation of an Officers' Division, and for transfers to this division of work now per- formed in other divisions, the number of employees will be as fol- lows : Personnel of the neiv Officers^ Division. Transferred from— At S2,000. Class 4. Class 3. Class 2. Class 1. At $1,000. Total em- ploy- ees. Total salaries. 1 1 1 2 1 2 4 3 2 1 1 8 10 1 2 1 1 $10,800 14,000 1,600 Efficiency section of present Miscel- 1 1 1 2,600 Correspondence and Examining Di- 1,200 1 2,000 Total 1 2 4 7 7 2 23 32,200 6. Regimental Records Division to he formed ~by a consolidation of the present Regimental Records Division and portions of the Medical Division and Tenth Street branch. The Regimental Eecords Division has the custody of the original records of regiments formerly in the military service and the military record cards of volunteer troops in the Revolutionary War, Indian Wars, War with Mexico, and Civil War. The employees in this divi- sion are engaged in furnishing information from these records. The Medical Division has the custody of all medical records for both regular and volunteer troops, and the employees in that division are engaged in furnishing information from these records. The Tenth Street branch has, among other functions, the custody of military record cards for volunteers in the Spanish War, the Philippine in- 76 KEPOETS OP COMMISSION ON ECONOMY AND EFFICIENCY. surrection, and in part for volunteers in the Civil War, together with similar cards for men in the Eetolutionary War and for men in the Confederate service. The records in the custody of these three divisions are used princi- pally for furnishing information needed in the consideration of pen- sion cases, and to a smaller extent for furnishing information desired for historical and genealogical purposes. It is thus seen that all these records are used for furnishing information in reply to the same classes of communications. In answering these communications it is necessary in over oncrthird of the cases handled by the Eegimental Records Division to refer them to the Medical Division or the Tenth Street branch for the completion of the case. Considered from a standpoint of the utilization of these records, it is thus desirable to have the file in the custody of one division. Moreover, when con- sidered from the standpoint of the subject matter of the records, the files should be placed in one division, and in some instances separate files should be consolidated as containing but one general class of records. The fact that these records logically belong together is in part recognized by The Adjutant General's Office, which has adopted the plan of transferring the military record cards of Civil War volun- teers from the Tenth Street branch to the Regimental Records Divi- sion and filing these cards with the military record cards in that division. The method of effecting this transfer is to send cards from the Tenth Street branch to the Regimental Records Division for permanent filing whenever the latter division has occasion to consult any of the cards for Civil War volunteers filed in the Tenth Street branch. This method is slow and ineffective and has resulted in the transfer of only about one-third of the cards during the many years that this practice has been in operation. In the case of the records for volunteers in the Spanish War and in the Philippine insurrection The Adjutant General's Office has consolidated in one file in the Tenth Street branch both the military record cards and the medical record cards for these soldiers. This arrangement is the logical one as it brings together into one file jacket all of the military and medi- cal record cards for one man. This arrangement enables the office to furnish a complete statement of military and medical history by referring to one place in one file. A partial obstacle to the consolidation and proper arrangement of these files has existed in the limited space in the State, War, and Navy Building. With the adoption of the commission's recom- mendation for placing all old military records in a new building suitable for the storage of such records this obstacle will be removed, and it will be possible to arrange and consolidate the files of these old records in such a way as to expedite their use. BUSINESS METHODS OP OFFICE OF THE ADJUTANT GENEKAL. 77 At the present time it is necessary to take a large number of steps in handling- and rehandling cases which are to be acted upon jointly by the Eegimental Eecords Division and the Tenth Street branch. On another page of this report is given an outline of these steps, which shows that at the present time 14 processes are being per- formed, all of which would be unnecessary upon the consolidation of the files of military-record cards now located in these two divisions. A large indirect saving will be effected through the elimination of this unnecessary rehandling of cases. In addition to the indirect saving there will be a direct annual saving in the salaries of employees engaged in searching the files at the Tenth Street branch of approxi- mately $4,600. This saving will be made possible because upon the adoption of this recommendation all information can be produced by searching the files once instead of twice as at present. The consolidation of the medical-record cards for Volunteer troops with the military-record cards for such troops now filed in the Regi- mental Records Division will also largely reduce the clerical work necessary for the preparation of a statement of military and medical history. In place of searching two files as at present, and of sending {» communication from one division to another, and frequently from one building to another, it will be possible, upon the consolidation of files in the Regimental Records and Medical Divisions, as here recommended, to furnish the information with a search of one file. At the time of the preparation of the descriptive report for the Regimental Records Division it contained 25 employees; the Tenth Street branch employed 9 men in searching and reporting from military card records, of whom it is estimated that 5 should be transferred to the Regimental Records Division; and the Medical Division 17 men, of whom it is estimated that 9 should be transferred to the Regimental Records Division; and the Correspondence and Examining Division employed 13 men, to be transferred. The Regi- mental Records Division, after the consolidation here recommended, will contain the 25 men now in that division, the 5 men to be trans- ferred from the Tenth Street branch, the 9 men to be transferred from the Medical Division, and the 13 from Correspondence and Examining Division, making a total of 52 men, as follows: Transferred from— Class 4. Class 3. Class 2. Class 1. At $1,000. Total. Total salaries. Present Regimental Records Division From Correspondence and Examiniag Divi- sion 3 1 3 1 4 1 11 2 3 8 9 2 2 2 25 13 9 5 S35,200 17, 000 From Medical Division 13, 000 From Tenth Street branch 6,000 Total 4 9 16 21 2 52 71, 200 78 REPORTS OF COMMISSION ON ECONOMY AND EFFICIENCY. 7. Archives Division, to he formed hy a consolidation of the present Archives Division and portions of the Medical Division, Seven^ teenth Street hranch, and publication branch. The Archives Division has the custody of original military records exclusive of regimental records and personal papers filed in the Regi- mental Eecords Division, and exclusive of returns and muster rolls for the Regular Army filed in the Returns and Rolls Divisions. The old military records filed in the Archives Division are consulted principally for the purpose of furnishing information necessary to complete statements of military service requested by the Commis- sioner of Pensions and Auditor for the War Department. These records are also searched for data requested for historical and gene- {dogical purposes. The Medical Division has the custody of all medical records of the Army, including those for regular and volunteer troops. The old medical records pertaining to discontinued military organiza- tions are not used in connection with the conduct of current mili- laiy affairs. These old records logically belong in the Archives Di- vision when considered from the standpoint of use made of the records. The Seventeenth Street branch has the custody of a part of the prisoner-of-war records, the balance of them being filed in the Archives Division. This branch also has the custody of duplicate copies of old military records. These two classes of records are in fact a part of the files of the Archives Division but are not at present in the custody of that division for lack of space in the State, War, and Navy Building. The Seventeenth Street branch is also engaged in repairing such old documents and records as are torn. This work is incident to the custody of the old records and should be performed by a division in which the records are filed. The publication branch has the custody of 80 volumes of ordnance reports made by officers during the Civil War. These records are similar to those in the custody of the Archives Division, and no reason has been advanced for filing this small number of ordnance reports in the publication branch. This branch is charged with the duty of furnishing information from the published " Official Rec- ords of the Union and Confederate Armies " in reply to certain classes of inquiries. It is also charged with the verification of in- scriptions prepared for monuments and tablets to be placed in na- tional parks and reservations. These classes of work now performed by the publication branch are of the same character as the Avork performed by the Archives Division, and all of this work should be performed in the latter division. The publication branch is also charged with the compilation of a report on the organization and BUSINESS METHODS OF OFFICE OF THE ADJUTANT GENEKAL. 79 casualties of the Union and Confederate Armies. If it is decided that this work is to be continued, it should be transferred to the Archives Division. The transfer of the files and work above described to the Archives Division will eliminate unnecessary work now performed in referring communications to the publication branch which could be handled by the Archives Division alone; it will also make it unnecessary for employees of the Archives Division to visit the Seventeenth Street branch in order to procure from its files information needed for the completion of cases assigned to the Archives Division, and it will facilitate the repair of torn documents and records by reason of hav- ing the employees who are engaged upon this work under the con- trol of the Archives Division, which has the largest number of docu- ments requiring repair. The transfer of records from the Medical Division will involve some additional work to be performed in the Archives Division, and it is accordingly recommended that one clerk at $1,400 be trans- ferred from the former to the latter division. The small amount of additional work to be performed by the Archives Division as a result of the proposed transfer of records from the Seventeenth Street branch can be readily performed with- out any increase in the force of the Archives Division. With respect to the repair of torn documents, it is recommended that the two em- ployees now engaged upon that work in the Seventeenth Street branch be transferred to the Archives Division. One of these em- ployees receives a salary of $1,000 and the other a salary of $1,200. The transfer of records and work from the publication branch will require no additional clerks to be assigned to the Archives Di- vision, with the exception of the work on the compilation of the report on the organization and casualties of the Union and Con- federate Armies. There was an equivalent of five clerks devoting Iheir full time to this work during 1912. The savings to be effected by this proposed consolidation are shown in other sections of this report. Upon the adoption of the recommendations for changes in the Archives Division and for transfers to this division, the number of employees will be as follows: At $2,000. Class 4. Class 3. Class 2. Class 1. At 11,000. Total salaries. 1 2 4 4 1 4 2 .$24, 400 1,400 1 1 1 2,200 1 1 2 7,400 Total 1 3 5 7 6 3 35,400 80 EEPOKTS OP COMMISSION ON ECONOMY AND EFFICIENCY. 8. Carding Division to consist of those em/ployees of the Tenth Street hranch note emfloyed in carding Confederate military records. The preparation of military and medical record cards for men in the Confederate Army is being conducted by Sections I, II, IV, and V of the Tenth Street branch. These sections are also performing other classes of work, but the preparation of the record cards is their prin- cipal function. This is a class of work distinct from that performed in other divisions of the office. Its purpose is to make readily avail- able information contained in a large number and great variety of original records. This work is of a permanent character and so is wholly different from current or routine work. The records for all Confederate States, excepting Virginia, have been carded, and it is estimated that two years will be required to com- plete the cards for that State, provided the present force is continued on the work. The force now consists of clerks of the following grades who are reported as devoting the whole or a part of their time to carding work : 3 clerks, class 4 $5, 400 8 clerks, class 3 12, 800 10 clerks, class 2 14, 000 41 clerks, class 1 49, 200 22 clerks at $1,000 22,000 84 103, 400 A number of these clerks are devoting part of their time to other classes of work, as mailing descriptive circulars of deserters, printing and searching and reporting from military records. The time spent on circulars is equivalent to the full time of 5 clerks and that on searching to the full time of one clerk. In considering the cost of these several classes of work, it has been considered that of the 84 employees reported on carding work, 2 clerks at $1,200 and 3 clerks at $1,000, have been continuously employed on the descriptive circulars, and 1 clerk at $1,200 has been continuously employed on searching and re- porting from records. Allowing for these details, the force employed on the carding work has consisted of — 3 clerks, class 4 $5,400 8 clerks, class 3 12, 800 10 clerks, class 2 14,000 38 clerks, class 1 45, 600 19 clerks at $1,000 19,000 78 96. 800 It is recommended that this force be continued on the carding of Confederate records, and that it be organized as a separate division. It has been customary to detail clerks from the carding work not only to other work in the Tenth Street branch as described, but also BUSINESS METHODS OF OrFICE OF THE ADJUTANT GENEKAL. 81 to other divisions which might be temporarily in need of extra em- ployees. Such details can be made more readily and with less inter- ference to work than details from divisions engaged in any current work. 2. DEFECTS IN 3IETH0DS. This section of the report is devoted to a critical discussion, with constructive suggestions, in regard to the present methods, which have kept the office in a position where it could not maintain pace with improvements in methods of conducting business which of recent years have been pronounced not only in the commercial Avorld, but in other executive departments of the Government. While the results of the clerical operations of The Adjutant Gen- eral's Office are excellent, the attention to duty of the whole force is on a high plane, and the correspondence is handled with dispatch, ' the entire system is open to criticism on the ground that more or less elaborate provision has been made against every possible contingency which may under remote conjecture arise. Records, indexes, and reports are kept, which in many instances have only an occasional bearing on the work of the office, and only in a very remote degree increase its efficiency. In short, the system has been carried to such an unreasonable extent that it has become unwieldy, and it is only a question of to what degree such system can be curtailed so as to bring it within the reasonable limits of a well-administered office. In this ^system lies the enormous expense of the clerical operations of the office— an expense wholly out of proportion to that sustained by any other large office of the Government, whether engaged in similar woric or not. The following subjects are taken up : a. Methods of handling and filing correspondence. 6. The five-minute messenger service. c. Comparison of present with proposed methods. d. Methods of handling telegraphic business. e. Methods of preparation and distribution of circulars descriptive of de- serters. /. Methods of filing old military records and furnishing information there- from. g. Defects in methods of administrative control. A. DEFECTS IN METHODS OF HANDLING AND FILING COKRESPONDENCE. Stating them briefly, the commission's criticisms may be said to lie chiefly against the following practices and conditions : 1. The folding of communications and filing them in document files, an out- of-date practice which has long since been discontinued in commercial concerns and is fast being abolished in the Government service. 72734°— H. Doc. 1252, 62-3 6 82 KEPOETS OP COMMISSION" OF ECONOMY AND EPPICIENCY. 2. The briefing on the back of the subject matter of a communication, which is necessary when it is folded and filed in a document file, another practice which the modern flat filing of correspondence has caused to be abolished. 3. The arrangement of the impersonal or subject correspondence files under an arbitrary numerical system, necessitating elaborate finding indexes. 4. The same arbitrary arrangement of the personnel correspondence files, with subsidiary index. 5. The recording and indexing of correspondence where the records can be of no permanent or historical value. 6. The press copying of outgoing correspondence, a slow process which delays the dispatch of the outgoing mail. 7. The practice of preparing a first draft of each outgoing communication on 31 by 8 inch record cards, and after approval of the draft, writing a second and final draft for signature, which practice means the writing of nearly every com- munication twice. ■ 8. A failure to take full advantage of the possibilities of the abbreviated form of conducting interdivisional correspondence, of which there is a very large amount in the office of The Adjutant General, due to the scattered location of the divisions of that office. 9. A failure to take advantage of the printed form in the preparation of com- munications in which the same language is repeatedly employed. 10. A failure to take full advantage, in connection with the preparation of correspondence, of labor-saving devices, such as the dictation machine, address- ing machines, etc. The principal recommendations which are intended to correct the practices and conditions above mentioned are as follows : 1. That the present system of folding correspondence and filing in document files be discontinued and flat filing substituted. 2. That briefing be discontinued. 3. That " impersonal " correspondence be filed under a subjective classifica- tion arranged as nearly as possible upon a self -indexing basis; and instead of arbitrary file numbers, that a logical arrangement of numbers under a decimal or analogous system be employed. 4. That " personnel " correspondence be filed alphabetically without enumera- tion or index. 5. That the writing of record cards be discontinued. 6. That the indexing of correspondence requesting statements of military service be discontinued. 7. That press copying be discontinued, and carbon copies be used in lieu thereof. 8. That the present practice of preparing a first draft of each outgoing com- munication on 3J by 8 inch record cards, and after approval of the draft writ- ing a second and final draft for signature, be discontinued, and that hereafter the correspondence be prepared on sheets 8 by lOJ inches ready for signature, with sufficient carbon copies for record purposes. 9. That the forms used in conducting correspondence within The Adjutant General's Office be revised, so as to provide for placing thereon the working data collected in connection' with the preparation of military service and other statements. ■ 10. That a code of symbols be used for the greater part of the correspondence between the divisions of The Adjutant General's Office in connection with the collection and preparation of data relative to statements of military service. 11. That the phonograph be used for preparing correspondence. BUSINESS METHODS OF OFFICE OF THE ADJUTANT GENEEAL. 83 Criticisms of the features which have led us to make the above recommendations are taken up in the order in which the recommenda- tions are made, and the reasons and general principles underlying these recommendations are discussed in like order. 1. It is recommended thai the present system of folding correspond- ence and filing in docu And No. 310.2 is subdivided as follows: 310.2. Construction of new buildings. 310.21 Plans and specifications. • 310.22 Contracts for new buildings. 310.23 Interior appointments. No. 310.23 has these subdivisions : 310.23. Interior appointments. 310.281 Furnishing. , 310.232 Heating plant. 310.233 Lighting. And No. 310.233 is subdivided into : 310.233. Lighting. 310.233.1. Electric wiring. 310.233.2. Gas fixtures. 310.233.3. Oil. The chief merits of the decimal system of classification lie in the fact that the subject of the correspondence predetermines the exact place of filing, without necessitating either book or card-record in- dexing ; that the left-hand digit of the numbers used furnishes a key to the character of the correspondence and that the additional num- 55 EEPOETS OF COMMISSIOX ON" ECOJSTOMY AND EFFICIENCY. hers to the right still further define the precise nature of the corre- spondence, beyond its general character; and that the use of groups of tens or decimals renders the system susceptible of indefinite expan- sion as necessity may call for, without altering the value of any of the figures originally assigned to a subject or group of subjects. A single illustration will suffice to make 'this point clear. Take, for example, a collection of letters, some having reference to the purchase of property, others to the construction of new buildings, and others to the maintenance of real estate. It is evident that in an attempt at their classification they will be found to have one feature in common; that is, they alike treat of " real estate." Consequently all of the correspondence mentioned will be filed somewhere under the class number of 310, that being the number assigned to that division of subjects. It will be further found, through an exceedingly brief study of the subdivisions of the general subject of " real estate," that the particular place of filing each of the several letters relating to the, subjects mentioned is easily discoverable, and a short experience will result in mentally associat- ing not only the general numbers, but the subnumbers as well, with the subjects to which they relate. Of course, practical experience discloses the fact that many letters are of such nature as to permit their being filed under any one of two or more subjects. In such cases the proper filing place is determined by narrowing down the question to the most definite and concrete subject appearing in the correspondence, and then by covering the remaining possible places of filing through the insertion of blank sheets carrying references to the original paper. The advantages of the decimal system as applied to correspondence files are : 1. It can be applied with ease to the most varied subjects, and the most minute details can be classified by a few figures which represent their relationship and show their dependence upon or subordination to one another. 2. When any new topic arises it is alwaj^s closely related to some other existing head, and connecting it with the nearest head by adding a decimal place makes abundant room for the newcomer. The system is thus capable of unlimited expansion and can never break down for lack of room for growth. 3 Not only are all papers on one subject found together, but the most nearly allied subjects precede and follow, they in turn being preceded and followed by other allied subjects as far as practicable. 4. Correspondence on allied subjects is sure to be separated sooner or later in every file arranged on the common plan unless it be fre- quently rearranged and reindexed, and the great amount of labor involved renders it impracticable and very undesirable. BUSINESS METHODS OF OFFICE OF THE ADJUTANT GENERAL. 89 5. The numbers tell of each letter or file of correspondence, both what it is and where it is. 6. '\¥hile the total file numbers used may be quite large, as a mat- ter of fact a file arranged upon the decimal system may be said to consist of but 10 numbers, namely, zero to 9, inclusive, the other numbers being subdivisions of these 10 general heads for the con- venience of the file clerk in placing the papers in the file in a sys- tematic manner, so that the}^ can be quickly located when wanted. 7. Correspondence can be readily located without reference to the subject index. 4. It is recomm.ended that 'personnel correspondence he Hied rdpha- heticaUy loithout enumeration or index. The personnel correspondence should be filed alphabetically, whicii arrangement will make unnecessary the maintenance of an alpha- betical index. By this arrangement of the correspondence it will be necessary to go to only one place to obtain the papers in regard to a particular individual, whereas under the present system of giving to the indi- vidual an arbitrary number and depending upon an alphabetic arrangement of cards to guide the searcher to the proper file it is necessary to search two places. In observations and studies made by members of the staff of the commission, it was found that the best arrangement of papers relating to individuals, and that which per- mitted of the greatest speed in consultation, especially in very large files, was the alphabetic without a subsidiary index. Files contain- ing papers relating to as many as 300,000 persons were found to be giving complete satisfaction. In most cases of alphabetic arrange- ment it was stated that a change had been made from a preceding arbitrary arrangement of such files with a subsidiary alphabetic index. Alphabetic filing is simply arranging the correspondence in the files themselves in the same order that the alphabetic index cards are placed in the index file drawer, and thus effects a consolidation of two files, with obvious increase of speed in consultation. It is further believed that the consultation of the personnel files will be greatly facilitated if the correspondence in relation to officers is separated from that concerning enlisted men. Under the recom- mendations providing for a grouping of divisions, with Mail and Record Division in the center, flanked on either side by the Officers" Division and Enlisted Men's Division, the correspondence in relation to officers could be filed on the side of the Mail and Record Division nearest to the Officers' Division and the files of correspondence con- cerning the enlisted men in that part of the Mail and Record Division nearest the Enlisted Men's Division. 90 EEPOETS OF COMMISSION ON" ECONOMY AND EFFICIENCY. 5. It is recommended that the lorUing of record cards he discontinued. The record cards contain a synopsis of each incoming communica- tion and a verbatim record of each outgoing communication, as well as a brief record of every step or authorization taken in connection "vrith the handling of correspondence. These records constitute practically a duplication of the original papers which are filed in the document files, with a corresponding duplication of filing equipment. The record cards are prepared by typewriting, and their filling out is greatly retarded on account of the small size of the card, since the typewriter has to adjust the cards to his machine and shift the carriage three times as often in writing up these cards as in writing on letterheads of a regular size. In cases where an extension of the record becomes necessary, the addi- tional card is pasted to the old one. In such cases much time is necessarily lost in adjusting the cards to the typewriter and pasting them to the preceding file of record cards. The theory underlying the making of record cards is that the information thereon, although a duplication of the information con- tained at length in the original documents, is set forth in compact form, so that a succession of letters may appear briefly upon a single card, and the eye in searching for a particular communication may quickly reach the one desired and the purport of the communication be ascertained without consulting the original papers. The same argument has been made in defense of the somewhat similar record known as the "register of correspondence," which is a complete record of all letters passing in and out of an office, and which up to a few years ago was in quite extensive use in railroad and industrial concerns. This register had its origin in the imperfection of old filing systems and was used as a safeguard for consultation wherever a loose filing system failed. With the installation of modern filing systems, both in outside business concerns and in the offices of the Government, the practical necessity of such record, either book or card, is rapidly disappearing. A careful examination of a large number of cases in the office of The Adjutant General indicates that in at least 60 per cent of them it would not be necessary to refer to the record cards at all, the basis for all action in connection with, the case being found in the incom- ing communication itself. In most of the cases under the present system, the record cards are transmitted to the division to handle along with the original correspondence. As a rule the question raised by a piece of incoming correspondence is a current one, and there is no need for previous papers to aid in its solution. A glance at an incoming letter will determine in nine cases out of ten whether the communication touches a subject originally, or whether it is a con- BUSINESS METHODS OP OFFICE OF THE ADJUTANT GENEKAL. 91 tinuance of a subject that is already open. Discretion should be given to the Mail and Record Division to determine whether the previous papers should be transmitted with the incoming letter or not. If this were done it is believed that previous papers would accompany not more than 40 per cent of the cases, and that it would be quite rare that previous papers would be called for afterwards by the correspondence clerk. Record cards v. original documents. — This question is considered from the standpoint of — 1. Permanent value as historical records. 2. Convenience in handling as working material. 3. Accuracy of the record. 4. Completeness of the record. 5. Expense of making. 1. Permanent value as historical records. — The greater part of the documents filed in The Adjutant General's Office have a permanent historical value. They are, in fact, the foundation on which the pension system of the country rests, and the necessity of protecting the rights of those who have served in the Army demands that the utmost care be taken in preserving the records so that they may at all times be accessible and complete. It is conceded that preservation and accessibility outweigh considerations of expense. A pronounced cause of wear and tear, and also great delay in handling, is the repeated folding and unfolding of papers. Folding and unfolding are carried to an extreme in The Adjutant General's Office. For example, the folded communication when removed from the envelope is (1) unfolded for examination, (2) folded again in order that the appropriate record card and index card may be attached thereto. The communication is again (3) unfolded in the briefing room in order to determine its purport so that the same may be written on the record card, and again the letter is (4) folded so that the brief may be written on the back of the first fold. When received in the card file room of the Mail and Record Division the communication is again (5) unfolded in order to determine its con- tents so as to facilitate searching the index for prior papers. Under the practice which prevails in that division, dependence is not placed upon the brief on the back of the letter, or the synopsis on the record card. The communication must be (6) folded for the third time before it is transmitted by the messenger service to the division to which it relates. In the relevant division the paper is (7) unfolded for the fourth time to determine its contents and again (8) folded in order to transmit it to the clerk in that division who is to handle it The clerk must (9) unfold the communication for the fifth time in order to determine its subject matter, and in the case of an indorse- 92 REPOETS OF COMMISSIOlSr OlST ECONOMY AND EFFICIENCY. ment (10) fold the communication in order to ]3lace the indorsement thereon, or, if the communication is answered by a letter, the corre- spondence must be folded in order to transmit it by the messenger service to the reviewing clerk. The reviewing clerk must (11) un- fold the communication of rthe sixth time, and again (12) fold it for transmission to The Adjutant General. The communication must be (13) unfolded for the seventh time by The Adjutant General if he desires to determine its subject matter, and lastly (14) folded for the seventh time when sent to the files after dispatch of the reply. Does folding and unfolding all the papers received in the oiRce on an average of fourteen times tend to wear them out? The question is its own answer. Under the flat-filing system the communication will be unfolded when taken from the envelope, and remain in unfolded shape throughout its entire handling. Another cause of wearing out folded papers is their rubbing against the sides of document files each time the file case is with- drawn. With flat filing there are no folds to rub against the sides of the box. Only the unfolded edge of the file is subjected to such rubbing. This abrasion acts upon the edge of the backing sheet which usually projects beyond the edges of the papers in the case, so that the papers themselves are not touched. Even if the backing sheet wears and the papers are subjected to the rubbing against the sides of the drawer, it is only the edge thereof — no writing is obliterated, and there is usually an inch or more of blank paper which can be worn away before the written matter on the document is touched. A document file may contain a hundred cases. These cases ?.re held securely in the file by the pressure o"f the follower block, so that the mere pulling out of the file does not serve to move them. But to extract a paper from the file the follower block must be set free, and the papers contiguous to that sought must be moved away so as to make the particular paper accessible. This means that every time any one of the hundred cases in the file is consulted the other 99 are rubbed against the side of the file box in such a manner that the part of each document most susceptible to wear, namely, the folded part, since it presents a rough edge, is rubbed against the side of the box. It is only a question of how much abrasion is necessary to cause the fold to split. Frequently this causes an obliteration of the writ- ing on the inside line of the fold. A wearing away of the hundredth part of an inch at the fold is sufficient to split the paper. One argument advanced in favor of the continuation of the record card is that it contains notations which show the successive steps taken by clerks and others in connection with the preparation of replies to communication or the collection of information upon which to base such replies, as well as the initials of those responsible for the BUSINESS METHODS OF OFFICE OF THE ADJUTANT GENERAL. 93 several steps taken in haT.dling. These additions to the record, how- ever, can have no perma^'^Tit vakie or bearing upon the question of fact in regard to the afe^lon of the department itself. Their only value is a temporary one, sometimes useful to determine who author- ized certain action. In such case, however, where a succession of officers may have something to do with the preparation of a certain ruling, their knowledge of the matter can be attested by attaching their initials to the carbon copy, which under the recommendations of the commission will constitute the record of outgoing corre- spondence. This is the practice in some offices of the Government at the present time. Further detail than this in regard to the taking of action covering a case is unnecessary under a reasonable adminis- tration of business. In some cases, of course, it is recognized as necessary to retain a memorandum in order to show the reason under- lying certain action taken, but in such cases the memorandum could be written on a regular letter-size piece of paper and preserved with the original papers rather than elsewhere. Its importance should cause it to be made part of the original file. 2. From standpoint of corwenience in handling as working mate- rial. — The record cards are all of a uniform size, making a compact file to handle. The original documents are necessarily of various sizes. One advantageous use that is made of the record cards is to have them serve as the working materials for the preparation of corre- spondence, in which respect they are employed instead of the original papers. It was found upon investigation that in a large percentage of the cases the record cards served this purpose, and in those cases it was not necessary to consult the original files. It is claimed by the advocates of the record card that the particular parts of the case which become the nucleus of a reply can be reached much more quickly, since the cards record the incoming correspondence in brief form, thus obviating the necessity of reading a complete succession of communications. In some cases it may be quicker to find certain information on the record cards or to read straight matter on the cards than to locate the corresponding information on the original papers or, in fact, to read a file of original papers. From the standpoint of merely reading the matter on the record cards as com- pared with reading the original documents, there may be a gain in time if the record cards are used. But it is believed that when the other factors, such as the very great expense of making the record cards, their incompleteness, and their liability to inaccuracj^, are con- sidered they greatly outweigh the minor one of occasional greater convenience of handling. It is well known that in practice the essen- tial matter of a letter can be determined as quickly by glancing over the letter itself, especially if the pertinent words are underscored, as 94 EEPOETS OF COMMISSION OlST ECONOMY AND EFFICIENCY. by reading a snyopsis of it, which, in fact, is in many cases incom- plete and sometimes inaccurate, and in those cases time is lost, since the original communication must be consulted to make up the de- ficiencies of the record card. In the case of outgoing correspondence the record card, since it contains the letter verbatim, is as long as the letter itself. Detailed argument is unnecessary to prove that the executive or correspondence clerk will take longer to read matter on a card or succession of cards 3^ by 8 inches than to reach such matter on sheets 8 by 10-J inches. With the original papers filed flat, so that they will be very much more accessible and easily handled and read, they Avill meet every purpose now served by the record cards, and the enormous expense of making record cards will be saved without in any appreciable degree retarding the operations of the office. 3. Accuracy of the record cards. — When the record cards are used as the working materials of the office in place of the original docu- ments, the circumstances surrounding their making offer many oppor- tunities for error. In respect of incoming communications, the card is not a verbatim record, but a synopsis, and there is a danger that a vital point of the incoming letter may be overlooked by the record- ing clerk. As an example of the doubt in regard to the accuracy of the record cards, it may be said that it is the invariable custom when the Secretary of War or the Chief of Staff or The Adjutant General calls for papers filed in The Adjutant General's Office to furnish the original papers. No chances are taken with the record card. This custom is strong evidence that from the standpoint of accuracy the record cards are considered quite inferior to the original documents. 4. C ompleteness of the record. — One reason advanced in favor of the retention of the record card is that it enables the office at all times to have in its possession a synopsis of all incoming correspond- ence, a large part of which (estimated at about 50 per cent) is out- standing; that is, away from the Office of The Adjutant General. This is due to the method of answering by indorsement on the incom- ing letter. In cases where it is desired to know the purport of such outstanding correspondence the brief on the record card, it is argued, shows this adequately. In our opinion undue weight is given to this circumstance. Through the retention of carbon copies of the outgoing communications it is believed that the purport of the in- coming communications can be easily determined, or so much of it as is necessary to answer the inquiry of the moment. Furthermore, in order to occasion the office embarrassment (which would be only temporary; that is to say, while the papers are outstanding), three things must coincide. First, the inquiry must relate to correspond- ence which is outstanding; secondly, the inquiry must raise a need BUSINESS METHODS OF OFFICE OF THE ADJUTANT GENEEAL. 95 to know the purport of the incoming communication; and thirdly, it must be essential that this information be known speedily. Taking up these matters in order, we narrow the possibility of such an inquiry down to, first, not more than 50 per cent of the correspond- ence; secondly, experience has shown that when it is desired to know the purport of correspondence with which The Adjutant Gen- eral's Office is connected it is in nearly every case respecting what action the office has taken, not so much what action has been taken by the field. The importance of the matter is to know what The, Adjutant General's Office has done. This information is always in the retained files. Thirdly, it is only in rare cases, such as sending correspondence to the Philippine Islands, for example, that the original papers will not in regular course of business be returned to the Office of The Adjutant General within a few days. It is the general practice to reply to correspondence by indorse- ment, whereas in many cases there is no necessity for the original letter to go back to the office from which it came, and which will have a retained copy (carbon or press) in its files. The Navy Department recently, after a careful study of the matter, issued an order that as a general rule " letters from one office to another will be answered by a separate letter and not by indorsement on the original." This order was designed, as stated in the order itself, " to prevent the practice of having an original letter returned to the writer by an indorsement containing the report or information requested, and having in the indorsement a request for the return of the papers to the office or person to which they were originally sent, as this procedure necessi- tates increased clerical work in copying the indorsement and requires the papers to be mailed three times. If the original letter is answered by a separate letter, each office has a complete record of the corre- spondence without extra work and the papers are sent through the mails twice instead of three times." 5. Expense of making record cards. — The recording clerk must necessarily read the communications carefully in order to frame in his own mind the synopsis of the letter which is placed upon the rec- ord cards. This, of course, takes time and occasions considerable expense. The typewriting of these cards and the index cards, including the recording and indexing referred to under the next recommendation, engages the services of 46 men 85 per cent of their time, at an aggregate annual cost of $49,300; so that this operation, together with the opera- tion of briefing referred to in the previous paragraph, occupies for their entire time the activities of 46 clerks at an aggregate annual cost of $58,000. This estimate only takes into account the salary cost for making out the record cards and does not take into consideration 96 EEPOKTS OF COMMISSION ON ECONOMY AND EFFICIENCY. the time spent in initialing authority on the cards, using them for working memoranda and for interdivisional correspondence, so that the cost for originally making the record cards will be entirely saved without any substitution of work in another direction. The materials used are cards 8 inches long by 3^ inches wide and the records thereon is written across the width. These cards cost $40 to $136 a thousand and it is estiuated that 1,050,000 cards are used annually for recording purposes. 6. It is recoimnended that the indexing of correspondence requesting staterrbents of military service he discontinued. Another matter which has impressed us as being surrounded by an unnecessar}^ amount of detail is the recording and indexing of corre- spondence requesting statements of military service of individuals who served in previous wars. The records themselves are filed alpha- betically by military organizations, and are so well indexed and cross referenced that it is almost impossible to have a call for a particular individual, even if the spelling of the man's name is not exactly accu- rate, which will not result in finding the papers desired. Partial information will nearly always suffice in finding pertinent papers, due to the excellent system of cross referencing and cross indexing names under various spellings. With one exception, practically the only purpose served by the index card is to enable the tally clerk of the Mail and Record Divi- sion to determine at any time what cases are under consideration in the office and how long a period has elapsed since receipt of each. If inquiry is made in regard to a case concerning which action is pending, the tally clerk can inform the inquirer just how long the case has been under treatment. The tally clerk can also keep track of all cases which have been held on desks a given time, and this deters clerks from unduly delaying action. If this tally were discontinued, it is urged, there would be no check upon clerks who delayed cases other than such as might come to the attention of signing officers when the reply to the communication was finally made. We believe, however, that such delays would quite likely be brought to the atten- tion of the sigTiing officer, and that this would suffice to deter corre- spondence clerks from delaying their work. The discontinuance of the tally would not, in our opinion, have the effect of causing a gen- eral slowing up in the work of the office. Habitually slow work on the part of a clerk or undue delay in handling cases from time to time would be sure to come to light, when corrective measures could be applied. The exception referred to is in regard to 180,000 cases of military records, where the fact of furnishing to the auditor or Commissioner BUSINESS METHODS OP OFFICE OF THE ADJUTANT GENEKAL. 9^ of Pensions statements of military history has not been entered on the jacket containing the records themselves. The necessity is rec- ognized of there being some safeguard to prevent the auditor or Commissioner of Pensions paying a claim twice, and the system now existing in The Adjutant General's Office has provided for the noti- fication of those officers when it was disclosed that a statement of military history had been previously furnished in a particular case. The index card serves the purpose in these cases of supplying the record cards where the statement of previous furnishing of military history is indorsed. As these military organizations are definitely known and the index cards are preserved in a special file, it is recom- mended that this file be not disturbed until opportunity shall be had to indorse the same information on the flap of the jacket pertaining to these organizations as has been indorsed in all other cases. Requests for military history are received to the extent of 400 cases a day; consequently a like number of record cards are being made daily, although it is rare that they are consulted ; in fact all the in- formation which serves as the working materials in this office is con- tained in the document files. The uselessness, to our mind, of the index and record cards in these cases where the papers concerning the individuals are so well filed, classified, indexed, and cross indexed, of themselves, may best be illustrated by this analogy : Assume that this office maintained the only dictionary available and that other offices had to direct their requests to it whenever they desired a word defined. As fast as these requests were received this office entered on record cards the name of the individual making the request, the word to be defined, and also the definition, so that in case future re- quests should be made for a definition of the same word it would be available by consulting the card, and it would not be necessary to go to the dictionary. The instant query is : " Why not go to the dic- tionary in each case? " Time would be saved thereby, and it is of no importance to know whether the same word has been definefl before. The personal records in this office of individuals who served m the war are similar to the dictionary. They are well filed and welt indexed ; information can be obtained more quickly by consulting the records direct than by any other process; and it is quite immaterial from every standpoint of importance whether the information in regard to the individual has been previously furnished or not. While time is being wasted looking up the index and record cards the papers themselves could be found and the requisite information supplied. Practically the only purpose of making the index cards seems to be to provide against a situation where a second request is received for the military history of the same individual, in which cases, un- 72734°— H. Doc. 1252, 62-3 7 98 KEPOETS OF COMMISSIOISr ON ECONOMY AND EFFICIENCY. less appropriate safeguards are employed, there is danger of the Pension or Auditor's Office paying a claim the second time. Occasionally, that is to say, several times a day, as we are informed, a request is made by the auditor or by the Commissioner of Pensions to furnish military information in regard to a particular individual, and it is disclosed, upon examination of the record cards or the original documents themselves, that like information has previously been furnished. An entry of this nature either on the record cards or the documents immediately raises a presumption that the claim irray already have been paid to the same individual, perhaps under a slightly different name, and in such cases it is the practice of The Adjutant General's Office to notify the office making the inquiry. This notice serves as a warning which causes additional scrutiny on the part of the office making the inquiry to provide against paying the same claim twice. The record of the fact that a statement of military history has been previously furnished is contained on both the record cards and the flap of the envelope containing the state- ]nent of history cards, so that the discontinuance of both the index and record cards would still leave effective the safeguard provided by the entry on the flap of the jacket. In about 180,000 old cases, however, this reference has not been entered on the file jacket. in the Kegimental Records Division. These cases are definitely known by military organizations, and we recommend that at such time as may be convenient the recording on the jackets of the same information in relation to the furnishing of statements of military history as is now indorsed on the other jackets be undertaken. Until that can be done it will be necessary to retain the index cards pertaining to these cases, which are now kept in a special file, apart from the index cards relating to other cases, and search them as each case relating to these particular organizations is received to ascertain whether previous like information has been furnished. It will further aid the office of the auditor and the Commissioner of Pensions if the claim number can also be indorsed on the flap of the jacket when the information is furnished, not only in respect of the cases just under discussion, but in connection with all cases where statements of military history are furnished. Such entry will facilitate locating the record of previous payment. 7. It is recommended that press copying he discontinued and carbon copies be used in lieu thereof. This recommendation is in accord with a general recommendation of the commission contained in Circular No. 21. The commission believes that from the standpoint of permanency, economy, and adaptability to the work of The Adjutant General's Office the advantage lies with the carbon copy. The only factor BUSINESS METHODS OP OFFICE OF THE ADJUTANT GENEEAL. 99 which can be pressed as apparently favoring the press copy is that of authenticity. The question of authenticity naturally divides itself into two parts : (1) The conditions under which copies produced by either method may be introduced into court as evidence; and (2) the means which are taken to make the copy an authentic record, so that future admin- istrative action may be taken with confidence when the carbon-copy record is a factor. In regard to the evidential value of copies of letters it is a well- settled rule of law that the press copy is but secondary evidence, introducible in court only upon notice to the other side to produce the original, or upon satisfactory explanation as to why the original is inaccessible. The press copy is under no circumstances regarded as a duplicate original. By the overwhelming weight of judicial authority, how- ever, the carbon copy, being made by the same process and at the same time as the original, is regarded as primary evidence, and there- fore introduceable as such without notice to the other side. (In this connection see Appendix III, which contains a brief on the legal aspect of the carbon copy as compared with the press copy.) The advocates of the press-copy method advance the argument that every press copy necessarily has the signature, whereas the car-^ bon copy is usually blank in this regard. The fact that the signature may be missing in the carbon copy, however, is immaterial, so far as the admissibility of the copy as evidence is concerned, since the fact and identification of signature must in every case be established by collateral evidence. This leaves only the question of whether the process by which the copy is produced tends to make it an accurate copy of the original. As a matter of fact, however, the weight which a copy is given in court depends upon the degree of assurance furnished that it is a true and correct copy of the letter alleged to have been sent, and that the letter of which it is a copy really was sent. This assurance de- pends upon whatever system of checking up, initialing, etc., may have been employed, rather than upon the method by which the copy was produced. Authenticity of the carbon copy is largely controlled by administrative safeguards. Rules should be adopted to provide that when any change in an original is made the corresponding change must immediately be made in the carbon. It is only a matter of care, which is necessary in producing the carbon copy, to make certain that it is an accurate copy of the original. In considering the question of authenticity it should be borne in mind that those cases in which the authenticity of a copy of a letter is brought into question are extremely rare, the cases where a copy is used as evidence in court infinitesimal, and in both cases the chances 100 EEPORTS OF COMMISSION ON ECONOMY AND EFFICIENCY. are that the original could be readily obtained. When it is consid- ered that at least three-fourths of the correspondence emanating from the executive departments is in the class known as service cor- respondence — that is to say, correspondence originating in and des- tined for an office of the Government — it will be readily seen how easy it would be in such cases to obtain the original document if it were needed. If the universal practice of business concerns, and the practice of very many offices of the Government, where the press copy has been supplanted by the carbon copy, have any weight, they should con- stitute a refutation of the argument that embarrassment will result from the employment of the carbon copy only. A change in office practice is not usually made until a careful consideration and study has showii that the existing practice can be improved. Surely the combined opinion of those in charge of the various divisions where press copying has been abolished and the fact that since making the change in no instance has a return been made to the press copy should have very great weight in the determi- nation of the relative merits of the two processes. The reasoning of those who claim the carbon copy is not an au- thentic record proceeds from the false theory that careful business practice requires provision against every embarrassment which an active imagination might conceive. It is easy to picture a possible contingency under which a mistake in the carbon copy might cause considerable embarrassment, but this, we submit, is not the reasonable view to take. If the clerical operations of the Government were carried on so as to provide against every contingency, no matter how remotely possible it might be, the work of the Government would simply be clogged up with records and checks, and its affairs could not be carried on at all. We do not believe in the remote exception controlling the system of an office. It would be better to suffer some slight embarrassment once every year or two than to be embarrassed every day by a cumbersome' system in the endeavor to provide against something which may never happen. 8. It is recommended that the present practice of preparing a -first draft of each outgoing communication on 3^ hy 8 inch record cards^ and after approval of the draft writing a second and final draft for signature^ he discontinued^ and that hereafter the correspondence he prepared on sheets 8 hy 10^ inches ready for signature^ with sufficient carhon copies for record purposes. Under the existing practice substantially all outgoing letters and indorsements are written twice ; the first copy, written on the record card, constituting the record of the outgoing correspondence, and the BUSINESS METHODS OF OFFICE OF THE ADJUTANT GENERAL. 101 second the final draft of the letter in form for transmission to the addressee. It is not believed that this practice exists in any other department of the Government. The fact of its being out of date and cumber- some came so forcibly to the attention of the Navy Department a few months ago that the slip indorsement was discontinued by execu- tive order, and the present practice is to write all indorsements and communications on sheets of paper 8 by 10^ inches in size. In this practice rests undoubtedly one of the greatest factors of expense in the preparation of the outgoing correspondence of The Adjutant General's Office. Executive and correspondence clerks who must consult files where the conununications therein are written in the form of indorsements lose a great deal of time in scrutiny of such papers, and in following the trend of a case containing a large number of indorsements. Time is lost in turning the pages and locating the indorsement next in order after the letter; a long indorsement is difficult to write and to read, owing to the small size of the paper; anything inclosed, such as a copy of a letter, can not be inserted at the proper place so as to be read in regular sequence ; much time and material are expended in pasting indorsements on paper; and after they are once attached it is difficult to detach them in order to make corrections. As an illus- tration of the saving to be effected by writing letters or indorsements on letter-size sheets, the Navy Department recently experimented with a file of correspondence containing 46 indorsements. The mat- ter in this file was rewritten on letter-size sheets, arranged in the order in which the various indorsements would appear if the system recommended in this report were enforced. The papers were then placed in the hands .of one of the departmental employees of high grade with instructions to read the copy first and afterwards the original, keeping a record of time consumed. The copy was read in 27 minutes and 15 seconds, while the original required 41 minutes to read. This did not involve any study of the subject matter but sim- ply the bare reading. The Navy Department has already, by executive order, put into practice throughout the service a sj^stem of writing indorsements on letter-size sheets. By writing the first draft of the letter or indorse- ment in duplicate by the carbon process in form for signature, which is the almost universal practice in other departments, the communica- tion itself, as well as the record thereof, would be made at the same time. This would save both the labor now spent writing the letter or indorsement the second time, as well as the time consumed in com- paring the first draft with the final draft. A very great improvement would result from adopting a system of indorsements written on full letter-size sheets^ without pasting to 102 EEPOKTS OP COMMISSION ON ECONOMY AND EFFICIENCY. the first letter, but following as the last page of the correspondence. Several short indorsements could be placed on one sheet if desired, to save paper, without interfering with previous indorsements or the making of carbons. Inclosures could thus follow the indorse- ments to which they pertain and later indorsements follow earlier indorsements in order. Stamped indorsements could be placed at the bottom of a sheet bearing prior indorsements. Thus all papers would be face up and in regular order on sheets of uniform size and all pages could be turned and read like a book. This system of writ- ing indorsements on full-size sheets, of course, facilitates flat filing, and makes unnecessary the practice of briefing letters on the back. 9. It is recommended that the forms used in conducting correspond- ence within The Adjutant GeneraVs Office he revised^ so as to provide for placing thereon the working data collected in con- nection with the preparation of military service and other state- ments. Tije present record card system stands in the way of many im- provements in methods of handling and filing correspondence. One of the most important of these, and one to which the nature of the business of The Adjutant General's Office lends itself peculiarly, due to the fact that correspondence between divisions of the office is had on a large scale, is the failure to make use of the abbreviated form of communication. This situation exists to such great extent that a change in method would result in a very material saving, and make possible a considerable reduction in the clerical force. It is recognized that there is some data placed on the record card which has temporary use. Obviously, it is essential to preserve, until the communication is answered, all data secured in different divisions of The Adjutant General's Office, which go to make up the reply furnishing a statement of the military history of a particular individual. As a substitute for the record card, we therefore recom- mend that the forms used by the Commissioner of Pensions and the Auditor for the War Department in making requests for statements of military history, have a space reserved for interdivisional corre- spondence and memoranda made in The Adjutant General's Office, such as is now placed on the record cards. The greater part of the correspondence of The Adjutant General's Office necessitates the furnishing of statements of military history of individuals who served in the Army of the United States. Over 60 per cent of the cases requesting statements of military service are disposed of by an examination of the records in the Eegi- mental Eecords Division, without any communication with other divisions of The Adjutant General's Office for the purpose of com- BUSINESS METHODS OF OFFICE OF THE ADJUTANT GENEEAL. 103 piling data necessary to the reply. In such cases the only data placed upon the record card is a statement that the information has been furnished — usually the words " S. made." In the remaining 40 per cent the preparation of the statements necessitates the referring of papers and requests from one division to another in this office in order to secure from files located in scat- tered divisions the information necessary to prepare the final reply. The vehicle at present employed for internal correspondence and the transmission of informal memoranda in connection witli the build- ing up of cases is the record card, which is transmitted with the incoming correspondence from one division to another. While the communications and memoranda placed on these record cards are usually written in brief terms, it is not believed that advantage has been taken to the fullest extent of the abbreviated form of internal correspondence in this office. An examination of a large number of record cards in the Mail and Eecord Division discloses that a consid- erable part of the internal memoranda and requests placed upon the cards fall into a few well-defined classes; so few, indeed, that it seems to us quite practicable to devise a form which shall have printed thereon not onl}^ the names of the various divisions to which reference may be made, but also a list of the requests made by one division of another, with a blank space for such unusual or addi- tional memoranda as may be necessary in a particular case. By the use of such a form most of the cases could be handled by merely checking the division to which the correspondence or request is to be sent and indicating by check mark the nature of the request which is to be fulfilled. In recognition of the advantage to be obtained by the use of forms in conducting correspondence where it falls into a small number of well-defined classes, the Office of The Adjutant General, in coopera- tion with the Office of the Auditor for the War Department and the Commissioner of Pensions, has devised certain forms which are em- ployed in communicating the request from the two offices last men- tioned and the War Department and placing the reply of the War Department upon the same form, and sending it back to the auditor or Pension Commissioner for final filing. By this means consider- able writing is avoided and fewer papers go into the files. We believe, however, that it is possible to go a step further. The various memoranda and interdi visional correspondence undertaken by the office of The Adjutant General in preparing or collecting data neces- sary to a reply in the case, which finally are placed upon the form, and which in most cases are merely a duplication of the memoranda already collected in various offices and placed upon the record cards, -we believe, could just as well and much more quickly be placed on the 104 REPOKTS OF COMMISSION OiST ECONOMY AND EFFICIENCY. form itself, without either defacing the form or causing embarrass- ment to the office of the auditor or Pension Commissioner. There is also a considerable amount of correspondence in The Idjutant General's Office which is based upon other matters than those connected with the offices of the Auditor for the War Depart- ment or the Commissioner of Pensions. Every week thousands of fetters in identically the same form, generally not more than a sen- tence or two in length, are prepared in The Adjutant General's Office. In order that the system of keeping records may be preserved, these perfunctory letters are drafted in longhand on the card and after- wardp typewritten as a communication. Under modern procedure a eheck mark or a word or two on a form would suffice to maintain the same results as are now secured by the more elaborate method. It is the custom in many offices of the Government, as well as in most commercial concerns, where incoming correspondence or reports liave to be made the subject of routine corrective action, to group the errors upon forms, so that the report or correspondence may be re- turned to the writer with the form attached so checked as to indi- cate the nature of the error or the corrective action which must be taken. As a rule the only clerical work imposed upon the corre- spondence clerk who has this class of work in hand is tO' note by check mark the paragraph which is pertinent to the particular case. A representative case will illustrate the applicability of a form. In the Rolls Division several clerks are employed in examining enlist- ment papers. An examination of the work disclosed the fact that at least 90 per cent of the errors which necessitated correspondence fall into 15 classes, among which may be stated the following : 1. Omission of tlie street and lioase number. 2. Declaration not signed. 3. Corrections made by officers on the enlistment blank but not certified to !)y tliem. 4. Difference in name as shown by signature as entered by officer. 5. Record of enlistments not filled in. 6. Consent of minors not filled in or signed. 7. Conflict of dates. §. Conjugal condition not shown. Taking the second class of errors, where the declaration was not ffgned, the clerk examining the enlistment papers writes on a record card the file number and the name of the person who applies for en- listment and then drafts a formal letter on the record card to the effect that the declaration was not signed. This card goes to the engrossing clerks, where a letter is written from the draft. Nearly all the time thus consumed could be saved in this case by the use of a form setting forth the above numbered items and checking the par- ticular items to show the nature of the error. Thus a check mark would serve all the purposes of a communication. BUSINESS METHODS OF OFFICE OF THE ADJUTANT GENEEAL. 105 This practice is followed by very many concerns. For example, the Continental & Commercial National Bank of Chicago makes use of a slip containing over 60 items which are attached to checks returned to the bank upon which they are drawn, the reasons for such returns being indicated by a check mark at the left of the per- tinent items. 10. It is recommended that a code of symbols he used for the greater part of the cor^respondence between the divisions of The Adju- tant GejieraVs Office in connection with the collection and preparation of data relative to statements of military service. The interdivisiona] correspondence referred to in the preceding section of this report is frequently of such a simple and oft-repeated character that it would not even be necessary to make use of a form ; but a symbol to denote the nature of the request could be written on the body of the incoming letter itself, and the reply, likewise in the form of a symbol, could be also written on the communication. Under present practices, the internal request and the answer (with- out taking into account any special information which may be in- dorsed upon the record card) average from 20 to 25 words in each case. In our opinion this method is cumbersome, especially in view of the fact that the major part of the requests fall into six definite classes, as follows: 1. Requests to Teuth Street Division to furnish all military service cards. 2. Requests to Tentli Street Division to furnish personal descriptions. 3. Requests to Sanitary Division of Surgeon General's Office for inedic.U record. 4. Requests to Medical Division for statement of disability at time of enlist- ment. 5. Requests on room 452-a for any previous papers. 6. Requests on room 457 for medical papers. For these cases a shorthand method of communication should be adopted. Where hundreds of communications a week in identically the same language are passing from one division to another in The Adjutant General's Office — over and over again the same request, and over and over again the same reply — it is a pure waste of energy to write such communications out in full, or in any way but the briefest code form. It is customary in many large offices where internal requests and directions are issued in large numbers to employ abbreviations or symbols for those which are repeated many times a day. Such abbre- viations save time in writing as well as effect an economy of thought on the part of the clerk or executive handling the case. It is far easier and quicker to think and write " S. C." than to compose in 106 REPORTS OF COMMISSION ON ECONOMY AND EFFICIENCY. the mind and write " Tenth Street Division : Please send all service cards." Without undertaking to say what kind of symbols should be em- ployed, it is deemed proper to point out the practicability of the following method. The six requests above referred to could be codified as follows : " S. 0." for request to Tenth Street Division to furnish all military service cards. " P. D." for request to Tenth Street Division to furnish personal description. " M. R." for request to • Sanitary Division of the Surgeon General's Office for medical record. " S. D." for request to Medical Division for statement of disability at time of enlistment. " P. P." for requests on room 452a for any previous papers. " M. P." for requests on room 457 for medical papers. Taking a representative case, one of a class which amounts to 50 per cent of the total number of internal requests, for example, the class first above mentioned, the following is a comparison of the writing done under each process : Present practice. Proposed practice. Tenth Street Branch: Please furnish all cards. Johnson, Per H. A. S. "All cards (S) herewith." F.B.C., by H. R. S. S. G.-8. The above request is made many times every day, and in our opin- ion a symbol is sufficient to convey to the Tenth Street branch the fact that the cards are desired. If a code were adopted, the simple writing of the letters " S. C." on the communication of request would be sufficient to indicate that it is to be taken by the mes- senger service to the Tenth Street branch and to inform that branch that all the cards in the case are desired. And in replying all that it would be necessary to write in transmitting the cards would be a figure indicating the number of cards transmitted. Thus a letter and a figure would serve the purpose of the indorsement to and in- dorsement from now written on the record card, consisting, as in the above example, of 23 words written with pen. It is contemplated that the above symbols shall be written on the incoming communication itself. It does not deface the communica- tion, and while its meaning may not be understood by the person asking the War Department for the information and to whom the communication is finally returned, that should in no sense be re- garded as an objection to the short method. In some cases it will be more practical to have a space arranged on the form used by the auditor and the Commissioner of Pensions BUSINESS METHODS OF OFFICE OF THE ADJUTANT GENEKAL. 107 which will provide for the insertion of the symbols of request and reply and also provide for the insertion of any additional data neces- sary to complete the case. Objection has been raised by representa. tives of The Adjutant General's Office that to return this sheet, con- taining memoranda of interest or meaning to The Adjutant General's Office only, would be a source of annoyance and confusion to the auditor or Commissioner of Pensions; that in view of the fact that The Adjutant General's Office writes its data in regard to the military service of individuals in abbreviated form, intelligible only to those who have had experience in handling this class of matter, it would serve the auditor or Commissioner of Pensions no practical purpose. We do not share this view. This data is of no permanent value to the Office of The Adjutant General and is a pure duplication of the records themselves, which, as stated before and as agreed upon hj all sides, are easy of access at all times. So far from this data being a source of annoyance to the auditor's office, we have consulted with certain representatives of that office and they inform us they would rather have the information on the blank than left off, inasmuch as in some cases they could secure more extended information from the memoranda than from the reply which is usually confined in scope to the limit of the request. Even if there should be found some good reason for not transmit- ting this data to the office of the auditor or Commissioner of Pensions we would then suggest that this blank for internal memoranda be made detachable from the form and that it be detached after it has served its purpose and either filed with the papers of the case or destroyed. The latter method, however, takes more clerical time and in our opinion is less satisfactory than the former one. 11. It is recommended that the fhonograph he used for the. pvepa-' ration of correspondence. The phonograph has been adopted for producing correspondence in many of the offices of the Government and with success. Par- ticular attention is invited to the report on the dictation machine in Circular No. 21, issued by the President's Commission on Economy and Efficiency. In one division of the Post Office Department a trial was had and the result showed that the output of the office could be doubled, or, what amounted to the same thing, the same amount of work could be produced in half the time. As a result of this test the superintendent of the division recommended the purchase of an equipment of dictation machines, stating in his report that upon their installation he would immediately reduce his force by six clerks at a saving in salary cost of over $6,000 per annum. 108 EEPOETS or COMMISSION ON ECONOMY AND EFFICIENCY. In our opinion the correspondence of The Adjutant General's Office is particularly susceptible to production by means of the voice writ- ing machines. There is no special condition which presents itself to our mind which would interfere with a successful use of thp dicta- tion machine in this office. In fact such peculiarities and differences in method of conducting correspondence as exist in this office are all in favor of the use of the dictation machine. Most of the correspond- ence of the office falls into well-defined classes and but a very small part is technical or difficult. It rests in large part upon well-founded precedents. In fact the correspondence is of such large volume that many communications are produced which are not much more than circular letters, but due to certain variations in facts it is necessary that they be prepared in the form of typewritten communications. For this class of correspondence the dictation machine is an ideal device. There is no reason to doubt that a substantial economy in producing correspondence could be accomplished if dictation ma- chines were installed throughout the Office of The Adjutant General. B. THE FIVE-MINUTE MAIL MESSENGER SERVICE. The messenger service in The Adjutant General's Office is effective, but it is adapted to the folded filing system, which necessitates a large number of unnecessary motions on the part of correspondence clerks, such as folding communications to place them in the mail jackets, as well as unfolding them for consultation after removing them therefrom. It further necessitates selecting from a file of jackets arranged in numerical order the particular jacket desired, and in the case of incoming correspondence of refiling the jacket in its proper numerical order. In a memorandum signed by The Adjutant General under date of June 5, 1912, the objection was made that the arrangement of the cor- respondence on a flat filing basis Avould seriously disrupt the present messenger service, if not entirely destroy its effectiveness. This state- ment is undoubtedly based upon a misapprehension of what is com- prehended by the term " messenger service." In our opinion, a mes- senger service includes not only the transportation of correspondence and other papers by the employees of that service, but also the ar- rangement of correspondence and papers in form for dispatch, as well as the withdrawing of correspondence from the incoming mail box and arrangement in form for consultation. An analysis of the mes- senger service would be incomplete if it did not give consideration to these two features of the work performed by executives and corre- spondence clerks. Under the present practice executives and correspondence clerks must do three things before they can either handle a case or dispose BUSINESS METHODS OF OFFICE OF THE ADJUTANT GENEEAL. 109 of it physically, whereas under the method proposed the only thing they need do to jjick up a case is to take it out of the mail basket, and to send it to some other office it is only necessary to throw it in the basket. In order to relieve the clerks of this material amount of work per- formed in connection with the messenger service we recommend the discontinuance of the mail jacket in all cases of interchange of memo- randa between divisions of The Adjutant General's Office, since the address or symbol on the correspondence itself will indicate where it should be taken. This will require a little extra care on the part of the messengers in order to preclude the possibility of correspondence being carried to an office for which it is not designed, but the saving of time on the part of correspondence clerks and executives will more than offset the additional time spent by the messenger. The argu- ment may be made that the jacket is necessary to protect the papers as well as facilitate their transportation. It must be remembered, however, that under the flat filing system the papers pertaining to one case will all be fastened together and protected by a sheet of strong backing paper or cardboard so as to be free to a large extent from thy handling- incident to the folding and unfolding of such papers under the present folded filing system. One of the principal purposes for which the jacket is designed is fulfilled in a higher degree under the flat filing system by the protection which the stiff backing sheet af- fords to the correspondence. Instead of the box as at present used, it is believed that the mes- senger should have a bag with compartments therein so as to provide for the mail stations of The Adjutant General's Office. When the messenger passes through a particular division it would not be dif- ficult for him to select from the compartment pertaining to that di- vision the correspondence for particular desks without having them subdivided in his mail bag. The above changes save to the correspondence clerks the motions of selecting the proper jacket from the box and putting the inclosure in it, and in the case of incoming mail, taking the inclosure out of the jacket and placing the jacket in its proper place in the file box. It is not believed that the flat filing system will require an increase in the messenger force. Instead of disrupting the service, or even re- tarding it, we believe that at least 50 per cent of the matter now car- ried by the messenger service will be eliminated, due to the consolida' tion of certain divisions of The Adjutant General's Office, which will make unnecessary the transportation of matter between those di- visions. The force as at present constituted is not under any pres- sure ; in fact, the messengers are expected not to sacrifice care and at- tention to haste. 110 EEPOETS OF COMMISSIOlSr ON ECONOMY AND EFFICIENCY. For purposes of comparison there follows a description of the steps taken under the present method in relation to the largest part of the correspondence of The Adjutant General's Office, namely, requests from the Commissioner of Pensions and from the Auditor for the War Department for statements of military service, as contrasted with the steps which would be taken under the proposed procedure. BY EXECUTIVE OR CORRESPONDENCE CLERK. Steps taken under existing practice. 1. Takes mail jacket containing communi- cation out of box. 2. Removes communication from jacket. 3. Lays jacket aside. 4. Unfolds communication. 5. Makes following indorsement on record card : Tenth Stebbt Branch ; Please furnish all cards. W. J. J. by W. E. B. 6. Folds communication. 7. Selects proper jacket from his box file. 8. Places record cards and communication in jackets. 9. Thows jacket in out box, whence col- lected by messenger and carried to Tenth Street Branch. Steps to be taken under proposed practice. 1. Takes correspondence out of basket. Writes following in space called " In- ternal memorandum " ; " S. C." 3. Throws correspondence in basket, whence collected by messenger and carried to Tenth Street branch. • BY CORRESPONDENCE CLERK IN TENTH STREET BRANCH. 10. Takes jacket out of box. 11. Removes correspondence and record card from jacket. 12. Lays jacket aside. 13. Unfolds communication. 14. Procures cards from files. 15. Attaches cards to correspondence. IC. Writes on record card the following : "A. G. O.": All cards (8) herewith. A. B. C. by K. J. L. Folds communication. Selects proper jacket. Places record cards and correspondence in jacket. Throws jacket in out box, whence col- lected by messenger and carried to State, War, and Navy Building. 17. 18. 19. 20. 4. Takes correspondence from basket. 5. Procures cards from files. 6. Attaches cards to correspondence. 7. Writes following in " Internal Memo.' Throws correspondence in basket, whence collected by messenger, and carried to State, War, and Navy Building. BY CORRESPONDENCE CLERK IN STATE, WAR, AND NAVY BUILDING. 21. Takes jacket out of box. 22. Removes correspondence from jackets. 23. Lays jacket aside. 24. Unfolds communication. 25. Writes on form statement of military history. 26. Folds communication. 27. Selects proper jacket. 28. Places correspondence in jacket. 2"J. Throws jacket in out box. 30. Throws record cards in basket for filing. 9. Takes correspondence from basket. 10. Writes on form statement of military history. 11. Throws correspondence in basket. BUSINESS METHODS OF OFFICE OF THE ADJUTANT GENERAL. Ill It is estimated that the messenger service collects and delivers 10,000 pieces a day. This means that 10,000 times a day, in order to send a piece of matter from one office to another, executives and cor- respondence clerks must take the correctly numbered jacket from the file case, place the document in the jacket, throw the jacket in the box, and with incoming matter take the jacket out of the box, with- draw the paper and file the jacket in its proper place or return it to the box for transmission to the office whence it came. An examination of over a hundred cases among various corre- spondence clerks has shown that to take a case which has been de- livered by a messenger service out of the jacket and place it in an unfolded condition ready for reading by the clerk takes on an aver- age 10 seconds. To prepare a case for transportation by the mes- senger service, that is to say, fold it up, place a rubber band thereon, and put it in a jacket, takes on the average about 7 seconds. So that the total time consumed on the average case is 17 seconds. There are more than 10,000 cases transported by the messenger service daily. Thus 170,000 seconds or 472 hours are consumed by correspondence clerks in connection with the messenger service each day, over and above the amount of time which would be consumed by clerks in throwing into a basket or taking out of a basket cases which they are working. This possible saving in time is equivalent to 6.7 clerks working 7 hours a day, or approximately $9,000 per annum, whereas the total salary cost for the 12 messengers is but $8,400. C. DEFECTS AS SHOWN BY COMPARISON OF PRESENT WITH PROPOSED METHODS OF HANDLING AND FILING CORRESPONDENCE ILLUS- TRATED BY MEANS OF SELECTED CASES, OUTLINES, AND CHARTS. In this section of the report it is undertaken to show, first, the multitude of operations and processes now followed in handling cor- respondence in the Mail and Record Division from the time the mail is received until it is dispatched to the relevant division as compared with the operations necessary upon the adoption of our recommenda- tions; and secondly, the steps and processes followed by several rep- resentative cases from the time they are received in the relevant divisions until they are sent to the Mail and Record Division for filing, as compared with the procedure under proposed methods. In order to get an idea of the various steps taken in handling correspondence from the time it enters the office until it is disposed of, several representative cases have been selected at random and are described in this section in detail. Under the recommendations of the commission, the entire processes of briefing and recording will be eliminated, indexing reduced to a merely nominal matter, and reviewing card records, filing index 112 EEPOETS OF COMMISSION ON ECONOMY AND EFFICIENCY. cards, and making file jackets will be eliminated. The methods of handling correspondence will thus be very greatly simplified. The salary expense of the Mail and Eecord Division will be reduced from $136,000 per annum to $47,000 per annum, and the average cost of routine processes in connection with the handling of correspond- ence will be reduced from $174.36 to $60.07 a thousand communica- tions received. While this effects a very material saving, it may be mentioned that the average will still be considerably higher than that sustained in large railroad and industrial corporations, where modern methods have been installed for a number of years, and ex- perience has facilitated simplicity. The following outlines are intended to compare the multiplicity of processes under the present system, with the simple and direct method recommended. They show the course taken by each of the three representative classes of correspondence in the Mail and Eecord Division, and set out the various steps from the time the communi- cation is received at the department until it is dispatched to the rele- vant division. These three classes are : (1) New cases. (2) Received backs (that is to say, a reply to a communication). (3) Additionals (that is to say, another communication on the same subject but not a reply). BUSINESS METHODS OF OFFICE OF THE ADJUTANT GENERAL. 113 PRESENT SYSTEM. CHART SHOWING ROUTE, IN THE MAIL AND RECORD DIVISION, OF LET- TERS REQUESTING STATEMENT OF MILITARY SERVICE, AND LETTERS FROM THE STAFF DEPARTMENTS OF THE ARMY AT LARGE— "NEW CASES." Mail mes- sen- ger. Explanation. Receives. Cuts envelope or wrapper. Delivers. Takes out con- tents. Examines. Attaches record cards. Notes time. ThrovFS in box. Delivers. Examines. Distributes. Examines. Writes record card. Writes index card. Writes cross-ref- erence card. Writes duplicate index card. Notes time. Initials. Throws in "out" box. Delivers. Stamps commu- nication. Stamps record card. Stamps index card. Stamps cross-ref- erence card. Stamps duplicate index card. Throws in "out" box. Delivers. Receives. Examines. Distributes. Searches index. Writes charge card. Throws in "in- dex box." Searches prior record cards. Attaches prior record cards. Throws in "out" box. Delivers. "Connecting" desk. Examines. Notes file num- ber. Throws in "out" box. Delivers. 72734°— H. Doc. 1252, 62-3 8 114 EEPORTS OF COMMISSION ON ECONOMY AND EFFICIENCY. PRESENT SYSTEM. CHART SHOWING ROUTE, IN THE MAIL AND RECORD DIVISION, OF A "RECEIVED BACK" CASE. Briefing and recording eec- tion. Mail Desk Route Index section, record card mes- sen- Mail clerks. mes- sen- " Charge card" clerk. Prepar- Record- mes- sen- Explanation. ger. ger. ing "re- ceived ing "re- ceived ger. clerk. backs." backs.' 1. Receives. W 2. Cuts envelope or wrapper. Q) 3. Delivers. ®^ ® 4. Opens. 5. Examines. 6. Stamps. 7. Notes time. ® 8. Inserts in jacket. s5 9. Throws in "out" box. @ 10. Delivers. ®-^ ■~--. Examines. 17. Indorses. 18. Dflivers. 19. Approves. 20. Delivers. 21. Indorses. 22. Delivers. 23. Examines. 24. Reviews. 25. Drafts order. 26. Types order. 27. Records action. 28. Examines. 29. Initials. 30. Throws in "out' box. 31. Collects. 32. Transmits. 33. Delivers. 34. Signs. 35. Delivers. 36. Notes time. 37. Examines. 38. Writes card. 39. Dispatches. 1 (26) Receive correspon d- ence and drafts order. 2 (29) Reviews and initials. 3 (30) Throws in "out" box. 4 (33) Delivers. 5 (34) Signs. The details of the steps and processes follow. In the column on the left, is set forth the routine under the present system; in the column at the right, comments in respect of the present processes, and suggestions looking to a more simple and businesslike method of handling the correspondence. BUSINESS METHODS OF OFFICE OF THE ADJUTANT GENEEAL. 121 Operation No. 1. Mr. Bevans, distributing clerk (sal- ary, $1,200), took the jacket from the box, removed the papers from the jacket, took off the rubber band hold- ing the papers together, wrote on the record card the time he received the case, and then unfolded Pvt. Rentz's letter and examined it. Operation No. 2. Mr. BeVans, noting that it would be necessary to have a report from the Rolls Division of the status of Pvt. Rentz, placed on the record card a request for such report, with a nota- tion of the time, as follows : " Rolls Division : For report. " Morton, T. H." Operation No. 3. Mr. Bevans then selected from a file containing jackets numbered according to the rooms with which he has need for communication a jacket containing the number of the room occupied by the Rolls Division. He placed a rub- ber band around the correspondence, put it within the jacket, and threw the package in his " out " mail box. Operation No. 1. Under the system proposed by us five clerks would handle all the corre- spondence now received in the Enlisted Men's Division, under the supervision of a clerk in charge. There is no ne- cessity in such a case of a distributing clerk examining the papers in the first place, since he is called upon to exer- cise no discretion as to whom the cases should be handed for treatment except in rare instances. These clerks should properly be in room No. 58, so as to be within easy access of the muster rolls which form the basis of their correspondence. They should be grouped around the clerk in charge of the section, who in that way could ex- ercise supervision over their work and pass papers to and fro for purposes of review and examination. This operation will be eliminated under the proposed method. The cases will be placed in one central box, from which they will be removed by the correspondence clerks without leaving their desks. This will save the time now consumed by the distributing clerk in examining all incoming cases. Operation No. 2. Under a consolidation of the Enlisted Men's Division with the Rolls Division it will be unnecessary to make a writ- ten request upon the latter division for a report. This operation will therefore be eliminated. Operation No. 3. Eliminated for reasons set forth in comment in relation to operation No. 2. 122 KEPOETS OP COMMISSION ON ECONOMY AND EFFICIENCY. Operation No. 4. Tlie messenger carried the corre- spondence to the Rolls Division and threw it in the " in " box on the desk of Mr. Huckleberry, a reviewing clerk. Operation No. 5. Mr. Huckleberry (salary $1,200) ex- amined the papers to determine whether they needed special attention by particular clerks. This paper needed no special treatment, and was thrown by Mr. Huckleberry in a box on his desk containing miscellaneous cases, from which they are taken from time to time by searchers. Operation No. 6. Mr. Dimond, searcher (salary $1,200), walked from his desk in room No. 58 to the distributing box in room No. 60 and selected one case from the collection of cases therein for the pur- pose of making appropriate search. Operation No. 7. Mr. Dimond then examined the case to ascertain the nature and extent of the report desired and searched the records to obtain the requisite informa- tion. His search involved a consulta- tion of the original contract of enlist- ment of the enlisted man and the mus- ter roll of his company for May and June, 1912. Operation No. 8. Upon conclusion of Mr. Dimond's examination of the enlistment papers and muster roll he returned to his desk and wrote in longhand the following report on the record card : "E. M. Div. " Thomas J. Rentz enl. Mch. 1, 1908 ; and was dischg'd Feb. 28, 1911, by expr. of service, pvt. 102d Co. C. O. C. Char, excellent. Operation No. 4. Eliminated for reasons set forth un- der operation No. 2. Operation No. 5. Eliminated for reasons set forth un- der operation No. 2. Operation No. 6. Eliminated for reasons set forth in connection with operation No. 2. Operation No. 7. The cori'espondenoe clerk originally receiving the case will make his own search. Operation No. 8. The time taken in writing down in longhand on the record card the in- formation desired by the Enlisted Men's Division will be entirely saved. In the first place, more information has been recorded on the record card than is necessary to a proper handling of the case. There is nothing gained by showing the date of enlistment and discharge upon the first enlistment. BUSINESS METHODS OF OFFICE OF THE ADJUTANT GENEKAL. 123 " Reenl. Apr. 26, 1911, and was pres- ent June 30, 1912, pvt. Gen'l. Serv. Inf. at Atlanta, Ga. " Stafford. "G. C. D." " 2.57." Mr. Dimond then wrote below the indorsement the time of conclusion, " 2.57." Operation No. 9. After writing the above indorsement, Mr. Dimond blotted the indorsement, gathered the papers together, placed a rubber band around the same, and walked over to the desk of Mr. Sattes. to whom he delivered the papers for the purpose of review. Operation No. 10. Mr. Sattes, reviewing clerk (salary $1,600), examined the papers and re- port to determine whether the report was adequate to the case and whether it was correctly framed. Operation No. 11. Mr. Sattes gathered together the papers after his examination, put a rubber band around them, selected a reversible jacket from his box file and inclosed the papers in them, throwing the jacket in the " out " box. Operation No. 12. The jacket was transmitted by the messenger service to room No. 43 and thrown in the box on desk of T. B. Bevans. The only facts essential to handling this case are that of a previous enlist- ment for the full period and the length of time served under the second en- listment. All other information is superfluous. In this particular case, and it is a representative one, there is no item of information which need be written on the record card or on any other paper. Every item which is of value to the case is stated in the letter and verification is all that is necessary after consultation of the records. This could be attested by check marks on the letter requesting discharge. Operation No. 9. Eliminated for reasons set forth un- der operation No. 7. Operation No. 10. Eliminated for reasons set forth un- der operation No. 7. Operation No. 11. Eliminated for reasons set forth un- der oi>eration No. 7. Operation No. 12. Eliminated for reasons set forth un- der operation No. 7. 124 REPORTS OF COMMISSION ON ECONOMY AND EFFICIENCY. Operation No. 13. Mr. Bevaus examined the papers, wrote on the record card the time, " 3.20," he received them, and, noting that the man was in the recruiting service, wrote on the record card the following indorsement, with a notation of the time, " 3.25 " : " 3.20. " Recruiting Division : For remark. Morton. " 8.25. " F. A." Operation No. 14. Mr. Bevans then selected a jacket from his file and placed the papers therein for transmission to the Re- cruiting Division. OpePvATion No. 15. The messenger service transported the correspondence to the Recruiting Division and placed it in the box on the desk of Mr. Hughes. Operation No. 16. Mr. Hughes, clerk (salary, $1,200), examined the papers and wrote on the record card the following : " To Ool. Keruan, A. G., to ascertain if there is any objection. " 3.35. " J. D. H." Operation No. 17. Mr. Hughes then noted the time of his writing the above indorsement. Operation No. 18. Mr. Hughes sent the papers by spe- cial messenger to Col. Kernan, the adjutant general in charge of recruit- ing matters. Operation No. 19. Col. Kernan noted in writing his ap- proval on the record card as follows: " No objection. M., A. G." Operation No. 13. Eliminated for reasons set forth un- der operation No. 7. Operations 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, AND 23. In these operations the Recruiting Division has prepared a note to the adjutant general in charge of recruit- ing matters requesting whether he had any objection to the proposed discharge by purchase of Private Reijtz. This is a routine matter designed simply to keep The Adjutant General in touch with recruiting matters. Not once in the last two years has exception been taken to action by the Enlisted Men's Division in regard to discharge by pur- chase of a man in the recruiting serv- ice. The Adjutant General could keep in touch with this situation if the com- ])leted draft discharging the man was simply passed over his desk for his initials. BUSINESS METHODS OF OFFICE OF THE ADJUTANT GENERAL. Operation No. 20. The card and correspondence were taken back to the Recruiting Division by special messenger. Operation No. 21. Mr. Hughes wrote on the record card the following indorsement, with a no- tation of the time: " To E. M. Div. Shelton, J. D. H." 4.00. 4.05. Operation No. 22. Carried by the messenger service to the Enlisted Men's Division and placed in mail box of Mr. Bevans. Operation No. 23. Mr. Bevans examined the papers, noted on record card time of receipt, and handed them to Mr. "Wilson, as- sistant chief of the division. Operation No. 24. Mr. Wilson (salary $1,800) exam- ined the case to see whether all rele- vant requirements of laws and regula- tions governing discharge by purchase had been complied with. His exami- nation showing that the case had met all the requirements, he handed it to Mr. Tillman to prepare a special order. Operation No. . 25. Mr. Tillman (salary $1,400) pre- pared the following draft of an order: War Department, , Washington, August — , 1912. Memorandum for Special Orders, No. — . Par. Private Thomas J. Rentz, gen- eial service, Infantry, recruiting sta- tion, 3 Carnegie Way, Atlanta, Georgia, will be discharged from the Army by 125 Opebation No. 24; The case being taken out of the in- coming mail box direct by the corre- spondence clerk, in connection with his securing a supply of work sufficient to keep him occupied for at least sev- eral hours, this operation will be eliminated. Opebation No. 25. Same as under present practice. 126 EEPOKTS OF COMMISSION ON ECONOMY AND EFFICIENCY. the officer in charge of that station by purchase, under the provisions of General Orders, No. 90, War Depart- ment, 1911. (1941619, A. G. O.) By order of the Secretary of War: Adjutant Oeneral. Opeeation No. 26. After preparing the above draft, Mr. Tillman typed on the record card the following : "Approved : "A. G. "A. G. O. Aug. 6, 1912. " 9.30 F. D. T." Operation No. 27. Mr. Tillman then stamped on the record card with a rubber stamp the following : "Approved draft of order sent to Orders Division 19 . it *' S. O Par , 19 ." Operation No. 28. The draft of the order was then ex- amined by the clerk handling the case, the papers gathered together and per- sonally carried to the desk of the as- sistant chief of the division for re- view. Operation No. 29. Mr. Wilson examined the papers for typographical errors and accuracy of ruling or statement. Operation No. 30. Mr. Wilson placed the papers in the out " basket on hi« desk. 0Pl!,RATI0N No. 26. Eliminated, due to discontinuance of record cards. The signature of The Adjutant General to the order itself will constitute his approval of the action. Operation No. 27. Eliminated, due to discontinuance of record cards. A carbon copy of the order itself will suffice for record pur- poses. Operation No. 28. The correspondence clerk should never be required, save in exceptional and special cases, to personally carry all his mail, case by case, to a review- ing clerk. This mail should be gathered at stated times during a day by a messenger or low-priced clerk. The time spent by the correspondence clerk in this operation would there- fore be eliminated. Operation No. 29. Same as under present practice. In this connection, however, it may be stated that it is generally advisable to place upon the stenographer the responsibility for having a typographi- cally correct draft. Operation No. 30. Same as under present practice. BUSINESS METHODS OF OFFICE OF THE ADJUTANT GENERAL. 127 Operation No. 31. Mr. Bevans collected case, with any others which had accumulated in Mr. Wilson's basket, madfi notation of the class of each case handled for the ad- ministrative record, and then indorsed on the record card in each case the time of disposal. Operation No. 32. Mr, Bevanshanded accumulated mail to the messenger assigned to the divi- sion for delivery to Colonel Kerr for his signature. Operation No. 33. The messenger carried the papers to Colonel Kerr for approval. Operation No, 34. Col. Kerr signed the draft and also signed his initials on the record card following the word "approved," as shown below : " Approved. " J. S. K. "A. G. "A. G. O., Aug. 6, 1912. "9.30 F. D. T," Operation No. 35. The case was returned by a special messenger to the Enlisted Men's Divi- sion and placed on Mr. Bevans's desk. Operation No. 36. Mr. Bevans then inserted the time of sending to the Orders Division of the draft, as follows: "Approved draft of order sent to Orders Division Aug. 6, 1912, 1.15. "J. B. " S. O. 184, par. 10, Aug. 6, 1912." Operation No. 31. Eliminated. Messenger service should collect mail ready for signa- ture. Operation No. 32. Same as under present practice. Operation No. 33. Same as under present practice. Operation No. 34. Eliminated, on account of discon- tinuance of the record card. The fact of signing the original order will itself constitute the approval to the, action. Operation No. 35. Eliminated, for reason set forth under No. 34. Operation No. 36. Eliminated, for reason set forth under No. 34. 128 EEPORTS OF COMMISSION OK ECONOMY AND EFFICIENCY. Operation No. 37. Operation No. 37. Ml-. Bevaus examined the papers to see that they were complete, made a tally of the class of case disposed of, aud indorsed on the i-ecord card the time this operation was concluded. Operation No. 38. iMr. Bevans then sent the record card to the Mail and Record Division. Eliminated. It is quite unnecessary t" keep tally of every case disposed of. Operation No. 38. Eliminated, on account of discon- tinuance of record card. This case is one which experience and well-established precedents of the office have inade a perfunctory matter. Under the consolida- tion of the Enlisted Men's Division with the Eolls Division, the latter would come direct to the clerk, who would himself consult the record and write the order on the typewriter. The approval of the officer in charge of recruiting matters could be secured by passing the draft of the order over his desk. That is all there is to a simple case of this sort, and the expense of handling under the proposed method could amount to but a small fraction of that under the present prac- tice. This case is only one of very many, and merely illustrates that the rule in regard to recording every step taken in connection with a piece of correspondence, regardless of its nature or importance, is imposed upon all the divisions of The Adjutant General's Office. It is a question, in this class of cases, whether the letter even should be filed at all or a record kept of the order other than that which is re- tained in the Orders Division, and which is there indexed, so that reference to the order in relation to the individual could at any time be found if a call were made for the order, which, of course, would be extremely unlikely. What is there to this case which requires so much detail in clerical procedure ? ' Here is a man enlisted in the Army, who, having an opportunity to take a civil position, applied for discharge by pur- chase, in accordance with the Army regulations. His superior officer approves the request. Now, what is necessary to pass this case safely through the department? This: (1) An examination of the man's record, as shown by the muster roll ; (2) drafting of the order of dis- charge in final form for signature; (3) submission for initialing to the office in charge of recruiting matters (the man being in that service) ; (4) transmission to The Adjutant General for signature; (5) dispatch of the communication. It is safe to say that the present method takes 10 times as long as that proposed and contains no reasonable safeguard which is not provided for by the proposed method. Let us examine the case. In the first place, the incoming letter is briefed on the back. Unneces- BUSINESS METHODS OF OFFICE OF THE ADJUTAIiT GENERAL. 129 sary, if the communication is filed flat. .Secondly, a brief of the let - ter is written on the record card. Unnecessary, since the original papers can be used instead of a substitute, with liability of the sub- stitute being incomplete or incorrect. Thirdly, the distributing clerk writes a request on the Eolls Division for a report, where the papers have to pass through four hands. Most of this detail can be cut out by having the correspondence clerk make his own search. Fourthly, in advance of preparing any action, the papers are submitted to The Adjutant General for approval. Unnecessary, since the men in the Enlisted Men's Division are familiar with the precedents in cases like the one in question, and The Adjutant General's approval and signature under modern practice can just as well be secured at the same time, thereby saving the writing of the request for his approval and the messenger service back and forth. There is still left for consideration the question of whether the clerks of the present Enlisted Men's Division, who now only draft correspondence affecting the station or status of enlisted men from records and memoranda prepared by clerks of the Rolls Division, can, with the same degree of expertness, themselves examine the muster rolls to determine the facts upon which their letters are based. It is maintained that the clerks who conduct correspondence upon questions affecting enlisted men are trained to that work, and to interrupt it by causing them to search records would retard their composition of correspondence. We do not share this view. On the contrary, we believe that their work would be greatly facilitated by the very fact of themselves looking up the records which directly concern the cases they are handling. And these are our reasons for this opinion : The following operations or processes Avill be eliminated under the new method in connection with this class of cases: First, the distributing clerk in the Enlisted Men's Division is relieved of drafting the request on the Rolls Division for the information necessary to base the reply in the case, and of preparing the corre- spondence for the messenger service. Second, the messenger service is relieved of transporting the correspondence to and from divisions. Third, the distributing clerk in the Rolls Division is relieved of the examination of the case and assignment to particular correspond- ence clerks. Fourth, the searcher in the Rolls Division is relieved of drafting the report on the record card which shows the essential facts taken from the muster rolls during his examination in order to enable the correspondence clerk in the Enlisted Men's Division to prepare his reply and of folding the correspondence for the mes- senger service. Fifth, the distributing or reviewing clerk is relieved of examining the correspondence to see that the searcher has cor- 72734°— H. Doc. 1252, 62-3 9 130 REPORTS OF COMMISSION ON ECONOMY AND EFFICIENCY. rectly stated the information in his report and that the report covers the case. Sixth, the distributing clerk in the Enlisted Men's Divi- sion is relieved of examining the case when it is returned to identify it, and assigning the case to a particular clerk who is to prepare the reply. Seventh, the correspondence clerk in the Enlisted Men's Division is relieved of the work of reading the case to identify it, as well as the report on the record card of the result of the search made concerning the enlisted man's history. Eighth, under the existing method the correspondence is examined three times by as many different individuals in order to ascertain its subject matter. Under the method proposed the correspondence will be examined but once. All the above work eliminated is simply to be set off against the possible additional time taken by the fact that the correspondence clerk himself is to examine the muster rolls instead of the clerks who make that their exclusive work. We now come back to our contention that the work of the clerks of the present Enlisted Men's Division will be facilitated instead of retarded by having them look up the records concerning their own cases. While it must be conceded that employees whose work is limited to the searching of records will become more expert in that partic- ular line of work than those who must vary their regular work — the writing of letters — still it is not believed that the searching of records is so difficult or technical a matter that the correspondence clerks of the present Enlisted Men's Division will not easily become proficient in searching for the material they desire to serve as the basis for replies or the preparation of the decisions in particular cases. In fact it is believed that by reason of the correspondence clerk knowing exactly to what extent he desires information from the muster rolls and how to limit his search, and the further fact that after he has consulted the muster rolls he has almost drafted in his mind the answer he is to make in the case, the preparation of such an answer will be much more quickly accomplished than if the correspondence clerk has to read a report showing the record of the person concerned, which report has been made by a man un- familiar with the particular case, and therefore not so closely per- tinent to the case as it would be if the correspondence clerk himself gathered the facts. It admits of no argument that a letter is com- posed more readily and more effectively if the correspondence clerk preparing it has already in his mind the essential facts which enter into the communication. In order to get the essential facts in his mind he must read a statement setting forth those facts, which has BUSINESS METHODS OF OFFICE OF THE ADJUTANT GEISTEKAL. 131 been prepared by someone else, and just as much time as it takes to read that report and arrange its essential facts in his mind is time lost. Furthermore, in searching the records if the searcher has in his mind not only the nature of the inquiry but a knowledge of the ex- tent to which information is to be put into a letter in answer to that inquiry, he has a considerable advantage over the man who has to read the letter as one of many classes of communications which he handles and by reason of not being an expert in enlisted men's af- fairs can not be expected to know precisely the extent to which he must collect information from the muster rolls and other papers concerning enlisted men, and to such extent as he is delayed in learning the purport of the incoming communication and gathers information in excess of that which is necessary to furnish the in- quirer with the necessary information, just so much time is lost by the searcher. As already stated, these factors can not be easily meas- ured in time or monetary value, but that they are worthy of careful consideration is obvious. Opening and closing of auxiliary recruiting stations^ district of Terre Haute^ Ind. This was a case where on account of unsatisfactory recruiting results the officer in charge requested the department's authority to close the auxiliary recruiting station at Kobinson, 111., and open an auxiliary station at Sullivan, Ind., and that an auxiliary station be opened at Linton, Ind. The principal matters necessary to enable the department to decide a question such as this one are a geographi- cal knowledge of the territory where it is recommended that recruit- ing operations be initiated and of the probability of good recruiting results being obtained at the new station. Without going into details as to each step followed by this piece of correspondence, but taking it up in a general way only in so far as it is handled in the Recruiting Division, in order to show the work of an unnecessary character which is done in connection with the handling of this simple case, a general statement of the course and action upon the communication is here made. A brief of the commu- nication was made on the back of the first fold, and in addition thereto the purport of the communication from Capt. Mitchell was stated on the record card. The original communication of Capt. Mitchell was 133 words in length, whereas the " brief " on the record card was 115 words in length. The clerk handling the case first ascertained the number of recruits secured at the various towns for the past three months and placed upon the record card in hand- 132° EEPOETS OF COMMISSION ON ECONOMY' AND EFFICIENCY. writing a memorandum to Col. Kernan, setting forth the following record of these facts: To Col. Kernan, A. G. AiDplicauts accepted in the Terre Haute district, as follows : Jan. Feb. Mar. Champaign, 111 15 7 Danville, 111 15 9 7 Mattoon, 111 9 8 1 Eockville, 111. (opened Mar. 12)i Worthiugtou, Ind. (opened Mar. 12) Robinson, 111. (opened Feb. 12) 1 Sullivan, Ind. (en route to Robinson, Feb. 12) 5 The aux. station Robinson, 111., 46 miles from Terre Haute, which R. O. de- sires to close, was opened Feby. 12/12. One applicant accepted to March 31/12. Sullivan, Ind., en route to Robinson, produced 5 accepted applicants from date of opening — Feby. 12" to Mar. 31. R. O. desires to continue the Sullivan station as an aux. upon closing at Robinson. R. O. also desires to open an aux. station at Linton, Ind., 34 miles from Terre Haute. See sketch. 1.45. A. T. In addition to the above memorandum the clerk prepared a sketch showing the distance between the towns and their relative locations. It will be observed that the reading matter below the table showing the number of applicants accepted is simply a repetition of the facts stated in the brief of Capt. Mitchell's letter. The above memoran- dum was brought to the attention of Col. Kernan, and by his direc- tion the recommendations of Capt. Mitchell were approved, with the exception of that in regard to opening an auxiliary station at Linton, Ind. The clerk handling the case thereupon drafted in long- hand the following communication : Referring to No. 1897720 write the letter recorded below. No. of inclosures to accompany letter : O. Apl. 5, 10.50. A. T., Correspondence Clerk. . Examiner. Done Apr. 5, 1912, by J. G. 11.15. LETTER. Capt. H. D. Mitchell, Inf. R. O., No. 709 WaMsh Avenue, Terre Haute,- Ind. Sir : By direction of the Secretary of War, you are advised in response to your letter of the 2nd instant, as follows : You are authorized, as recommended, to close the auxiliary recruiting station at Robinson, 111., and upon closing that station to continue the " intermediate " station at Sullivan, Ind., as an auxiliary station. The Secretary of War directs as necessary in the military service that you proceed on recruiting duty from Terre Haute, Ind., to Sullivan, Ind., or inter- mediate points as may be required while an auxiliary station is maintained at Sullivan, and that you return after each trip to Terre Haute: Provided,' That not exceeding in all 4 trips a month be made under these instructions. BUSINESS METHODS OF OFFICE OF THE ADJUTANT GENEEAI.,. 133 Your recommendation that an auxiliary recruiting station be opened at Linton, Ind., is not approved at this time. Application for authority to open an auxiliary station at that point may be renewed when active recruiting is fully resumed in your district. Very respy., F. J. Keenan, Adjutant General. Copies furnished: The Quartermaster Genl. (2), the Inspector General. Reviewed by E. L. Communications of tlie same type as the above have been written thousands of times in this office, and a printed form could be used with a saving of most of the time taken to prepare this communica- tion. Nevertheless the hand-written draft is submitted for approval, and then a final co-pj is engrossed in the form of a letter to Capt. Mitchell. On April 19 Capt. Mitchell addressed the department again, recommending that authority be granted for opening aux- iliary stations at Linton, Ind., and Kankakee, 111., and that the sta- tions at Rockville and Worthington, Ind., be closed. This letter was likewise briefed on the record card. The original letter was 115 words in length, and the brief of the same on the record card 80 words in length. When this communication was received on the desk of the correspondence clerk he prepared a memorandum ad- dressed to the chief clerk in the Paymaster General's Office for the signature of the chief clerk to The Adjutant General in order to ascertain the exact distance between the places involved. A copy of this memorandum and the information inserted therein is shown below : Wae Department, The Adjutant General's Office, Ajiril 22nd, 1912. 1897720. memorandum. The Chief Clerk, Paymaster GeneraVs Office. Please give the following distances : Terre Haute, Ind., to Kankakee, 111. 128 miles. Danville, 111., to Kankakee, 111. 74 miles. J. B. Respy, J. B. R. R. J. Frech, Chief Cleric. Per C. W. S. 39. P. M. G. O., April 23, 1912. Respectfully returned to the chief clerk, A. G. O. answers noted above. R. O. Kloeber, CJiief Clerk. Per J. B. R. When the information as to the distance between the towns was received, the clerk handling the case prepared the following memorandum for Col. Kernan : To Col. Kernan, A. G. R. O., Terre Haute, Ind., desires to close the aux. stations at Rockville, 111., 23 miles, and Worthington, Ind., 40 miles. 134 EEPOETS OF COMMISSION ON ECONOMY AND EFFICIENCY. For results accomplished at Rockville and Wortliington, from Jan. 1st to Marcli 30, 1912, see page 2 tliis card. No applicants accepted at either station during first 10 days in April. R. O. desires to open aux. stations at Linton, Ind., and at Kankakee, 111. Linton is 43 miles from Terre Haute, and is in that district. Kankakee is 128 miles from Terre Haute, 74 miles from Danville — from which place R. O. desires to visit it — and but 56 miles from Chicago. It naturally per- tains to the district of Chicago. Only one outside station, Milwaukee, Wis., is now in operation in the 3 Chicago districts. See sketch. See also memo, from P. M, G. O. A. T. 1. Apl. 23. In connection with the above memorandum a sketch of the sur- rounding territory was also made. This memorandum and the sketch were brought to the attention of Col. Kernan, and he wrote the fol- lowing instructions upon the record card : Authorize the closing of the two, as requested, & the opening of one at Lin- ton. Inform that the other place is not in his Dist. W. K. A. G. In accordance with the above instructions, the following letter to Capt. Mitchell was drafted on the record card : Referring to No. 1S97720/A write the letter recorded below. No. of inclosures to accompany letter : O. 3.05 A. T., correspondence clerk. , examiner. Done Apr. 23, 1912, by J. G. 3.20 LETTER. Capt. H. D. Mitchell, Fiest Infantry, Recrttiting Officer, 709 WaMsJi Ave., Terre Haute, Ind. Sir : In response to your letter of the 19th instant, I have the honor to advise you, by direction of The Adjutant General of the Army, as follows : You are authorized, as recommended, to close the auxiliary recruiting stations at Rockville and Worthington, Ind., and to open an auxiliary station at Linton, Ind. The Secretary of War directs as necessary in the military service that you proceed on recruiting duty from Terre Haute, Ind., to Linton, Ind., or inter- mediate points as may be required while an auxiliary station is maintained at Linton and that you return after each trip to Terre Haute, Provided, That not exceeding in all 4 trips a month be made under these instructions. Your recommendation that you be authorized to open an auxiliary station at Kankakee, 111., is not approved. Kankakee, being nearer to Chicago than to either Terre Haute or Danville, naturally pertains to one of the districts of Chicago. Very respectfully, J. J. Kernan, Adjutant General. Copies furnished : QMG (2). IG. Apr. 23, 1912. Reviewed by W. H. T. BUSINESS METHODS OF OFFICE OF THE ADJUTANT GENEEAL. 135 It will be observed that this letter follows the same language as the communication preceding it to Capt. Mitchell and that a form would materially reduce the work. After approval of the draft, a final copy was engrossed in the form of a letter to Capt. Mitchell. In connection with this case the consultation of any good atlas would show the geographical location of the towns concerning which recommendations were made for the establishment or discontinuance of the previous stations thereat, and serve the same purpose as a sketch, which necessarily must be prepared at the expense of a great amount of time. It seems quite unnecessary for the Paymaster General's Office to be addressed to determine the exact mileage be- tween the points concerned. This could be determined with near enough approximation to suit the case by a glance at the map. A variation of a few miles in the distance would have no effect upon the decision whether or not a recruiting station should be established or discontinued. D. UNNECESSARY COST OE PREPARATION AND DISPATCH OF TELEGRAMS AND CABLEGRAMS. In this discussion the word " telegram " is used in referring to land messages and the word " cablegram " in referring to transoceanic messages. Only those telegrams and cablegrams which are sent from The Adjutant General's Office in Washington are considered in this report. Telegrams. — Telegrams are sent by The Adjutant General's Office to division and department headquarters, military posts, to officers, and to a large number of other persons with whom the office transacts business. The largest class of telegrams are those sent to recruiting officers, and the next largest class are those sent regarding the move- ment of troops. No attempt is made to enumerate the other classes of telegrams sent by this office, since they cover practically all sub- jects coming within the scope of this office's activities. Methods of preparing and recording. — Telegrams are typewritten on telegraph forms in the various divisions of The Adjutant General's Office in connection with the business of such divisions, and are signed by The Adjutant General or an officer on his staff. In the Rolls Division, however, where telegrams are sent on statements of service, they are signed with The Adjutant General's name by the chief of the division. A carbon copy is made when writing telegrams. After telegrams are signed they are sent with the carbon copies to the chief clerk's office, where the carbon copy is stamped with a rubber stamp reading as follows : Original of foregoing telegram sent in War Department telegraph office. 136 REPORTS OP COMMISSION ON ECONOMY AND EPFICIENCY. The date, time, and signature of signing" officer also are noted there- on, telegrams then being sent to the telegraph office in the building for dispatching. The recording of telegrams is made on a record card, the recording and filing of carbon copies following the same general procedure as in other communications. Telegrams are not directed to be sent by night service and no coding of telegrams is made in any instance for economy. Cost of telegrmns. — The cost of telegrams sent by The Adjutant General's Office from Washington during each year from 1907 to 1911, inclusive, was tabulated from vouchers filed in the office of the Auditor for the War Department. The cost is as follows : 1907 $3, 959. 34 1908 6, 727. 72 190) 6, 504. 47 1910 5, 895. 34 1911 9, 386. 84 Ontical discussion with constructive suggestions. — In order to ascertain the nature of the telegraph business of The Adjutant Gen- eral's Office and the manner in which that business is conducted a detailed examination was made of the telegrams filed during August, 1911, with the Postal Telegraph-Cable Co. The number of mes- sages so examined was 1,046, and the cost of them was $370.17. This amount is approximately 4 per cent of the total expenditure for telegrams during 1911. It seemed to be unnecessary to examine critically any larger percentage of telegrams, since it was ascertained that the classes of messages are practically the same throughout the whole year. These messages were examined for the purpose of de- termining the following facts : {a) The necessity for sending a telegram. (5) The use of unnecessary words in a telegram. (c) The dispatch of several messages to one officer during a single day in place of the dispatch of a consolidated message. {d) The dispatch of telegrams at night rates. (e) The use of a code for enciphering telegrams. The results of the critical examination of the 1,046 messages filed with the Postal Telegraph-Cable Co. during August, 1911, are shown in the following table. Of these messages 370 were re- worded for 1;Jie purpose of ascertaining the approximate rate at which these messages could have been sent if properly prepared for trans- mission. BUSINESS METHODS OF OFFICE- OF THE ADJUTANT GENERAL. 137 Classes. Number of telegrams rerated. Actual cost. Cost after rerating. Estimated savings. Amount. Percent. Total 370 ! S177.90 1 S104. 48 S73. 42 Unabridged telegrams 56 33.67 231 9.^ .^fi 24.71 49.66 19.24 1 10. 87 8.96 43.70 9.89 10.87 26 6 Ringlfi tplpPTams tn sqTTiR nfRoifil Haiiy •16 8 Telegrams sent at day rates instead of night rates Telegrams sent in English instead of in cipher 63 20 29.13 21.74 34.0 50.0 1 Estimated at 50 per cent of actual cost. In rerating the 370 messages considered in the preceding table a very liberal policy was adopted and the benefit of every doubt was given to The Adjutant General's Office. Furthermore, the policy was adopted of spending only a reasonable amount of time in the preparation of the messages so as to avoid performing the work in such a manner as to increase clerical cost. The examination of these messages shows that by the adoption of even a few office rules and. without any increase in clerical work, a large saving in telegraph tolls could be effected. The saving shown in the above table is $73.42 which is nearly 20 per cent of the cost of all messages which were criticall}'' examined. The largest saving to be effected is in revising the practice of send- ing several telegrams to the same official daily. Most telegrams of this class are sent to recruiting officers. The adoption of office methods for the consolidation of several messages to one officer into one mes- sage could be easily effected and would not delay the transaction of business connected with the recruiting service. Such a consolidation of daily messages is effected in sending cablegrams but appears to have been disregarded in the case of telegrams, apparently for the reason that the telegraph rates are so much lower than the cable rates. Another large saving to be effected is in the case of telegrams con- taining unnecessary words. In this connection, special attention is invited to the use of such phrases at the beginning of a telegram as " Reference Division Commander's letter first instant," " Reference telegram commanding officer, September eleventh," " Your telegram sixth reference vacancy effecting first officer Dix," and " Referring your indorsement fifteenth instant, number seventy-six naught nine." It seems obvious that the use of such long plirases as these, containing anywhere from 6 to 10 words, is entirel}^ unnecessary in connection with telegraphing and consequently involves a needless expense. This expense is an item of considerable importance, especially in connec- tion with the large number of telegrams going to the Pacific coast. It should be noted that in practically all the telegrams transmitted by The Adjutant General's Office the use of the phrase " The Adju- tant General approves ," or " By order of The Adjutant Gen- 138 EEPOKTS OF COMMISSION ON ECONOMY AND EPFIOIENOY. eral " appears at the beginning of the message or at the close, as the case may be, notwithstanding the fact that the telegram is signed by The Adjutant General himself or one of his staff. It is apparent that the use of these phrases is not essential to a proper regard of the tele- gram by the officer who receives it; and that, in the aggTegate, these words increase considerably the cost of the telegrams sent by The Adjutant General's Office. It is evident also that the use of these phrases is purely formal, since the message would carry the same importance without them, as evidenced by the following telegram, the contents of which are repeated in order to show the purely per- functory use of one of the phrases mentioned : WASHlisTGTON, AUQUSt 31, 1911. Receuitinq Officbs, Pioneer Building, Seattle, Wash.: Records indicate that Potts had wife and two children March last year. By order The Adjutant General : Hall, Adjutant General. With reference to transmitting telegrams to recruiting officers, mention should be made of the lack of any uniformity in addressing the recruiting officer as briefly as possible and at the same time to have the address the same in all cases. That is, under the present practice several telegrams may be sent to a recruiting officer, at the same place, and within a few hours of each other, and the address may be differently worded on each message. In one instance it was found that the recruiting officer was addressed in one telegram as " Eecruiting Officer, Patterson Building, Main and Hudson Streets, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma," and in another telegram the same officer was addressed "Recruiting Officer, Patterson Building, Oklahoma, Oklahoma.'" a difference of four words. In this connection, it is sug- gested that one or two words might be utilized for the address of many of the officers of the service and thereby reduce very mateanally the cost of the telegraph service of the Government. For instance, in the office of the Chief Signal Officer there appears to be a practice of addressing telegrams to signal officers as follows : " Signal, Seattle, Washington." Another large saving can be effected by sending messages at night rates instead of at day rates. No night message was found in the 1,046 which were critically examined, nor in the many thousands of other messages which were handled in connection with this inquiry. Other branches of the War Department, as well as other departments, have adopted regulations which provide that specified classes of messages which are frequently sent, or messages which are sent so late in the day as to preclude their receipt during office hours shall be sent at night rates. No figures are available to show the savings thus effected in these offices and departments, but from observation of BUSINESS METHODS OF OFFICE OF THE ADJUTANT GENEEAL. 139 the large quantity of messages sent at night rates it is obvious that a large sum has been saved to the Government service by those de- partments which are making an effort to conduct their business with economy as well as with efficiency. Of the messages which were critically examined it was found that 20 were long messages sent to commanding officers concerning the movements of troops. Such messages should be in cipher both for economy and for affording better protection to the War Department in the conduct of important work. Sample messages illustrating each class of saving, as shown in the preceding table, are given herewith. Unabridged messages, or mes- sages wherein unnecessary words are used, are shown by the following illustrations : August 18, 1011. General Superintendent, Army Transport Service, San Francisco, California. As requested your telegram sisteentli instant to Quartermaster General you are authorized transfer Captain Heidt, Quartermaster, and Lieutenant Stayer, Medical Corps, from Transport Buford to Transport Logan. By order Secretary War: Alvord, Adjutant General. August 26, 1911. Commanding Officer, Ninth Cavalry, Fort D. A. Russell, Wyoming. Advise this ofllce by telegraph vrhether or not you w^ill approve detail of Lieutenant Brant, Ninth Cavalry, as professor military science and tactics Pennsylvania Military College, Chester, Pennsylvania. By order Secretary War. Alvord, Adjutant General. August 12, 1911. Recruiting Officer, I Street, Fresno, Cal. The Adjutant General authorizes acceptance Fisher as requested if qualified. Discharged expiration service June eleven year troop and character mentioned private. First enlistment. HAI.L, Adjutant General. As illustrating the present practice of sending several telegrams daily to the same person, the following telegrams are shown : August 21, 1911. Recruiting Officer, Indiana Building, 203 East Twelfth Street, Kansas City, Missouri. Send Private Allen, C, Sixth Field Artillery imder guard to proper station, entire cost to be charged against soldier. By order Secretary War. Hall, Adjutant General. 140 EEPOKTS OF COMMISSION" ON ECONOMY AND EFFICIENCY. August 21, 1911. Recruiting Officer, Indiana B wilding, 203 East Twelfth Street, Kansas City, Missouri: Secretary of War directs Privates Clayton Dyer and John Greiner, C, Sixth Field Artillery, sent under guard to proper station, and cost reported to battery commander as charge against soldiers. Hall, Adjutant General. August 21, 1911. Recruiting Officer, Indiana Building, 203 East Twelfth Street, Kansas City, Missouri: Secretary War directs that Private Fred S. McKenzie, O, Sixth Field Artillery, be sent under guard to proper station, and cost reported to battery commander as charge against soldier. Hall, Adjutant General. August 21, 1911. Recruiting Officer, Indiana Building, Kansas City, Mo.: The Adjutant General authorizes acceptance Allen as requested. Hall, Adjutant General. August 21, 1911. Recruiting Officer, Indiana Building, Kansas City, Mo.: The Adjutant General authorizes acceptance Dicker son for Coast Artillery, B^'ort Howard. Roy Dickerson, mustered in July eleven, eighteen hundred ninety-eight, mustered out May thirty-one following year, private, G, Fifth United States Volunteer Infantry. Roy T. Dickerson enlisted September eleven, eighteen hundred ninety-nine, discharged January twenty-four, nineteen hundred one, corporal, K, Forty-fifth United States Volunteer Infantry ; good. Hall, Adjutant General. Another instance of several telegrams being sent to one officer in one day is as follows : August 9, 1911. Recruiting Officer, Third and Olive, St. Louis, Mo.: The Adjutant General authorizes acceptance Woodruff. Note deficiencies. Hall, Adjutant General. August 9, 1911. Recruiting Officer, Third and Olive, St. Louis, Mo.: The Adjutant General authorizes acceptance Finney for Twenty-fourth In- fantry, Fort Ontario. Alvord, Adjutant General. BUSINESS METHODS OF OFFICE OF THE ADJUTANT GENEEAL. 141 August 9, 1911. Recruiting Officer, Third and Olive, St. Louis, Mo.: Tlie Adjutant General autliorizes acceptance Hood for First Cavalry, Fort Yellowstone. Alvord, Adjutant General. August 9, 1911. Recruiting Officer, Third and Olive, St. Louis, Mo.: The Adjutant General autliorizes acceptance Dowdy, as requested. Alvord, Adjutant GeneraL August 9, 1911. Recruiting Officer, Third and Olive, St. Louis, Mo.: Tlie Adjutant General authorizes acceptance Johnson, Twenty-fourth In- fantry, Ontario. Alvord, Adjutant General. Samples of telegrams sent as day messages which should have been sent as night messages are shown herewith : August 16, 1911. Commanding General, Western Division, Sa/n Francisco, Gal. Order issued June fifth directing Colonel Charles Richards, Medical Corps, upon arrival San Francisco, proceed to Walter Reed General Hospital, District of Columbia, for duty in command that hospital. By order Secretary War: Alvord, Adjutant General. August 14, 1911. Recruiting Officer, Indiana Building, Kansas City, Mo. The Adjutant General authorizes acceptance Comstock as requested. Hall, Adjutant General. The above telegrams were filed at 4 :30 and 5 p. m. The following telegrams illustrate those sent in English which should have. been sent in cipher: August 29, 1911. Commanding General, Central Division, Chicago, III. Tenth Infantry has been selected for service in Panama. The regiment will sail on transport Eilpatrick from Galveston. Quarters for officers and men will be ready about September fifteenth. No accommodations for families yet. You are authorized to send a detachment of thirty men and such number of 142 EEPOETS OP COMMISSION ON ECONOMY AND EFFICIENCY. officers as the regimental commander deems necessary, not exceeding one for each company, to paclj and adjust property accountability. Baggage from Fort Benjamin Harrison will be shipped to Newport News and put aboard transport before it sails for Galveston. The regimental quartermaster or some other officer selected by the colonel will be ordered to precede the regiment to Panama. Telegraph name of officer. Authorized tentage for permanent camp should be taken. List of other supplies needed communicated by mail. This telegram has been repeated to regimental commander. By order Secretary War : Alvobd, Adjutant General. August 25, 1911. Commanding Officer, Fort Monroe, Virginia. Following-named officers detailed to witness experimental firing against San Marcos on twenty-eighth instant, and ordered report on vessels of fleet in Hampton Roads morning twenty-seventh : Major Alston Hamilton and Captains Harrison Hall, William F. Hase, John O. Steger and OfCnere Hope. The officers named and also Captains Matthews and Hopkins, are also detailed to report on September first to commander in chief, Atlantic Fleet, for purpose witness- ing regular battle practice of fleet off Capes of Chesapeake. Inform them and instruct them accordingly and to submit to this office report of observations on completion duty. Order issues here. By order Secretary War : Alvoed, Adjutant General. August 24, 1911. Commanding General, Western Division, San Francisco, California. Following telegram to-day to commanding general, Central Division, repeated for your information. Quote. Reference telegram this office this date, inform commanding officer. Third Battalion, Second Infantry, Fort D. A. Russell, Wyoming, that Second Battalion, Twentieth Infantry, will sail from Honolulu for San Francisco, on transport leaving Manila, September fifteenth, nineteen eleven, thus leaving Fort Shafter available for Third Battalion, Second In- fantry. End quote. By order Secretary War : AlVOBD, Adjutant General. The percentage of saving effected by rerating the 1,046 messages which were critically examined was 20 per cent. As has been stated, a very liberal policy was adopted toward The Adjutant General's Office in computing savings. It is believed that a considerable larger percentage of saving in telegraph tolls can easily be effected by the adoption of proper regulations and by the proper supervision over the preparation and dispatch of messages. For the purpose of show- ing the approximate savings, the percentage of saving effected by the critical study has been applied to the total cost of telegrams for BUSINESS METHODS OF OFFICE OF THE ADJUTANT GENEEAL. 143 each of the five years from 1907 to 1911. The estimated savings for these years are as follows : 1907 $790 190S 1,345 1909 1,300 1910 1, 179 1911 1,877 The average saving for these years is approximately $1,250. Cablegrams. — A large number of cablegrams are sent by The Ad- jutant General's Office to the commanding officers at Manila and Honolulu. Another large class consists of messages sent to military attaches in foreign countries. Methods of preparing and dispatching cablegrams. — Draft of cablegrams to be sent is written out on a form which is signed by an adjutant general as approved and sent to the cable clerk in the Mail and Kecord Division, who enciphers into code, writing cipher mes- sage on this form in space provided below verbatim message. This form is later sent back to division from which it emanated, for filing purposes. Cables to the Philippines, Honolulu, and Panama, as the case may be, are consolidated on cablegram form, the idea of this consolidation being the sending of one cable daily, or as often as necessary, instead of a larger number during the day to one point. The verbatim cable is also written on this form, and then detached and sent by mail as confirmation of code cable. A carbon copy is made (these forms being typewritten) and filed in chronological order by the cable clerk. Cables received for sending are copied verbatim in longhand in a book kept for that purpose, this book being afterwards sent to The Adjutant General, who initials each cable. Cables as coded and sent are also copied in longhand in a book, which is taken to the telegraph office with cable to have the time of receipt at telegraph office stamped thereon. The cable clerk translates cables received on a cablegram received form, the received cables for the day being shown thereon. This form is typewritten and a carbon copy made, both being filed by the cable clerk in chronological order, with the original cables. As cables are received, translated copies or extracts therefrom are typewritten by the cable clerk on white letter paper for transmission to the division to which the cable relates. A¥hen cables received re- late to the deaths of enlisted men and deaths of officers, there are nine such copies sent to various offices and divisions of the War De- partment, and in the case of cables relating to the arrival and dis- patch of transports at Manila 10 additional copies also are made for transmission to the press. As far as possible these copies are made 144 REPOKTS OF COMMISSION OlST ECONOMY AND EFFICIENCY. by carbon, and one carbon copy is retained by the cable clerk and filed chronologically with notation thereon as to whom copies have been sent. The other copies are sent to the Mail and Record Division with a slip on which is a notation of the cable and its purport, this slip being returned to the cable clerk with a file number thereon to ^hich cable relates, for the information of the cable clerk. Cables as received and translated are entered in longhand in a book kept for this purpose. This book, and book in which verbatim cables sent are entered, are cross-referenced to serve as a follow-up system for the noting of the prompt reply to cables sent and received, which duty devolves upon the cable clerk. The following codes are used by the War Department : War Department Telegraph Code — phrases by words. The Cipher of the War Department — phrases by figures. Special Coded Words for certain commissary stores. The monthly bills of the telegraph and cable companies are checked up by the cable clerk against the returned original telegrams and cables for verification of same. The cable clerk. in the Mail and Record Division, whose duties and work are described herein, is Mr. H. S. Wright, salary of $1,600, who is assisted at certain times by Mr. John Johnston, salary of $1,400, who estimates that about 20 per cent of his time is consumed by this work. Cost of cablegrams. — The cost of cablegrams sent from Washing- ton by The Adjutant General's Office during the years 1907 to 1911 was computed from vouchers on files in the office of the Auditor for the War Department. The cost of each of these years is as follows : 1907 $7, 887. 41 1908 9, 455. 22 1909 8, 237. 30 1910 9, 185. 28 1911 8, 999. 66 Gntical discussion with constructive suggestions. — In order to as- certain the methods employed in preparing and dispatching cable- grams, a critical examination was made of the messages sent during April, May, September, and October, 1910, and August and Septem- ber, 1911. The cost of the messages examined for April and May, 1910, which fall in the fiscal year 1910, was $1,612.40. The cost of the messages examined for the months of September and October, 1910,. which fall in the fiscal year 1911, was $1,549.53, and the cost of the messages examined for August and September, 1911, which fall in the fiscal year 1912 was $1,007.93. The messages examined for the fiscal years 1910 and 1911 cost over 17 per cent of the total messages transmitted in each of those years. BUSINESS METHODS OF OFFICE OF THE ADJUTANT GENEEAL. 145 These messages were examined for the purpose of ascertaining whether the War Department codes had been used in transmitting messages which should be enciphered and for the purpose of ascer- taining the method used in enciphering messages. It was ascer- tained that a small number of messages were sent by The Adjutant General's Office in English which should have been sent in cipher. These messages were addressed to the commanding general at Hono- lulu and to military attaches. The cost of such messages sent in each month for which a critical examination was made is as follows : April, 1910 $9. 02 September, 1910 6. 05 October, 1910 19. 23 August, 1911 10.14 September, 1911 14.67 The cost of messages sent in English which should have been sent in cipher was slightly in excess of 1 per cent of the cost of all mes- sages which were critically examined. The cipher messages sent by The Adjutant General's Office con- tain code words from a War Department code, figure groups from a War Department code, together with a number of proper names and occasionally ordinary English words. No attempt has been made by this office to adopt any one of the many devices in common use for combining two code words into one compound artificial word of 10 letters or less. It is the common practice with commercial concerns, in the Bureau of Insular Affairs, in the Isthmian Canal Commission, and in the State Department to use a method of enciphering cable- grams which will permit of two code words being enciphered as one word. Such a method reduces the cable tolls by approximately 50 per cent over the method used in The Adjutant General's Office of placing the code words directly in the messages in the form in which the words appear in the code. The method of enciphering which has been used for several years in the Bureau of Insular Affairs and in the Isthmian Canal Commis- sion is wholly adapted to the use of The Adjutant General's Office. War Department codes are used in both the Bureau of Insular Affairs and the Canal Commission, so that the feasibility of applying the proposed method of enciphering to the War Department codes has been demonstrated by an experience extending over several years. The Bureau of Insular Affairs and the Canal Commission have re- duced their cable bills approximately 50 per cent through the adop- tion of their present method of enciphering cablegrams. This method involves a very slight amount of additional work on the part of the cipher clerks. -In their opinion it is possible to perform daily ap- proximately the same amount of work with their present method of enciphering as can be performed by the use of the War Department 72734°— H. Doc. 1252. 62-3 10 146 EEPOKTS OF COMMISSIOM" ON ECONOMY AND EFFICIEISTCY. code now followed by The Adjutant General's Office. The only- initial expense connected with the adoption 6i the proposed method of enciphering is the purchase of a rubber stamp and the clerical work of stamping- a small table on some of the pages in the War Department code. Unnecessary expense is now incurred by The Adjutant General's Office in giving the full title, initials, and street address of military attaches in a large number of the messages sent to them. By adopting the methods of enciphering cablegrams now used in the Bureau of Insular Affairs and the Isthmian Canal Commission, and by restricting the address of cablegrams to only necessary words, a saving in cablegrams of over 46 per cent of the total cost can be effected. The saving which could have been effected during the fiscal year 1910 by the use of an economical method of enciphering mes- sages and by omitting needless words from the address was $4,390, or approximately 48 per cent of the total cost for cablegrams. The corresponding saving for the fiscal year 1911 was $4,130 or approxi- mately 46 per cent of the total cable cost. These savings are com- puted on the basis of the savings which were ascertained by critical examination of the messages sent during April and May, 1910, and September and October, 1910. Applying the average saving for these periods to the cost of cablegrams for 1907, 1908, and 1909 shows an annual saving of $3,675, $4,406, and $3,838, respectively. The average annual saving for the years 1907 to 1911 is $4,088. In view of this large annual saving which can be effected at practically no initial cost and with no increase in clerical services, there seems to be no justification for The Adjutant General's Office to have con- tinued to expend approximately twice as much as it should for cablegrams. The continuance of the present method in The Adju- tant General's Office is all the more reprehensible because of the fact that the Bureau of Insular Affairs and the Isthmian Canal Commis- sion have been successfully using the more economical method and because of the further fact that some of the officials of The Adju- tant General's Office are acquainted with this economical method. A small saving in the clerical work now performed on enciphering and recording cablegrams could be effected by the adoption of the following suggestion: Instead of the clerical work of copying in longhand in a book all cablegrams dispatched, both as written and as coded, it is recommended that an additional carbon copy be made of cablegrams and translations now being made on Form A. G. O. 216, and that the carbon copy of code messages be taken to the telegraph office to be receipted, and that the carbon copy of the translation of cablegrams be sent to The Adjutant General's Office to be initialed by him. This extra carbon copy of Form A. G. O. 216 will serve as a substitute for the two books now kept, and, being made at the BUSINESS METHODS OF OFFICE OF THE ADJUTANT GENERAL. 14? time of writing original cable, will insure greater accuracy and save the time of the cable clerk to an appreciable extent. With respect to cablegrams received, it is the opinion of this com- mission that an additional carbon copy of Form A. G. O. 238 on which cables as translated are written will serve the purpose of the book record, will save the clerical work of writing in longhand, and insure greater accuracy. The carbon copies of translated cables sent and received, made on Forms A. G. O. 216 and 238, can be filed in chronological order, thus being kept in the same order as books for which they will be the substitute. These carbon copies, where a reply is expected, can be held in a " suspense " file pending same, after which they can be filed, as stated, chronologically. This fol- low-up method will be found more ef&cient and quicker for reference purposes than the method of referring back to consult messages in a book to see whether properly noted with date of reply. E. HIGH COST OF PREPARATION AND DISTRIBUTION OF CIRCULARS DE- SCRIPTIVE OF DESERTERS. The present practice of sending a descriptive circular for each man deserting from the Army to military posts, recruiting offices, chiefs of police, private detectives, and other persons has been ex- tended beyond all reasonable limits. By simply revising the mailing list so that it will include only the names of such persons as may be reasonably sure of being interested in the descriptive circulars, it will be possible to not only effect a very large saving but also to avoid sending circulars to persons having no use for them. The prepara- tion of a proper mailing list of names to which circulars should be sent would in many cases do away with the necessity of printing a description of the deserter and enable the office to use a form. In this form statements which are made with respect to each desertion should be printed and spaces should be provided for inserting the personal description of the individual soldier who is being circu- larized. This subject is discussed at length in the report on the Tenth Street branch contained in Section IV, and it therefore seems un- necessary to discuss the subject further in this part of the report. F. HIGH COST OF FURNISHING INFORMATION FROM OLD MILITARY RECORDS. One of the largest classes of work performed by The Adjutant General's Office is that of furnishing information from old military records, the largest number of requests for information being re- ceived from the Pension Office and the office of the Auditor for the 148 EEPOKTS OF COMMISSION ON ECONOMY AND EFFICIENCY. War Department. Five divisions of the office and parts of two other divisions are devoting their entire time to this work. These divi- sions, together with the number of clerks working on old records, are as follows: 1. Regimental Records Division 26 2. Arcliives Division 19 8. Medical Division 23 4. Tenth Street branch 9 5. Seventeenth Street branch 4 6. Examining section of the Mail and Record Division 5 7. A part of the Correspondence and Examining Division 13 The salaries paid to the employees of these divisions working on old records are $137,000. These divisions occupy approximately 80 rooms in the State, War, and Navy Building, the larger part of the old Ford's Theater Building on Tenth Street, the building at 610 Seventeenth Street, and a portion of the Army Medical Museum. The files of records and the furnishing of information will be dis- cussed with respect to the location of the files, the arrangement of records in the files, and the methods employed in furnishing informa- tion. Location. — A part of the military records, as distinguished from the medical records, of officers and men formerly in the military service are filed in the State, War, and Navy Building, a part in the Ford's Theater Building and a part in the building at 610 Seven- teenth Street. While it is realized that The Adjutant General's Of- fice is handicapped by the quarters provided for it, yet this can not be considered a satisfactory explanation of the fact that at the present time old military records which are seldom consulted (as a large part of those in the Archives Division and a part of those in the Regimental Records Division) are located in valuable space in the State, War, and Navy Building, while other records pertaining to current military affairs (as the identification records at the Tenth Street branch and the current medical records in the Army Medical Museum) are filed in buildings located at a distance from the State, War, and Navy Building. Furthermore, the arrangement of the file cases in the rooms of the State, War, and Navy Building is such that the space is only partially utilized. By a simple rearrangement of the filing cases and by building the cases higher, so as to contain 10 rows of boxes instead of 7 as at present time, it would be possible to place these file cases in very much less space than is now occupied. In the discussion of office quarters in a later section of this report the question of the location of these files is further discussed and a recommendation is made for the placing of all old military records in a fire-proof file building to be rented for that purpose. BUSINESS METHODS OP OFFICE OF THE ADJUTANT GENEKAL. 149 Arrangement of records. — The present arrangement of the records in the files is such that it is necessary to refer a case from one di- vision to another and in many instances from one biiihling to another in order to prepare a complete statement of the military and medical history of a former officer or enlisted man. For example, the military record cards for soldiers in the Civil War are filed in part in the Regimental Records Division in the State, War, and Navy Building and in part in the Tenth Street branch. These rec- ords are all of the same class and logically should be filed together. Under the present arrangement a request for record inf9rmation con- cerning a former officer or enlisted man is sent to the Regimental Records Division, and in a large number of cases (approximately 30,000 a year) the request must be referred to the Tenth Street branch for completion. The case is then referred back to the Regi- mental Records Division with such records as were found at the Tenth Street branch, and these records are then permanently filed in the Regimental Records Division. All the unnecessary work inci- dent to referring cases to the Tenth Street branch and returning them to the Regimental Records Division would be eliminated if the records were properly filed in one file in the Regimental Records Division. The medical records, as distinguished from the military records, are now filed in a separate division, part of which is located in the State, War, and Navy Building and part in the Army Medical Mu- seum. It is thus necessary in preparing a statement of military and medical history to refer the case for action to the Regimental Records Division, to the Tenth Street branch (in a large number of cases), to that part of the Medical Division in the State, War, and Navy Building, and, in many cases, to that part of the Medical Division in the Army Medical Museum. The separation of the. medical rec- ords from the military records is based upon the hypothesis that since the medical records pertain to a special subject they should be filed separately from other records concerning men in the Army. It is contended by the commission that this distinction is unnecessary since the two classes of records must be consulted in order to procure a complete statement of a man's service in the Army. The Adjutant General's Office has adopted the plan of filing in one file the military and medical cards for soldiers in the Spanish War and the Philip- pine insurrection. It fails, however, to take advantage of having the two classes of records in one file, as it now requires the medical cards to be withdrawn from this consolidated file and sent to the Medical Division for the preparation of that part of the statement of service pertaining to medical history. 150 EEPOETS OF COMMISSIOlSr ON ECOlSrOMY AND EFFICIENCY. By consolidating the records so as to bring together in one file all records pertaining to the service of one man a great saving in the clerical work of furnishing information from the records could be effected. This subject is discussed in detail for each of the divisions having the custody of old military records and it is therefore unnec- essary to go into further detail here. Methods of furnishing information. — The Adjutant General's Office has adopted the policy of assigning one case at a time to the clerk who is to handle it, in all cases classified as " regular corre- spondence cases." In handling the " statement of service cases '' several may be assigned to a clerk at one time, but this practice is not uniformly followed. The reason for the present method is to enable the office to keep track of each individual case, and to insure that no delay occurs in handling it. There is no question as to the desir- ability of conducting business promptly, but the policy of expediting action on cases has been carried to an absurd extreme in The Adju- tant General's Office. The result of the present method is to limit the number of cases which can be handled by a clerk in a day, as a large amount of time is lost in waiting for a case to be received for action. A much larger quantity of work could be accomplished in a day if the chief of each division assigned a number of cases to a clerk at one time, and if attention was given to planning the work, bO as to insure its completion without taking a large number of unneces- sary steps. The present method of assigning work to clerks search- ing the files is discussed at length in the report for the Regimental Kecords Division in Section IV. The information furnished from military records concerning the service of former officers and enlisted men is of such a nature and is so recorded that it is possible to state it satisfactorily and accurately on printed forms. Such forms are now used in furnishing informa- tion to the Pension Office and the Auditor for the War Department in the larger number of cases. There are, however, several classes of requests for statements of military service in connection with which printed forms are not now used, but in which they could be used to advantage, such as requests for statements concerning men who were in the Revolutionary War and War of 1812, and requests from Con- gressmen, associations, and societies concerning the service of men who were in the Civil War. A large saving of time and expense could be effected by extending the use of printed forms whenever practicable. G. DEFECTS IN METHODS OF ADMINISTRATIVE CONTROL. In the introductory part of this report attention was called in a general way to the practice of the office when an error occurs in connection with the clerical work. BUSIISrESS METHODS OP OFFICE OE THE ADJUTANT GENEEAL. 151 As an example of overelaboration in the matter of administrative control of the clerical force of the office, and what appears to be the unvarying policy to go into the utmost detail in all matters, regard- less of their importance or of the time or expense involved, it may be interesting to describe this procedure at some length. When a clerical error has been made the " errorist " is required to submit to the chief clerk of the office, througli the chief of his division, a full report in writing setting forth an explanation of the error. The nature of the error report and of the administrative practice in connection therewith will be disclosed by a perusal of the following forms and memoranda, which are self-explanatory. The Adjutant General's Office, 191-. Mr. : Referring to case No. , — , 191- in whicli , I am directed by The Adjutant General to request you to state {a) the cause of the apparent error; or, if the cause is not known, (6) the probable cause; or (c) a theory as to the cause. The purpose of investigating errors is to learn their specific cause or causes, with the view of adopting measures to reduce the possibility of their occurrence, or to entirely prevent them, according as such remedy may be found feasible. Having this end in view, you are also requested to {d) suggest a remedy for, or guard against, or means of prevention of, this kind of error. Per Respectfully returned . (A. G. 0.215) 60 C4 B2 03 A Adm. War Department, The Adjutant General's Office, Washington, April 22, 1909. Memorandum. Clause (d) of the printed request for explanation of error (form 215) asks for a suggestion of a remedy for, or guard against, or means of prevention of, the. kind of error under investigation. When the cause of the error under investigation is due to 1 inexperience, 2 or particular ignorance, 3 or misunderstanding, 4 or forgeifulness of a rule or of a principle, 5 or lack of adequate care, 6 or undue haste, 7 or insufficient attentiveness, 8 or neglect on the part of the explainer, the adoption and application of the remedy is solely within the power and con- trol of the explainer. In such event, and also in any event when the explainer of an error himself discovers or recognizes that a feasible and unobjectionable remedy is entirely 152 EBPOETS OF COMMISSIOISr ON ECOlSrOMy AND EFFICIENCY. witliiu his own control, the printed clause (d) of form 215 is obviously literally inadequate, and it should consequently be interpreted and answered as though it read as follows: "Having this end in view, you are also requested (d) to state, if practicable, a remedy for, or guard against, or means of prevention of this kind of error, and if the stated remedy is within your own- control you are requested to state (e) whether you have adopted it since the occurrence of this error, or (/) whether you have now determined to adopt it." Without this information the record of the investigation would be obviously incomplete. J. Fkech. (A. G. O. 105) 60 C4 B2 04 Adm. Wae Depaktment, The Adjutant General's Office, Washington, April 29, 19] 2. Memorandum, When a suggested feasible remedy, unobjectionable from an economical or other point of view, tending to minimize recurrence of a class of error is be- yond the control of the errorist, but is within the control or authority of his immediate official superior, or the chief of the relevant division, a statement should be added by the proper official superior showing whether or not the remedy has been adopted; because, without such statement, the record of the Investigation would be incomplete, in that it does not show whether the sug- gested remedy has been adopted, and therefore inquiry in this regard would need to be instituted, thus unnecessarily lengthening the record of the investi- gation. J. Feech, Chief Clerk. (A. G. O. 105) 60 C4 B2 A2 Adm. Wak Department, The Adjutant General's Office, Washington, May 16, 1910. Memorandum. List and exposition of some topics that it is useful for a chief of division to have in mind when weighing the question of propriety or completeness of an error report (submitted to him by an employee of his division) before forward- ing it as a satisfactory report. An error report that is — frank, complete, precise, relevant, explicit, material, adequately analytic, courteous, and accurate, is likery to be a proper and satisfactory report. BUSINESS METHODS OF OFFICE OF THE ADJUTANT GENERAL. 153 An ibiproper or defective error report by the errorist is probably either — (1) Insincere, i. e., it does not disclose some one or more known facts neces- sary to discuss the cause of the error, which facts are known only to the error- ist and are not stated or are distorted, by reason of a groundless fear that their admission may redound to the discredit of the errorist; or (2) Incomplete, by the omission of a statement regarding (a) the cause of the error, or (b) the cause of the nontimely discovery of having made the error, or (c) a suggestion of a feasible remedy tending to prevent recurrence of the species of error, if the remedy is beyond the control of the errorist, or (d) the adoption, or the determination to adopt, a remedy tending to prevent recur- rence, if the remedy is in the control of the errorist ; or (3) Unprecise in part, in that it contains one or more ambiguous material statements; or (4) Irrelevant in part, in that it contains some matter foreign to the known object of the request for the report ; or (5) Inexplicit, in that it implies the existence of certain material facts with- out assuming the responsibility of asserting the existence of those material facts ; or (6) Immaterial in part, in that it contains unimportant or platitudinous statements which simply waste the time and attention of the reader ; or (7) InsuflBciently analytic, in that the report does not indicate that any seri- ous or scientific study was given to the question of finding a cause or a rem- edy ; or (8) Discourteous, in that some statement in the report violates a principle of propel deference to an official superior or proper comity toward a coordinate employee; or (9) Inaccurate, in that the report states a possibility as though it were a probability or states a probability as though it were a certainty. J. Fbech, Chief Clerk. (A. G. O. 124) 85D3B2A2B Subject: Observance of comity towards coordinate employees and divisions. Wak Department, The Adjutant Geneeal's Office, Washington, May 11, 1910. Mr. , Mail and Record Division. Sir : Your statement in a report forming part of a written office discussion of the 10th instant, that " the Correspondence Division is apparently incapable of distinguishing between an institution known as the National Home for D. V. S. and an entirely different institution under the control of the U. S. Post Office Department and known as ' National Soldiers' Home Post Office ' " is a censorious criticism of the intellectual ability of the C. & E. Division. If that statement was permitted by me to remain in that written criticism it would imply that the M. & R. Division sanctioned that censorious criticism at least tacitly if not explicitly, and when it reached the C. & E. Division would properly by viewed by that division as a violation of official comity, thus tending to cause the uniformly harmonious relations existing between the two (iivisions to be strained or disrupted, because it would be but natural for a division so treated to feel a desire to retaliate. 154 EEPOETS OF COMMISSION 01^ ECONOMY AND EFFICIENCY. I have advertently used the phrase tending to cause, because it is very prob- able that the C & E. Division under the M^ell-known existing practice of the office in dealing with questions of violations of comity, would i-eport the offensive language to superior authority, and undoubtedly thus obtain, in a proper manner, satisfactory redress for the injury, because it would then undoubtedly become necessary for the M. & R. Division respectfully to make satisfactory amends for its unauthorized expression of censure. It is fair to assume that when j^ou wrote the statement regarding a coordinate division of the office you were not aware of the fact that it is a censorious criticism, it being written in the heaA^y pressure of business customary at your desk. Following is a copy of the memorandum, by the chief clerk of the office dated September 22, 1909, which is relevant to this question : 1. A censorious criticism of an act of a division, a section, or an employee, comes properly only from an official superior of that division, section, or em- ployee, because no other than such superior is vested with authority or has jurisdiction over the official acts of that division, section, or employee, or is empowered to regulate those acts. 2. A censorious criticism by any division or section or employee that is coordinate with the division or section or employee that is censured, is a violation of that species of courtesy known as comity (courtesy between coordi- nates or between persons independent of each other). 3. An act that is a violation of the principle of comity is an encroachment on the independence of the person against whom the act is aimed, and is properly and likely to be viewed by him as an attempt to inflict an indignity upon him, such act being in effect an attack upon his dignity. 4. When an act that is a violation of comity is not premeditated, and not deliberate, this fact can not be easily determined by the person against whom it is directed, because nothing but particular ignorance or forgetfulness on the part of the actor would cause him to so commit it ; and as particular ignorance and forgetfulness can be easily simulated, the person aggrieved has no certain guide to the motive for the action until, if ever, he has a favorable opportunity to ask the necessary questions. 5. Consequently, it is important for one to become adequately conversant with the principle of comity, otherwise one may frequently give offense unwit- tingly, and not always find opportunity to explain that it was due to particular ignorance or forgetfulness and not to design. Following are some relevant extracts from record of prior investi- gations of other cases : (October 1, 1904.) 6. As the two divisions are coordinate, and as consequently neither is the subordinate of the other, this makes the censorious judgment by the one divi- sion on the other division an extra-jurisdictional one. 7. The principle of comity forbids the expressing by one division of censure on another division, they being coordinates. 8. The expressing, by one in the office, of censure on a division of the office, is only properly done authoritatively by one having authority over the division. 9. The object of the principle of comity between coordinate divisions is to create and preserve the harmony that ought always to exist between them. BUSINESS METHODS OF OFFICE OF THE ADJUTANT GENEEAL. 155 March 19, 190G. 10. The language which Mr. A admits he used towards Mr. B is cast in words unmistakably implying official authority to give * * * deserved reproof or censure. 11. As Mr. A is not an official superior to Mr. B, the use of the admitted language constitutes assumption of undelegated authority over a coordinate employee, the exercise of which in an office is subversive of the good order and discipline of the office, being a violation of the principle of comity. 12. Words having the form of * * * a reproof uttered by one not author- ized to administer that reproof are in the nature, and are likely to have the effect, of insolence towards the person addressed. 13. It is conceded that Mr. A did not with deliberation intend to assume undelegated authority, and that he did not mean to be discourteous, and that his assumption and discourtesy are due to mere impulsiveness ; but this very fact that he does not realize sometimes, as in the present instance, that he does assume undelegated authority and is discourteous in fact makes the habit a d.ifficult one to cure. The following extract from a work entitled Innes' Human Nature contains some relevant principles which it is deemed useful to quote here: 14. Language may sometimes be used injuriously, in a great measure, through inadvertence, where there was no deliberate bad design. In such a case I have known persons apt to be offended at being reproved for such language merely because they were conscious of no bad intention. This, however, was highly unreasonable. Actions must be judged of by their obvious nature and tendency, and not merely by their alleged design. 15. In this case the want of bad intentions does not prevent the language used from being injurious. The following extract is from Jeven (Morality, Vol. II, p. 280) : 16. Owing to partial or particular ignorance of duty, men do in all sincerity acts to others that are in the eyes of all better instructed persons real wrongs, The following extract is from Kerl (Composition, 211) : 17. When you are in doubt as to the propriety of writing something, experi- ence will teach you that it is nearly always better to omit it altogether. It is often better to say not enough than to say too much. If you are excited, it is better to defer writing until you are cool. Feeling may pass away, but the ink remains ; and this may set you in a ridiculous light afterwards. It is best to be temperate in all things ; but sometimes it is best to be polite even when justice and your feelings prompt you to be otherwise. Discretion will carry a person farther in this world than genius. Indeed, if a word, once uttered, flies irrevocably, surely no one can be too careful about what he says in ink. In short, let nothing in your letters be in bad taste, and always pre- serve your temper, your presence of mind, your self-respect, and your dignity. 18. If the liability to violate comity is so great, and if violation of comity is so grave an offense, it may well be asked what can or ought to be done by a division or a section or an employee (say A) v<^ithout risking a violation of comity, when (A) thinks that some mode or procedure of any other coordinate division or section or employee (say B) avoidably and unfavorably affects the work or proper convenience of A — that is, what can properly be done by A so as to tend to bring about the seemingly needed change in the procedure of B. 156 RBPOBTS OF COMMISSION ON ECONOMY AND EFFICIENCY. 19. When a division or section or employee (say A) tliinks tliat some mode of procedure of some other coordinate division or section or employee (say B) avoidably and unfavorably affects the work or the proper convenience of A, and therefore thinks that some step ought to be taken tending to cause a seemingly desirable change in that mode of procedure of B, then A has the choice of at least tvpo alternative courses, neither of vphich involves a violation of comity. 20. The first pourse is, let A properly (i. e., without expressing censorious comment) represent to B the basal facts constituting the conceived evil, and with commendable diffidence or modesty add, if possible, a suggestion of what A deems to be a feasible remedy. 21. If this method is for some reason not feasible, or if this method fails, the other course is, let A properly (i. e., without expressing censorious comment) report to A's immediate official superior the basal facts constituting the con- ceived evil, and add, if possible, a suggestion of what A deems to be a feasible remedy. 22. Each of these two methods is consistent with the principles of comity (courtesy between coordinates). 23. In paragraph 8 of War Department Rules and Regulations of May 8, 1898, it is prescribed that "A courteous demeanor must be maintained toward all persons." 24. The notion courtesy is a genus comprising three species, viz, comity (or courtesy between coordinates) ; deference (or courtesy from subordinate to superordinate, or inferior to superior, or employee to employer, and the like), and graciousness or condescension (courtesy from superordinate to subordinate). 25. Careful reflection should enable any intelligent person to judge from his own observation and experience that each of these three species of courtesy is distinct from the other two. It is advised that you carefully study the principles stated in the foregoing memorandum. A copy of this communication has been kept in order that you can retain this communication for your information and guidance in future. Very respectfully, T. C. Oaemick, Chief, M. & R. Division. The foregoing copy of a communication containing some extracts from other sources, addressed to an employee of the M. & R. Division of this office by the chief of that division, embodies statements of some ethical principles relating to the questions of exercise of courtesy and of violation of courtesy by one division or section or employee toward another division or section or employee, neither of whom is vested with official authority over the other, and who may consequently, from one point of view, be viewed as being coordinate with each other. As explained in the communication, the species of courtesy to which it relates is designated by the term comity. It is desired that the chief of each of the other divisions of this office care- fully read the communication and weigh each of the principles or general propositions stated in it, regardless of the source, and state whether in his opinion every one of these principles or general propositions is deemed by him to be sound and useful, or if one or more are deemed by him to be unsound or not useful that he state the reason why he thinks so. J. Feech, Chief Clerk. May 14, 1910. 1 have thoughtfully read the communication from the Chief of the M. & R. Division and fully concur in the principles set forth therein. Their application BTJSIISrESS METHODS OF OFFICE OF THE ADJUTANT GENEKAL. 157 and practice in tlie transaction of business between coordinate divisions or sections or employees would doubtless secure beneficial results by promoting harmony, good will, and a clear understanding among all concerned. J. W. KiRKLEY. I have carefully read the communication from the Chief of the M. & R. Division and am of opinion that the principles or general propositions stated therein are all sound and useful. C. W. Shelton. The foregoing communication has been carefully read and the principles or general propositions therein set forth are deemed sound, useful, and practi- cable. They meet my favorable commendation and will doubtless prove very beneficial in their application to the work of the office. J. Wm. Palmer, I have very carefully read the foregoing communication from the Chief of the M. & R. Division, and am of the opinion that every principle set forth therein is sound and useful. If human nature were so molded as instinctively or readily to see and adapt itself to those principles of comity, all unpleasant differences likely to arise between coordinates in a great official family like the A. G. O. would be harmonized by this application of the golden rule — " Do unto others as you would be done by " — which is the key to the principles cited in the communication from Mr. Carmick. R. W. Kerb, The foregoing communication of the Chief of the Mail and Record Division has been read. I am of the opinion that all of the principles set forth are sound and useful, F. H. Stafford, I have carefully read the foregoing communication with much interest and find the principle enunciated therein to be sound and useful and will prove beneficial to all concerned. F. B. Heitman, I concur with Mr. Heitman. H. W. KOHB, I have read the foregoing copy of communication of May 11 from the Chief of the M, & R. Division. I am of the opinion that all of the principles therein announced are sound and useful, H. C. Wood. The foregoing communication has been read by me with interest, weighing carefully each of the principles or general propositions stated therein. It appears to me that there can be no question that each of these principles or propositions is sound, and that the practical application of them will be very useful in any public office. R. McDonald. I have carefully read the foregoing communication, and fully concur in the several opinions stated hereon that the principles set forth are all sound and useful. J. N. Manning. I have carefully read the foregoing communication from the Chief of the Mail and Record Division and in my opinion the principles or general proposi^ 158 KEPOETS OF COMMISSION" ON ECONOMY AND EFFICIENCY. tions stated therein are sound and useful. I heartily concur in the views ex- pressed by Mr. Kerr regarding the same. H. A. Johnson. I have carefully read the communication and in my opinion every one of those principles or general propositions is sound and useful. W. E. Hakley. I have carefully read the clear statement of principles and general proposi- tions set forth in the foregoing communication. A practical application of the principles enunciated and general propositions advanced, together with the line of action suggested, will insure harmonious relations, efficient service, and the conduct of official business upon the high plane of properly recognized duty and responsibility. O. B. Brown. The foregoing communication of the Chief of the M. & R. Division has been carefully read. I am of the opinion that all the principles set forth therein are sound and useful. J. B. Morton. I have read carefully the statement of principles contained in this corre- spondence. In my opinion those principles are both sound and useful. R. J. Donnelly. The foregoing communication of the Chief of the Mail and Record Division has been carefully read, and in my opinion the principles set forth therein are sound and useful. Claude R. Zappone. 3. UNNECESSARY WORK PERFORMED. At the present time The Adjutant General's Office is performing {a) several classes of work which it is believed could be performed more advantageously and more economically elsewhere and which should be transferred from the office; and (6) several other classes of work for which there does not appear to be sufficient justification and which should be discontinued. Work to he transferred. — The work of the first type consists of— 1. Printing, now done at the Tenth Street branch. 2. Binding, now done at the Seventeenth Street branch. B. Manufacture of index cards and mail jackets, now done at the Seventeenth Street branch. 4. Manufacture of filing equipment and repair of equipment, now done at the Seventeenth Street branch. As at present conducted, each of these classes of work is performed by expensive hand methods, owing to the lack of proper equipment and plant. Moreover, the printing is of inferior quality, largely be- cause the type and equipment are antiquated and nearly worn out. A further disadvantage is found in the slowness with which the work is performed. Detailed discussions of the disadvantages of the present attempt to conduct these classes of work, together with recommendations and estimates of possible savings, are given in Section IV in the reports for those divisions of the office performing the work. BUSINESS METHODS OF OFFICE OF THE ADJUTANT GENEEAL. 159 Work to he discontinued. — The work of the second type, namely, that which does not appear to be justified, consists of — 1. Preparation of a new edition of an index to general orders for the years 1861 to 1880, now being- conducted by the publication branch. 2. Preparation of a report on the organization and casualties of the Union and Confederate Armies. A new edition of an index to general orders for the years 1861 to 1880 is, in the opinion of the commission, wholly unnecessary. In- quiries made at several offices where such an index might be needed tend to prove that another index is unnecessary. The general orders for each year have been bound and indexed, and in addition a con- solidated index for the period 1861 to 1880 was published several years ago. These two complete indexes serve every need, and no justification for spending approximately $14,000 in preparing another edition of the consolidated index has been found. A detailed con- sideration of this subject is presented in Section IV, The Adjutant General's Office has not shown any adequate authority for undertaking a work of such magnitude as the prepara- tion of a report on the organization and casualties of the Union and Confederate Armies. This work is far from being completed and will cost many thousands of dollars to finish. It is considered very important that the question of its completion be referred to the Sec- retary of War for action. For a further discussion, see Section IV. 4. UNSUITABLE CONDITION AND LOCATION OF OFFICE QUARTERS. As previously explained this report was originally planned to be limited to office methods. As the inquiry proceeded, however, it was found that the work of the office was being carried on in several buildings which are not only in bad condition but are ill suited to the purpose. It seemed desirable, therefore, to extend the inquiry so as to include the location of and the office space occupied by The Adjutant General's Office. The quarters occupied are the following: ■ («) State, War, and Navy Building (in part). (5) Ford's Theater Building and Annex, 509 to 515 Tenth Street NW. (c) Building at 610 Seventeenth Street NW. {d) Building at 1712 G Street NW. (e) Army Medical Museum (in part). In reporting upon the condition of these buildings consideration is given to the following subjects : {a) Location and adaptability for use. (5) Condition of the buildings from the standpoint of fire risks. (c) Condition of electric wiring. 160 EEPOETS OP COMMISSIOlSr ON ECONOMY AND EFFICIENCY. {d) General sanitary condition. {e) Condition of plumbing fixtures. (/) Lighting system. In order that the report might be prepared by men having a tech- nical knowledge of the subjects, the commission requested the Com- missioners of the District of Columbia to detail inspectors to visit the buildings listed. In accordance with this request the District commissioners detailed the fire marshal, the assistant electrical engi- neer, and inspector from the office of the health officer of the District, and the inspector of plumbing. The report on lighting was prepared by an expert detailed to the commission from the Post Office Depart- ment. The subject of location is discussed in one section of this report, in which consideration is given to the five buildings occupied by The Adjutant General's Office and to the relation of these buildings to the other buildings occupied for office purposes by the War Department. The other subjects of inquiry concerning office quarters are considered in connection with each of the four buildings, other than the State, War, and Navy Building, occupied by The Adjutant General's Ofiice. Location. — At the present time The Adjutant General's Office is lo- ' cated in the following buildings : State, War, and Navy Building. Old Ford's Theater Building and Annex, 509 to 515 Tenth Street . NW. Building at 610 Seventeenth Street NW. Building at 1712 G Street NW. Army Medical Museum. The divisions which are located in the State, War, and Navy Build- ing are widely scattered and are not located to good advantage. In this building 181 rooms are used by The Adjutant General's Ofiice, of which number 103 rooms are used for quartering the administrative and current work divisions of the office, and 78 rooms are used for fil- ing old records and archives. Administrative and cun-'ent work divisions. — The consolidation of the administrative and current work divisions which has been pro- posed will facilitate the moving of divisions to better locations and considerably relieve the congestion which now exists. It will also per- mit location of the new Enlisted Men's Division and new Officers' Division in close proximity to the Mail and Record Division. The best arrangement, in our opinion, to facilitate the work of these di- visions would be to place the new Ofiicers' Division on one side of the Mail and Record Division and the new Enlisted Men's Division on the other. It has already been recommended that the personal files of the Mail and Record Division be divided into two sections ; those con- taining the personal papers of officers and those containing the cor- respondence in relation to enlisted men, so that the file in relation to BUSINESS METHODS OF OFFICE OF THE ADJUTAXT GENEKAL. 161 enlisted men shall be on that side of the Mail and Record Division nearest to the new Enlisted Men's Division and the officers' record nearest to the Officers' Division. These offices, it is believed, could be arranged on one side of the corridor and be fronted by the new Cor- respondence Division, composed of the present Correspondence and Examining and Miscellaneous Divisions and the Administration Division, to which the Orders Division is recommended to be trans- ferred. A logical arrangement of these divisions, such as is recom- mended, would eliminate a great deal of the long-distance messenger services, make the files much more accessible than they are now, and so group offices which are in constant contact with each other as to greatly reduce the large amount of interdivisional correspondence which is now had between these offices. Archives. — In some instances the records in the custody of a divi- sion are widely scattered, the most conspicuous case of this kind being the Archives Division, which occupies rooms in the subbase- ment, basement, fourth floor, fifth floor, and attic. The following table shows the number of rooms utilized in the State, War, and Navy Building and in other buildings occupied by The Adjutant General's Office for filing old records, the number of such rooms which are suitable for office use, the area (square feet) of rooms and of space occupied by files, the number of employees working on records, and the approximate number of times per year which the old records are consulted for the purpose of furnishing information therefrom : Offices and rooms of The Adiutant Oeneral's Office, War Department. Number of rooms. Area of rooms. Floor space occu- pied by- Num- ber of em- ploy- ees. Num- ber of searches Buildings. Suit- Total, able for offices. 1 Suit- able for files. File cases.i Open shelves .2 made in files annu- ally. State, War, and Navy: Regimental Records 40 33 4 1 36 13 4 1 4 20 Sq.ft. 21,293 19,289 2,660 584 Sq.ft. 4,873 1,850 534 80 Sq.ft. 238 877 8 26 19 13 5 90 412 Archives 18,000 10 800 Medical Examining section, Mail and Records Division 2 000 Tenth Street branch 78 39 4 34 54 24 43,816 9,650 11,950 5,516 7,337 2,500 60 1,000 1,123 63 13 3 14 121,212 45,905 1 500 Army Medical Museum 3 1 687 Seventeenth Street branch 500 95 57 25 70,932 10,897 1,810 93 169,117 1 Computed on basis of shelving built 12 feet high and with 18 inches space between shelves. 2 Computed on basis of 84 drawers to a case occupj'ing floor space of 6§ square feet to a case. 3 Not suitable for offices or files. 72734°— H. Doc. 1252. 62-3 11 162 KEPORTS OP COMMISSIOK OX ECONOMY AND EFFICIENCY. The above table shows that 78 rooms in the State, War, and Navy Building are used for filing old records of volunteers and of dis- continued military organizations. The result of using such a large amount of valuable space in the State, War, and Navy Building for filing these old records has been to prevent the housing in this build- ing of bureaus and offices of the War Department which are con- ducting business connected with current military affairs. The filing of old records in this building has also forced some of the offices and bureaus which are located in this building to occupy rooms ill adapted to their needs, has prevented a logical arrangement of the rooms used by a single office or bureau, and has caused overcrowding. In many instances the rooms assigned to an office or bureau are widely separated, thus greatly inconveniencing the conduct of the work of the department. The Navy Department, as well as some bureaus in the War Department, are in urgent need of more space in the State, War, and Navy Building, some bureaus being crowded to such an extent that it is difficult to conduct current business advantageously. Not only are valuable office rooms in the State, War, and Navy Building used for filing old records, but in a large number of rooms on the fourth floor, occupied by the Eegimental Records Division, the arrangement of file cases is such as to waste a large amount of floor space. These file cases contain the military-record cards for volunteer troops in the Revolutionary War, Indian Wars, War with Mexico, and Civil War. A standard file case containing seven rows of file boxes is used for filing these record cards. The case, includ- ing the ornamental top, is 8 feet 6 inches high, but the upper tier of file boxes is sufficiently low for a man of average height to reach it while standing on the floor. The cases are arranged in the rooms so as to allow a large amount of space in the aisles between the cases and so as to provide excellent natural light to reach each file case. The aisle space between cases will average not less than G feet in width. As is shown in the table above referred to, 36 rooms in this division are well suited for use as office rooms, each having excellent natural light and being well situated. The character of the rooms, together with the arrangement of the filing equipment, suggests a private library rather than files of old war records. In fact, these military-record cards of volunteer troops in the Civil War and earlier wars are in all probability occupying more expensive space than is occupied by any large governmental file or library in Washington. Taking into consideration the value of land, the cost of the construction of the building, and the need for space, it may be stated that these old records are occupying much more costly space than is used for filing books in the Library of Congress. BUSINESS METHODS OF OFFICE OF THE ADJUTANT GENERAL. 163 Of the 14 buildings in Washington outside of the State, War, and Navy Building occupied by the War Department for office pur- poses, only two can be considered as at all well adapted to the pur- poses for which used. The remaining 12 buildings are in some cases unsafe from the standpoint of fire risk and from the stand- point of sanitary condition. Moreover, these buildings are widely separated, thus materially interfering with the prompt and efficient conduct of business. A table showing the office buildings in Wash- ington other than the State, War, and Navy Building and the Navy Annex occupied by the War and Navy Departments, together with the office occupying them, the space and number of employees in each building, the purpose for which the building is used, and the annual rental are given in the following table : Location of build- ings. Name of ofBce occupying. For what purpose used. Annual rental. Floor area. Floor area oc- cupied by files or special equip- ment. Num- ber of em- ployees. WAR DEPAETMENT. 609 and 511 Tenth Street NW. 1725 F Street NW... Adjutant General's Of- fice. War Department print- ing oflice. Adjutant General's Of- fice, Medical Division. Ordnance Department Oflice, printing, files, etc. Printing plant Oflices and store- rooms. ... do . 0) 0) (1) 3 $720 1,500 2,000 8,680 800 1,500 2,100 2,500 2,500 7,200 Sq.ft. 26,952 3,179 11,950 7,256 4,168 3,240 2 2,500 144 24 7th and B Streets SW. Rear Winder Build- 747 500 151 250 10 4 ing. 1800 F Street NW... Bureau of Insular Af- fairs. do Offices 26 920-922 E Street NW Storage records Army Medical Dis- pensary. Medical School Publication branch. Office and carpen- ter shop. Office and test room. Offices 1720 H Street NW... Surgeon General's Oflice. Army Medical School . . . Adjutant General's Of- fice. do 7 721 13th Street NW.. 15,270 1,828 5,516 4,627 6,772 5,599 24,280 22 1712 G Street NW... 14 610 17th Street NW.. 1,000 161 530 154 1,034 14 1710-1712 Pennsyl- vania Avenue. 532 17th Street N W . 29 Depot quartermaster Militia Affairs 55 702 17th Street NW . . do 33 1729 New York Ave- War Department, Sup- plyDivision,Post Pay- master, Quartermas- ter, Public Buildings and Grounds, Com- mission of Fine Arts, Signal Ofa.ce, and Ad- jutant General's Oflice. do 86 nue NW. Total 29,500 120,637 7,020 468 1 Owned by Government. 2 Files only. 8 This building is owned by the Government and the rent is paid to the Treasury Department. 164 EEPOKTS OF COMMISSION ON ECONOMY AND EFFICIENCY. Location of build- ings. Name of office occupying. For what purpose used. Annual rental. Floor area. Floor area oc- cupied by files or special equip- ment. Num- ber of em- ployees. NAVY DEPARTMENT. Woodward Build- DisbmsLng Ofiice Navy Pay Office Office 1,200 1,500 1,296 2,702 Sq.ft. 840 1,036 1,005 2,009 47 78 147 152 7 ing, 15th and H Streets NW. Do do 8 Union Trust Build- Navy Allotment Office. . do 9 ing, 15th and H Streets NW. Southern Building, Paymaster, Marine Corps. do 21 15thandH Streets NW. Total 6,698 4,890 424 45 It is very important that a complete rearrangement of the offices and bureaus of the War Department should be made at the expiration of the present fiscal year when the leases for the buildings enumerated in the above list will expire. Those offices and bureaus the work of which is connected with current military affairs should be located in the State, War, and Navy Building. Moreover, the offices and bureaus should be so placed in that building as to facilitate the work of each office and to facilitate the cooperation of the several offices and bureaus. A proper arrangement will correct the present condi- tions under which the rooms occupied by a single office are widely scattered. All the old military records in The Adjutant General's Office, to- gether with the employees having the custody of and working on these records, should be transferred from the State, War, and Navy Building to a modern fireproof structure suitable for filing such records. Old military records now filed in the Ford's Theater Build- ing, Army Medical Museum, and Seventeenth Street branch of The Adjutant General's Office should also be transferred to the building referred to in the preceding sentence. Such a transfer would bring together in one building all old records which are now scattered throughout the State, War, and Navy Building and other buildings. It will then be possible to rearrange the files, consolidating into one file such papers as logically belong together but which in some cases are now divided into several separate files. The transfer of the old military records from the State, War, and Navy Building will make available sufficient space in that building for the accommodation of those offices of the War and Navy Departments now located in rented quarters but which should be housed in the State, War, and Navy BUSINESS METHODS OF OFFICE OF THE ADJUTANT GENEEAL. 165 Building and will also make available sufficient space for the proper accommodation of those offices in both the War and Navy Depart- ments which are now overcrowded. The following table shows the area of floor space in the State, War, and Navy Building which will be vacated by the proposed location of old military records in a new file building, the amount of such space suitable for office use, and the amount of space needed for accommodating those offices of the War Department located outside of the State, War, and Navy Building but which should be transferred to that building: Floor area avilable in the State, War, and Navy Building. Name of office or division. Regimental records, Adjutant General's Office Archives, Adjutant General's Office Medical, Adjutant General's Office Examining section, Adjutant General's Office (Mail and Record Division) Space available for office purposes. 19, 133 3,951 2,650 584 26,318 Space available for filing purposes. 2,160 15,338 17,498 Floor area required in the State, War, and Navy Department Building to accom- modate offices and hureaiis now located in other buildings. Name of office or bureau. Floor area required for office purposes. Floor area required for files or storage. Bureau of Insular Affairs Publication branch. Adjutant General's Office. Identity section. Adjutant General's Office Signal Corps Depot quartermaster Militia affairs LEMON BUILDING. War Department, Supply Division PubUc Buildings and Grounds Quartermaster General Post paymaster Adjutant General's Office Signal Corps Commission on Fine Arts Commission on Confederate Soldiers' Graves 2,555 700 2,300 5,330 4,501 2,493 2,315 4,934 2,983 367 367 28,845 2,327 1,190 427 4, 225 802 1,974 1,475 350 12,770 See note attached. It has been ascertained that a modern fireproof structure suitable for the safe housing of all the old military records in The Adjutant General's Office and suitable for the accommodation of the employees 166 EEPORTS OF COMMISSIOlSr ON ECONOMY AND EFFICIENCY. who must work upon those records can be rented for not to exceed 25 cents per square foot of available floor area. The actual floor space now occupied for filing these old records is approximately 12,800 square feet, as has already been shown. As has been stated, there is a considerable waste of space in the present method of filing records, so that an estimate based upon the present space occupied would not only provide for the proper housing of all these records, but would also provide a considerable amount of additional space. A computation based upon 25 cents per square foot and upon the floor area now used for filing these old records, with an allowance for working space equivalent to twice the area covered by files, indi- cates that the annual rental of a building suitable for the proper housing of these records would be approximately $10,000 a year. From a table given above, it is seen that the present rental of the inadequate and scattered office buildings now being used by the War Department is $29,500. It is thus seen that some of the old ill-adapted buildings now used can be given up and the offices located in these buildings transferred to the State, War, and Navy Building, where they can be better accommodated than at present, and that all military records can be better filed than at present, with a probable decrease in rental cost for the department as a whole. The initial cost of putting these recommendations into effect would not exceed $10,000. This estimate is based upon figures furnished to the commission by a transfer company which has prepared its esti- mate upon figures furnished to it by the commission. ford's theatek building and annex. Fire risks.— ^\\e, Tenth Street branch of The Adjutant General'-i Office occupies the old Ford Theater Building, together with an old brick building immediately south thereof known as the "Annex." These buildings are connected by doorways cut through the party walls. In the Ford's Theater Building a large quantity of com- bustible matter is stored on the first floor. The second and third floors are occupied by clerks, and on these floors is stored a consid- erable quantity of combustible matter, including a large number of photographic films, which are highly inflammable. In the opinion of the fire marshal it would be difficult for the clerks on the second and third floors to escape in case of fire. The attic is constructed of wood, and if it caught on fire the fire would spread quickly all through the building. The electric wiring in this building is in bad condition and is liable to cause a fire at any time. The protection against fire and the equipment provided for fighting fire consist of (a) a fire hose which, upon inspection, was found to be leaky and which throws a stream of water insufficient to reach from one end BUSINESS METHODS OF OFFICE OF THE ADJUTANT GENEEAL. 167 of the building to the other; (h) hand grenades of an old type and, in the opinion of the fire marshal, of little value in fighting fire; and (c) a fire escape, access to which is difficult because the windows lead- ing thereto are high and partly obstructed by radiators placed in front of them. The report of the fire marshal is summarized in the statement that the building is, " in my opinion, unfit and unsafe for its present use, and should be torn down and a modem fireproof building provided." Electric wiring. — The report of the electrical engineer detailed to the commission is summarized as follows : The defects therein (that is, in the electric wiring) are too nuuierons to men- tion in detail, but the general conditions may be summed up as follows: There is a large amount of open wiring; there are wires run in wooden molding, long and dangerous cord extensions, open fuse devices, bare wires, circuits very much overloaded and overfused, and many other defects. Were such condi- tions as exist in this building found in any private building in the District of Columbia, the entire insulation would be condemned as defective and dangerous. Inspection hy health oiflce. — The inspector detailed by the health officer summarizes his report as follows : The stairways and landings were unclean and dusty. * * * ^he structural condition of this building is not good, and it is maintained in an unclean condi- tion. In my judgment, the building is inadequately ventilated and is not sup- plied with sufficient natural light. I again call attention to the fact that men are employed at printing presses located in a toilet room, and that without proper ventilation. The toilet room referred to in the preceding sentence is located on the first floor of the old Ford Theater Building and is occupied by the printing section. Five employees are regularly employed in this room, which contains three water-closets, four washbowls and a slop sink. The floor around the closet bowls is covered with sheet iron which, at the time of inspection, was in foul condition. The room is lighted during working hours by artificial means and is not ade- quately ventilated. The statement of the fact that five employees are regularly working in a 4:oilet room is a sufficient criticism of this deplorable condition. Condition of drinking water. — The commission requested the Bu- reau of Chemistry to make a bacteriological examination of the drink- ing water contained in the water coolers in the Tenth Street branch. Samples of water from the hydrant were also examined. The Bureau of Chemistry reported as follows: The results of the examination show the water coolers in the chief clerk's office (i. e., office of clerk in charge of Tenth Street branch) and the rear cooler on the second floor to be badly contaminated from filth. The cooler in the photo- graphic room is also of a suspicious nature. All of the waste cans show decided filth. In no case do any of the coolers show as good results as did either the hydrant water or the ice used in the coolers. 168 EEPOKTS OF COMMISSION ON ECONOMY AND EFFICIENCY, . Plumbing. — The report of the inspector of plumbing is summarized as follows: On account of the several openings directly between the soil lines and the interior of the building a peppermint or smolie test would be of little value. These openings permit sewer air to enter the building freely at all times, and inasmuch as evidence indicates that the main soil stacli is partially obstructed at the foot, it is believed more or less sewer air is forced into the various rooms every time a large fixture is discharged. The long runs of waste pipe between the fixtures and the traps have large fouling surfaces and can not be considered sanitary. Straight-hopper closets or washout closets, the latrine method of connecting up batteries of closets, horn-vented fixtures, the discharging of fixture waste over a cesspool trap, etc., are not considered sanitary and would not be allowed by the District of Columbia regulations. If this building was the property of an individual and complaint was made to the District authorities, notice would be served upon the owner requiring a more or less complete remod- eling and the replacing of these obsolete fixtures with fixtures of approved type. The toilet rooms in this building have wood floors and wooden water-closet inclosures, which should not be allowed in a public building where many persons are employed. The number of fixtures is ample for the number of employees. Lighting system. — The building is lighted by a plant located in the basement of the Ford's Theater Building and operated by The Adjutant General's OflSce. The equipment consists of two high-pres- sure boilers, an engine and generator, and one obsolete type of belt- driven unit. The switchboard is equipped with both modern and obsolete instruments which do not give correct readings. The amme- ter at 160 amperes showed excessive heat and the dial was discolored and charred. The lamps are of an old style and the majority of them give insufficient light. The cost to The Adjutant General's Office for generating light is between 9 and 10 cents per kilowatt hour, while the cost per kilowatt hour of current furnished by the electric-light company is 6 cents. Unnecessary expense is incurred at this branch through burning a large number of lamps when the light is not needed. A section of one floor containing hatracks is lighted by' 16 lamps, which burn con- tinuously, although these hatracks are visited only three times daily and frequently are supplied with adequate natural light. The commission arranged for the temporary installation of new lights in one section of the second floor. A 250-watt lamp was placed in the center of four rectangular spaces, these lamps taking the place of thirty-two 16-candlepower lamps. A similar installation on the whole of this floor would result in a reduction in current of 821 watts and in an increase in light of 400 candlepower. It is thus seen that with a proper lighting system a considerable saving in cost could be effected, while at the same time proper and sufficient light could be furnished. The conditions in this building may be summarized as follows : It is unsafe from the standpoint of fire risks, the electric wiring is not BUSINESS METHODS OF OFFICE OF TUE ADJUTANT GENERAL. 169 properly protected, the sanitary condition is bad, the plumbing fix- tures are in bad repair and allow sewer gas to constantly escape into the building, and the lighting is inadequate and unnecessarily expensive. Building at 610 Seventeenth Street NW. — This building is a five- story brick structure of old design and is occupied by the Seventeenth Street branch of The Adjutant General's Office, comprising the following sections : {a) Files of Confederate prisoner-of-war records and of duplicate military records. (5) Binding section. (c) Section repairing mutilated documents. {d) Carpenter shop. The condition of the building as reported by the inspectors is de- scribed in full in Section IV of this report and may be here sum- marized as follows: 1. The protection against fire is inadequate. There are no fire escapes and the stairways are of wooden construction. The use of gas between files of combustible records and papers is dangerous. In order to insure proper protection from fire, two 3-gallon fire extin- guishers should be provided for each floor. 2. The electric wiring and equipment are not properly protected. The District of Columbia inspector found it necessary to make 18 specific recommendations for the removal of present dangerous conditions. Most of the recommendations pertain to the motors and equipment in the carpenter shop. 3. General sanitary condition was reported as fair, with the excep- tion of some of the toilets, which were reported by both the inspector from the health department and the plumbing inspector as being in an insanitary condition. The plumbing fixtures are of an old type and in bad condition, and, in the opinion of the plumbing inspector, " the plumbing work in this building should be entirely remodeled."- Building at 1112 G Street NW. — This building is a three-story brick dwelling house. It is occupied by the publication branch of The Adjutant General's Office, which consists of a clerical force of about 16 employees. The condition of the building as reported by the inspectors is stated in detail in Section IV of this report, and may be here sum- marized as follows: 1. The building is not properly protected against fire. 2. There is only a limited amount of electric wiring in the building and a minor recommendation only was made concerning it. 3. The sanitary condition is bad. The inspector found drinking water in corroded metal coolers, the walls and ceiling dusty, the fixtures in the toilet rooms in a foul condition, and a basement toilet with a broken bowl, causing the floor to be in a filthy condition. SECTION IV. Criticisms and Constructive Recommendations with Respect to THE Work of Each Division of the Office. In Section III attention has been given to the general conditions which are thought to be adverse to doing the work of the office of The Adjutant General at Washington with greatest economy and efficiency, and to constructive suggestions which go to this more gen- eral aspect of the subject of this report. The purpose of Section IV is to consider each of the operating subdivisions and point out wherein it is thought improvement may be made in the particular work carried on there. The method of presentation is first to state the conclusions of the commission in form of specific recommenda- tions, then to give the reasons for making them. administration division.' In another part of this report the transfer to this division of the present Distribution and Orders Divisions and parts of the work of the publication branch and Regimental Records Division is recom- mended and discussed in detail. Summary of recommendations. — It is recommended: 1. That the present elaborate method of investigating errors and breaches of discipline be changed to a more simple and direct one. 2. That the supervision in this division of the preparation and distribution of descriptive circulars of deserters from the Army be . discontinued. 3. That the conduct in this division of correspondence connected with the personal-identification system be discontinued. 4. That the salary of the chief clerk of the office be $2,500 per annum. 5. That on completion of the reorganization of The Adjutant General's Office, in accordance with the recommendations contained in Section III of this report, the subclerical force be reduced 50 per cent. With the adoption of the foregoing recommendations the present force of 11 clerical and 98 subclerical employees, with salaries aggre- gating $91,170 per annum, can be reduced to 11 clerks and 55 subcleri- cal employees, with a total annual salary expense of $60,420, thereby saving $30,750 per annum. 170 BUSINESS METHODS OF OFFICE OF THE ADJUTANT GENERAL. 171 1. That the present elaborate method of investigating errors and breaches of discipline be changed to a more simple and direct one. The present method of investigating errors and breaches of dis- cipline on the part of employees is not only elaborate, but so extremely analytical as to obscure the primary purpose of the investigation. When clerical errors are made, employees are requested to state "(a) the cause of the apparent error, or, if the cause is not known, {b) the probable cause, or {c) a theory as to the cause," and also to "(c?) suggest a remedy for, or guard against, or means of prevention of this kind of error." This last clause, (<^), is followed by a request that, if the stated remedy is within the employee's own control, he state {e) whether he has adopted it since the occurrence of the error, or (/) whether he has now determined to adopt it. Not only does this method tend to obscure the primary purpose of the investigation, but retards the development of an esprit de corps so desirable in an office as large as The Adjutant General's. An illustration of this phase of admin- istrative policy has been given at length in Section III of this report. That a more simple method should be adopted, which will not only require less time on the part of employees and their official superiors but will promote the spirit of cooperation, is recommended. 2. That the supervision in this division of the preparation and dis- tribution of descriptive circulars of deserters from the Army be discontinued. Some years ago, when the practice was commenced of advertising deserters from the Army by the distribution of descriptive circulars. The Adjutant General ordered that " proof " of the circulars pass over his desk for approval. This was done for the purpose of keep- ing in touch with the new method. The order was never rescinded, although there are now very few of the cases that are put on the desk of The Adjutant General. Supervision over the preparation of de- scriptive circulars is now exercised in the identity section, and any work in this connection repeated in the Administration Division is an unnecessary duplication and should be discontinued. 3. That the conduct in this division of correspondence connected with the personal identification system^ be discontinued. As all work connected with the identification records is now per- formed in the identity section, it seems more logical for the corre- spondence in connection with them to be conducted there. 172 REPORTS OF COMMISSION Ois' ECONOMY AND EFFICIENCY. 4. That the salary of the chief clerk of the office he made $2^500 per annum. The salary of the chief clerk of this office is $2,000. Many chiefs of divisions of The Adjutant General's Office are receiving $2,000. as are also two employees in the Administration Division. The chief clerks of some other Government offices with smaller forces and less difficult work are receiving more than $2,000. The Adjutant Gen- eral's Office is by far the largest of the offices in the War Department, having about 610 employees. It is believed that the chief clerk of this office, having great responsibility, should receive at least $2,500 per annum. 5. That^ on completion of the I'eorg animation of The Adjutant Gen- eraVs Office in accordance with the recomTne'ndations contained in Section III of this report, the subclerical force he reduced 50 per cent. The messenger force of The Adjutant General's Office is at present assigned to three classes of work, namely, the "five-minute mail route " service, the special or room service, and the general or mis- cellaneous service. There are 12 messengers assigned to the " five- minute mail route " service, and until the several divisions of the office can be so grouped that the route will be shortened we do not recommend a reduction in this force. Forty-seven messengers are engaged in the special or room service, of whom seven are assigned to The Adjutant General and his assist- ants and 40 to the divisions. This large force is unnecessary and will be especially so after the reorganization of the office has been effected. The Adjutant General has four assistants, and one mes- senger for each officer should be sufficient. There are now 18 divi- sions in the office and under the reorganization there will be 8. By assigning three messengers to the proposed Administration Division, three to the Mail and Kecord Division, and one each to the other six divisions it is believed that adequate service will be provided. The performance of char work by the messenger force will be discussed in a report in course of preparation, which will contain recommendations affecting all offices and bureaus located in the State, War, and Navy Building. The general or miscellaneous messenger service performs such vari- ous functions as assisting the skilled mechanic, repairing typewriters and operating the addressograph, and substituting for mail route or room messengers who may be on leave or sick. Eight messengers and five watchmen are at present assigned to this work. An allow- ance of six substitutes for the 29 mail route and room messengers recommended is ample provision for absences caused by sick and ordinary leave. BUSINESS METHODS OF OFFICE OF THE ADJUTANT GENERAL. 173 As it has been recommended that the work of the skilled meclianie be transferred, there will be need for but two other messengers for this class or group, namely, one messenger to repair typewriters and operate the addressograph and one assistant messenger to do the printing to be transferred from the Regimental Records Division. The advisability of this large reduction will be apparent when it is remembered that 22 messengers are now required to do the work of those divisions and branches which are scattered. With the con- solidation of files and related work the messenger work will be re- duced 50 per cent. Four employees are assigned to duty as watchmen, of whom one is an assistant messenger and three regularly designated watchmen. Three are at the Tenth Street branch, and one at the Seventeenth Street branch, who also cares for the building at 1710 Gr Street NW. Five to be assigned to the proposed new file building are all that will be necessary on the reorganization of the office. As the adoption of our recommendations will involve an extensive rearrangement of the files and furniture, the present force of labor- ers, 17, will doubtless be needed to effect the change. However, the final requirements of the office will permit of a material reduc- tion from the present force. , Three for the proposed file building and six for the State, War, and Navy Building should be ample. The present force at the Tenth Street branch buildings, consisting of an engineer, assistant engineer, and two firemen, can be trans- ferred to the proposed file building, maintaining the present salary expense for this work. Savings. — The following table shows the present organization and salary roll of the division with the subclerical force divided according to the classes of work to which that force is assigned : CLERICAL FORCE. 1 Chief clerk $2,000 2 chiefs of divisions 4,000 4 clerks, class 4 7, 200 3 clerks, class 3 4,800 1 clerk, class 2 1,400 11 Total 19,400 STJBCLEEiqAI' FOKCE. Messengers : " Five-minute mail service " — 1 messenger $840 10 assistant messengers ($720) 7,200 1 messenger boy 360 12 Total $8,400 174 EEPOKTS OF COMMISSION ON ECONOMY AND EFFICIENCY. Messengers — Continued. Special messenger service — Officers— 3 messengers (840) $2,520 4 assistant messengers ($720) 2,880 7 Total $5,400 Divisions — 4 messengers ($840) 3,360 36 assistant messengers ($720) 25,920 40 Total 29,280 General messenger service — 7 assistant messengers ($720) 5,040 1 messenger assisting skilled mechanic. 840 1 messenger repairing typewriters 840 9 Total 6,720 68 Grand total for messenger force $49, 800 Miscellaneous : 1 engineer and superintendent 1, 650 1 assistant messenger 900 2 firemen ($720) 1,440 1 skilled mechanic 1,000 8 v^^atchmen ($720) 5,760 17 laborers ($660) 11,220 30 Total 21,970 98 Grand total for subclerical force $71, 770 Total salary expense for division 91, 170 Note. — One assistant messenger is assigned as watchman at the Seventeenth Street building and five watchmen are assigned to duty as assistant messengers. With the adoption of our recommendations the force necessary for this division will be as follows : CLERICAL FOECE. 1 chief clerk $2, 500 2 chiefs of division as assistants 4, 000 4 clerks, class 4 7,200 3 clerks, class 3 4,800 1 clerk, class 2 1,400 11 Total 19,900 SUBCLEEICAL FOBCE. Messengers : " Five-minute mail service " — 1 messenger $840 10 assistant messengers ($720) 7,200 1 messenger boy 360 12 Total $8, 400 BUSINESS METHODS OF OFFICE OF THE ADJUTANT GENERAL. 175 Messengers — Continued. Special messenger service — Officers — 2 messengers ($840) $1,680 3 assistant messengers ($720) 2,160 5 Total $3,840 Divisions — • 5 messengers ($840) 4,200 7 assistant messengers ($720) 5,040 12 Total 9, 240 General messenger service — 8 assistant messengers ($720) 5,760 37 Grand total for messenger force $27, 240 Miscellaneous : 1 engineer 1,400 1 assistant engineer 900 2 firemen ($720) 1,440 5 watchmen ($720) 3,600 9 laborers ($660) 5,940 18 Total 13,280 55 Grand total for snbclerical force $40,520 Total salary expense for division 60,420 This is a reduction in the subclerical force of 43 persons and in the salary cost for the whole division of $30,750. Methods of keeping time^ records and of preparing pay rolls. — ^The commission is preparing a general report on the subject of time rec- ords and pay rolls for the consideration of all departments. The re- port will probably be completed in about one month after this report is submitted, and will contain suggested forms for the keeping of time records and preparation of pay rolls, together with recommenda- tions on the .method of filing. PUBLICATION BRANCH. Summary of recommendations. — 1. That the building now occupied by the branch be vacated upon the expiration of the present lease. 2. That the present organization be discontinued. 3. That the work of furnishing information from the " Official Rec- ords of the Union and Confederate Armies " be transferred to the Archives Division. 4. That the work of completing the publication of the " Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies " be transferred to the Archives Division. 5. That the file of ordnance reports for the period 1861-1863, con- sisting of 80 volumes of original records, be transferred to the Archives Division. 176 EEPOETS OF COMMISSION ON ECONOMY AND EFFICIENCY. 6. That the work of verifying inscriptions for memorials be trans- ferred to the Archives Division, 7. That the question of completing the compilation of the report showing the geographical and tactical organization, engagements^, and casualties of the Union and Confederate Armies be referred to the ' Secretary of War for decision. 8. That if the work described in the foregoing recommendation is to be continued it be transferred to the Archives Division and that a sufficient force be assigned to it to insure its completion within a rea- sonable period of time. 9. That the work of compiling a subject index of War Department general orders and circulars from 1860 to 1880 be discontinued at once. 10. That proof reader be transferred to the Administration Divi- sion and given charge of all proof reading for The Adjutant Gen- eral's Office. With the adoption of the foregoing recommendations, the present force of employees will be available for assignment to other work, with the exception of the proof reader and of the force engaged on the work described in recommendations Nos. 7 and 8, if that work is to be continued. The present force on the latter class of work is equivalent to the full time of five clerks with a total annual salary expense of $7,400. This amount added to the salary of the proof reader, $1,400, makes a total of $8,800, which will be required after the adoption of the recommendations. A saving of $14,000 is thus effected. The annual rental of the building is $800 and the cost of fuel ap- proximately $150, the total of which can be saved and made available for meeting a part of the expense of the new file building. 1. It is recommended thai the building now occupied by the branch be vacated at the expiration of the present lease. The publication branch is located in a building at 1712 G Street NW. This building has three stories and basement, contains nine rooms, and is an old dwelling house. The annual rental for this building is $800, and it is believed that buildings in the immediate neighborhood, of the same size and architecture and in as good con- dition, could be rented for approximately $500 per annum. An annual lease is taken for this building. The office quarters are considered with respect to the following subjects : {a) Fire risks. {b) Electric wiring. {c) General sanitary condition. BUSINESS METHODS OF OFFICE OF THE ADJUTANT GENEEAL. 177 {d) Plumbing. (e) Lighting. (/) Heating. Fire risks. — The general engineer headquarters of the fire depart- ment, in accordance with the request of the commission, detailed Mr. P. W. Nicholson, fire marshal, to inspect these premises. The fire marshal found this building constructed of combustible material ; the first and second floors occupied by a clerical force with the usual amount of wooden office furniture, wood office cases and paper records all of combustible material ; a portion of the basement used for the storage of firewood; an open wood stairway from the first to the third floor, and that the building was not properly pro- tected against fire. The report of the fire marshal is appended. October 12, 1912. Mr. Frank J. Wagner, Chief Engineer, District of Columbia Fire Department. Sir : lu conformity with the order of the Commissioners of the District of Columbia, and in compliance with the request of Mr. M. O. Chance, secretary of the Px'esident's" Commission on Economy and Efficiency, accompanied by Mr. W. H. Fowle, a representative of the commission, I have the honor to report that I visited and made an examination of premises 1712 G Street NW., occupied by the Publication Division of The Adjutant General's Office, and found it to be a three-story brick building formerly occupied as a dwelling and built of combustible material ; the first, second, and third floors are occupied by the clerical force, which consis s of about 14 persons (male and female), with the usual amount of wood office furniture, wood file cases, and paper rec- ords, all of which are of combustible material, the basement, a portion of which is used for the storage of firewood and heating plant. There is an open wood stairway from first to third floors, also a rear stairway extending from first to second floors which is also of wood construction. In fact, the two stair- ways are practically together. On each floor there is a fire ax and three hand grenades, which are unreliable. The building is not properly protected. There should be at least one 3-gallon fire extinguisher on each floor and one in basement. As a matter of fact, this is an old building formerly used as a dwelling, and taking into consideration the number of people employed here the rooms are entirely too small. The ventilation and sanitary conditions are, in my opinion, poor. Therefore I consider that this building is not adapted for office purposes and should be abandoned, and a building of modern fireproof construction be provided and metal filing cabinets provided. Very respectfully, P. W. Nicholson, Fire Marshal. Wiring. — -In compliance with a request of the commission, the electrical equipment of this building was inspected by an engineer of the office of the electrical department. Engineer Commissioner of the District of Columbia. His report is as follows : The wires in this building are for bells, telephones, and fire-alarm box only. As to the fire-alarm box, the only modification recommended is that the cable running to this box be placed in rigid conduit. If this is desired, please notify 72734°— H. Doc. 1252, 62-3 12 178 REPOKTS OF COMMISSION" ON BCON"OMY AND EFFICIENCY, the electrical engineer, District of Columbia, in order lliat arrangjements may be made for clianges or repairs. No further report is made on the equipment in this building, as this depart- ment has no regulations governing the other installations. The bells, includ- ing fire-alarm gongs, are under the control of the building department, District of Columbia. Sanitary condition. — The commission called upon the Commis- sioners of the District of Columbia and requested that they detail a sanitary inspector to make a report of the conditions of these premises. He found several of the rooms to be unclean, the drinking- water contained in corroded metal coolers, and the cooler stand to be very unclean. He further found the woodwork of the building to be dusty; the bowl in one of the closets to be corroded, unclean, and very foul; the water-closet bowl in the basement broken, and the floor filthy; the bathtub and stationary washstand in an insanitary condition ;• and the drainage in the areaway bad. In the rear of the basement a water-closet was found with the bowl broken in half, and as no flush tank was provided the odor was very bad. The detail report of the sanitary inspector is appended hereto. October 29, 1912. William C. Woodward, M. D., Health Officer, District of ColiimMa. Sir; I have the honor to present the following special report relative to the inspection of premises 1712 G Street NW., known as the G Street branch of The Adjutant General's Office, War Department. This is a semidetached three-story and basement, bay-window brick build- ing of the ordinary dwelling design, and is provided with natural light on the north, west, and east. It is heated by means of a hot-air furnace, latrobes, kitchen range, gas stove, and open grates, which apparently afford adequate facilities: There are a sufficient number of windows and doors (such as are found in ordinary dwellings) to give proper light and ventilation. It is artificially lighted by gas, some of the fixtures of which are in need of repair. Separate and sufficient water-closet facilities are provided for the male and female employees. There is no crowded condition as regards employees in any room of the building. Third floor. — The only room on this floor occupied regularly was found to be unclean, as was also the hallway. The drinking water, in which ice is used, is contained in a corroded metal cooler. The stand upon which it rested was unclean, as was also the bucket which receives the waste water. This condition relative to drinking water and appliances, existed, though in, a less degree, throughout the building. Second floor. — The woodwork was dusty as was also the records. The toilet room ori this floor contains a water-closet, stationaiy washstand, and an old- style boxed bathtub. The fixtures were in fair condition with exception of the bowl, which was corroded, discolored, and unclean. The ceiling paper in this room was also discolored, evidently caused by previous dampness. First floor. — The walls and ceiling of the rooms on this fioor were generally unclean, occasioned by the presence of dust and cobwebs. The wall paper in BUSINESS METHODS OF OFFICE OF THE ADJUTANT GENEEAL. 179 the hall is toru at places and contained dust. In the toilet room on this floor the water-closet, bowl, and marble base were foul. Basement. — In places the wainscoting and floor showed a condition of dry rot. The front room, used for storing firewood, etc., is unclean and in dis- order. The walls of the hallway were dusty and the paper torn. The kitchen floor under the sink was dilapidated. The pantry floor, walls, and ceiling were unclean. The bowl of the water-closet in the basement was broken, and the floor was in filthy condition. The bathtub and stationary washstand are wood, incased, and in an in- sanitary condition. Yard and areaway. — The tops to the cesspools in the front and side area- ways are broken. The yard and side areaway surface drainage is bad. The rear yard at a point drains directly against the wall of the building, and the paving of the side areaway at places is broken and contains depressions. The building as a whole, from a sanitary viewpoint, is maintained in poor condition. Date of inspection, October 10. 1912. J. Frank Butts, Sanitary Inspector. Plumbing. — At the request of the commission the District Commis- sioners detailed the inspector of plumbing to make a report on the conditions of the plumbing in this building, which is appended hereto. [Memorandum of inspection of plumbing in the G Street branch of The Adjutant General's Office, 1712 G street NW.j Third floor.— Sinls. O. K. Second floor. — Copper-lined bathtub, cracked siphon jet water-closet bowl, marble wash basin. Fi7'st floor. — Wash down water-closet bowl in old pantry, which is broken and leaky ; very dirty marble floor slab under same. Basement. — Cocks over wash trays and sink leaking. Broken cesspool in rear area. Two-piece iron and china hopper in outside closet badly broken. In front of basement unused copper-lined bathtub and marble basin inclosed in wood- work. Front area cesspool broken. Peppermint test. — O. K. General. — All vents low, so that they can be used as waste in case main soil or waste line becomes obstructed. All unused fixtures should be removed and outlets properly sealed, and fix- tures in use should be cleaned and repaired where necessary. Lighting. — The natural light in this building is limited and the artificial light inadequate. The building is at present lighted by gas, the jets are of an old design, poorly distributed, and in most instances arranged in chandeliers in the center of the room. The cost of gas is included in the rent. Heating. — This building is heated primarily by furnace, augmented by latrobe, open fire grate, kitchen stove, and a small gas stove. The heating arrangement is expensive and unsatisfactory. The registers are small and one room, 18 feet by 12 feet, has only one small register placed in the wall 5 feet from the floor. In answer to questions asked by representatives of the commission, it was ascertained that coal 180 KEPOETS OF COMMISSIOlSr ON ECOITOMY AND EFFICIENCY. gas frequently escapes into the rooms occupied by the employees. Although this building is not occupied at night, a fire has to be kept during cold winter nights in the kitchen stove and latrobe, in addition to the furnace, in order to keep the water pipes from freezing. An average of 17 tons of coal and 6 cords of wood are consumed per annum in heating this building. ■ 2. // is Teconnmended that the present organization he discontinued. The work for which this branch was originally organized has been largely completed. As a result, the branch is now engaged upon a number of distinct and unrelated undertakings which apparently have been given to this branch in order to maintain it as a separate organi- zation. These several undertakings logically belong in other divisions of The Adjutant General's Office. In the following detailed criticisms and suggestions definite recommendations are made for the transfer of each of several undertakings to its proper division in The Adjutant General's Office. The adoption of these recommendations Avill abolish the publication branch as a distinct unit of organization, and will effect a saving in the administrative and overhead costs of this branch. Such saving should equal at least the full time of the clerk in charge and would be approximately $1,800 per annum. 3. It is recommended tJiat the work of furnishing information from the " Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies " be transferred to the Archives Division. The publication branch reported that one of its classes of work is answering, by reference to the publication entitled " Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies," inquiries calling for historical and statistical data concerning the Civil War. The Archives Division is engaged in the same class of work and the inquiries answered by the latter division frequently require a reference to be made to the " Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies." Of the communications which are assigned to the Publication Division, ap- proximately 75 per cent require reference not only to the published records but also to the original records in the custody of the Archives Division, and to a small extent to those in the Regimental Records Division or some other division of The Adjutant General's Office. In these latter cases the publication branch furnishes such information as can be procured from the published records and then refers the case to the Archives or other appropriate division for a search of original records. In these cases it is seen that an unnecessary handling of the case is made since information from the published records can be sup- plied by the Archives Division as well as most of the information re- BUSINESS METHODS OP OFFICE OF THE ADJUTANT GENERAL. 181 quired from the original records. It is wholly unnecessary and is a loss of time to have two divisions furnishing data from the same pub- lication and in essentially the same class of cases. The work of furnishing historical data logically belongs in the Archives Division where the larger part of such information must be procured. It is recommended that such work now performed in the publication branch be transferred to the Archives Division. The transfer of this work to the Archives Division will not make it nec- essary to increase the force employed in that division. As has been pointed out in the critical report of the Archives Division, the num- ber of employees in that division is kept sufficiently large to handle promptly the largest day's work, so that there is a large amount of lost time during the greater portion of the year. The number of cases referred to the publication branch for the preparation of historical or statistical reports is comparatively small, there being only 360 cases of all classes received in this division per annum. 4. It is recommended that the work of completing the publication of '■'Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies " he transferred' to the Archives Division. The publication branch reported that it is engaged upon complet- ing two unpublished volumes of the " Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies." Upon inquiry it is found that the orig- inal intention was to publish two volumes in addition to those already published. It was designed that any material which should be dis- covered subsequent to the publication of the report could be incorpo- rated in these two volumes. No work is being done toward the com- pilation of these volumes other than holding such material as has been collected since the publication of the official records and the adding to that material any other which may come to the attention of the officials or employees of The Adjutant General's Office. No research work is being done in order to collect material for these volumes and to complete their compilation. Inasmuch as the com- pilation of historical data is closely related to the work now per- formed by the Archives Division, it is recommended that this work be transferred to that division. The transfer of this work to the Archives Division will not make it necessary to increase the force employed in that division. 5. It is recommended that the file of ordnance reports he transferred to the Archives Divisio7i. It was ascertained that the publication branch is also making use of some orio'inal militarv records in its custodv for answerina: re- 182 EEPOKTS OF COMMISSION ON ECONOMY AND EPPICIENCY. quests for information. These original records consist of 80 vol- umes of ordnance reports for the period 1861 to 1863. The balance of these reports are filed, with all similar records, in the Archives Di- vision in the State, War, and Navy Building. No reason could be given for filing this small number of original reports in the publica- tion branch instead of in the Archives Division, where they properly belong. As has already been stated in the general comments on this branch, the building is far from being fireproof, and no original or other valuable records should be filed in it. Because the building is not fireproof, any records which might be borrowed hj the publi- cation branch from the State, War, and Navy Building for use in connection with its business must be returned at the close of business each day. The inconsistency of compelling the return each day of records temporarily borrowed from the State, War, and Navy Build- ing and of keeping permanently in the publication branch some original records is unexplainable. It is recommended that these 80 volumes be transferred to the Archives Division. 6. It is recommended that the %oork of verifying inscriptions for memorials he transferred to the Archives Division. The publication branch reports that one of its classes of work is the verification of the text of all inscriptions for monuments, tablets, or other memorials to military commands or individuals to be placed in national military parks. The draft of the proposed inscription is referred to this branch for verification from the Mail and Record Division. In 90 per cent of these cases the proposed inscription can be verified by reference to the published " Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies." In the remaining 10 per cent of the cases it is necessary to call upon the Archives or some other divi- sion of The Adjutant General's Office for additional information. This work is of the same nature as that already considered in the section dealing with furnishing information from " Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies." It is a loss of time to refer communications of this nature to the publication branch, especially when they require reference to the Archives Division or any other division for supplemental informa- tion. There is a loss to the office in having a single class of work, such as furnishing information of historical nature, divided up illogi- cally among several divisions. This work properly belongs in the Archives Division and it is therefore recommended that it be trans- ferred to that division. The transfer of this work to the Archives Division will not make it necessary to increase the force employed in that division. BUSINESS METHODS OF OFFICE OF THE ADJUTANT GENERAL. 183 7. It is recoTnmended that the question of completing the compilation of the report showing the geographical and technical organiza- tion, engagements, and casualties of the Union and Confederate Armies he referred to the Secretary of War and that some (defi- nite policy as to this work te adopted. At the time of the preparation of this report two men were as- signed to the work of compiling the report, showing the organization, engagements, and casualties of the Union and Confederate Armies. One of these men receives a salary of $1,800, and his principal duty, as explained to us, is making arrangements for the borrowing of original Confederate records in the possession of individuals. The other clerk engaged upon this work receives $1,600 a year. These two men are old and somewhat enfeebled, so that they are able to make very little progress in their work. At former periods a larger part of the publication branch has been engaged in the preparation of this report. The clerk in charge reported that the annual salary cost of this work during 1912 was as follows : 1 clerk of class 4; full time $1,800 1 clerk of class 4; 10 per cent of time 180 1 clerk of class 4; 25 per cent of time 450 1 clerk of class 3; full time 1,600 4 clerks of class 2 ; 25 per cent of time 1, 400 1 clerk of class 1; 20 per cent of time 240 1 clerk of class 1 ; 50 per cent of time 600 4 clerks of class 1; 25 per cent of time 1.200 Total 7,470 The work has not yet progressed sufficiently for the publication branch to make any estimate as to the time required for its comple- tion. The work of compiling this report appears to be considered of small importance, and as now administered it consists of merely a nominal assignment of work to two superannuated employees. In reply to an inquiry as to the authority for this work, the fol- lowing statement was furnished by the chief clerk of The Adjutant General's Office : No record of authority for tlie preparation of the compilation showing the geographical and tactical organization, engagements, and casualties of the Union and Confederate Armies has been found. The former chief of the publi- cation branch died January 3, 1912. It is understood that samples of the pro- posed work were submitted to the Secretary of War about 1901 by the Chief of the Record and Pension Office, and that the Secretary of War authorized the preparation of the compilation. This is a wholly unsatisfactory statement of authority for the performance of so extensive and expensive piece of work. Further- more, it is noted that "'samples of proposed work were submitted to 184 EEPOKTS OF COMMISSION ON" ECONOMY AND EPPICIENCY, the Secretary of War about 1901 by the Chief of the Record and Pension Office, and that the Secretary of War authorized the prepa- lation of the compilation," while the actual work of compilation was not commenced until five years later, or 1906, as reported to us. It is recommended that the question of completing this work be referred to the Secretary of War and that some definite policy as to this work be adopted. If the work is worth doing, it is suggested that definite arrangements be made for its completion within a reasonable time. If the work is not worth completing, it should be laid aside and the two men now on it assigned to other work. 8. It is recommended that, if the work descHbed in the foregoing recommendation is to be continued, it be transferred to the Archives Division and that a sufficient force be assigned to it as ii'lll insure its completion within a reasonable period of time. If this work is continued, it is recommended that it be transferred to the Archives Division and that such number of employees be assigned to this work as will be able to complete it within a reason- able length of time. It is necessary that several of these employees have had experience in handling and searching original War De- jiartment records, so that they may have the knowledge necessary for the proper direction of the work. A large part of the work could be performed to advantage by young clerks receiving salaries of $900 to $1,200. Such clerks could perform this work in a satisfac- tory manner and in much more rapid time than it could be done by the older employees of The Adjutant General's Office receiving higher salaries. The employees assigned to this work should be organized into a distinct section of the Archives Division. 9. It is recommended that the work of compiling a subject index of War Department general orders and circulars be discontinued (it once. The principal work of the publication branch at the present time is the compilation of the subject index of War Department general orders and circulars from 1860 to 1911. As has been stated in the descriptive report, the index for the period 1881 to 1911 has been completed, so that the work now in progress covers the period from 1860 to 1880. The purpose of the subject index has been stated in the following language by the chief clerk of The Adjutant General's Office: Witli respect to the purpose and use of the subject index, it may be stated that it is much needed in aid of current administratiive and other worli of the offices and persons supplied with it. as it enables one to find readily and BUBIXESS METHODS OF OFFICE OF THE ADJUTANT GEISTEEAL. 185 qnick'Jy all orders and circulars issued within the period involved and per- taining to any particular subject, so that those orders and circulars may be consulted in the consideration of the subject without requiring the laborious and time-consuming work of searching the separate indexes of the many volumes of orders and circulars issued within that period. In other words, it serves the same purpose for all the volumes that the index of any one volume serves for that particular volume. That part of the index which covers the period from 1881 to 1911 has been printed in an edition of 2,500 volumes, which have been distributed as follows: OtBce Secretary of War 5 Office Chief of Staff 10 Inspector General's Office 5 Judge Advocate General's Office 10 Quartermaster General's Office 100 Commissary General's Office 100 Surgeon General's Office 60 Paymaster General's Office 70 Office of Chief of Ordnance 70 Chief Signal Office 15 Coast Artillery j 5 Army War College 30 Bureau of Insular Affairs , 5 Division of Militia Affairs 5 Philippines Division 300 Eastern Division , 320 Western Division 310 Central Division 300 Executive departments : State 3 Treasury--, 5 Navy 10 Interior 3 Post Office 3 Agriculture ^ 2 Commerce and Labor . 3 Justice : 3 Library of Congress 3 Senate Library 1 House Library 1 War Department Library 2 Auditor for War Department 5 Senate Committee on Military Affairs 2 House Committee on Military Affairs : 2 Tota:i 1, 768 Leaving on hand 732 While this subject index may be of value to The Adjutant General's Offi:'t. to the Chief of Staff's Office, and several other offices in the War Department and to the commanding officers of the several divi- 186 REPORTS OF COMMISSiOlN 01^ EOOKOMY AND EFFICIENCY. sicus of the i^rmy, it is of little or no value to many of the offices and departments to which copies have been sent. Inquiries made at some of these offices disclosed the fact that the index was not used at all, and a search Avas required in order to locate the copies which had been furnished by The Adjutant General's Office, but which had been laid away as being of no use. The general orders and circulars for each year in the period 1860 to 1911 have been bound, so as to bring together in one volume the orders and circulars for a single year. Each of these volumes is thoroughly indexed so as to show the names of the officers and men and the subjects referred to in the orders and circulars. Further- more, a consolidated index for the period from January 1, 1809, to December 31, 1860, was published by The Adjutant General's Office in 1886; a consolidated index for the period from January 1, 1861, to December 31, 1880^ was published by the same office in 1882 ; and a consolidated index for the period January 1, 1881, to December 31, 1900, was published by the same office in 1901. It is thus seen that the preparation of an index for the period 1860 to 1880 is a duplica- tion of work and that the preparation of a consolidated index from 1881 to 1911 is a duplication of work so far as the years 1881 to 1900 are concerned. Moreover, the preparation of any consolidated index is a duplication of work, inasmuch as the orders for any one year are thoroughly indexed. Investigation into the use made of indexes to general orders and circulars has developed the fact that there are so few instances in which a consolidated index is of value to the War Department, Auditor for the War Department's office, and other offices making references to general orders and circulars that there is no justification for incurring the heavy expense necessary to prepare a new edition of a consolidated index for the period 1860 to 1911. The indexes to the orders and circulars issued each year, together with the consoli- dated index which was published by The Adjutant General's Office in 1882, are without any question wholly adequate for the period 1860 to 1900. It has been reported by the clerk in charge of the publication . branch that the clerical cost of preparing the index for the period 1860 to 1880 is approximately $11,500. It is probable that the actual cost of clerical work is considerably in excess of this amount. The work on the index was commenced in April, 1912, and it is esti- mated that it will be completed in April or May, 1913. The clerks who are engaged in the preparation of this index, their salaries, and the amount of their salaries chargeable to the compilation of this index, as estimated by the clerk in charge of the publication branch, are as follows: BUSINESS METHODS OF OFFICE OF THE ADJUTANT GEISTEEAL. 187 Name of employee. Salary. Salary charge- able to prepara- tion of index. E.A. Woodward J. S. McCoy George W. Cox Robert A. Kantz Wm. R.Lee John N. Bovee Watson B. Mundelle Roy Zapf Mrs. Emma Leckie Miss Caroline L. Harrold Miss Juha P. Humphrey Miss Mary F. Guss Miss Francis O. Smalley. $1,800 1,800 1,400 1,400 1,400 1,400 1,200 1,200 1,200 1,200 1,200 1,200 1,200 $1,530 1, 350 350 l-;050 490' 1,050 90a 480 900 780 90a 780- goo- 11,460 The cost of printing the consolidated index for the period 1860 to 1880 will be approximately $3,211, which was the cost of printing the similar index for the period 1881 to 1911. In view of the facts that the general orders and circulars for each year are thoroughly indexed, that a consolidated index has already been prepared for the period 1860 to 1880, and that there is only a small need for a consolidated index, it is recommended that this work of preparing a revised edition of the consolidated index be discon- tinued at once. Since the clerical work on the index is only about one-half completed, the discontinuance of this work at this time will effect a saving of over $5,000 in salaries. Furthermore, there will be a saving of approximately $3,200 to be gained from eliminating the printing of the proposed index upon which the publication branch is now working. Since it has been recommended to discontinue the work upon the consolidated index for 1860 to 1880, it is unnecessary to make any recommendations as to improved work methods which might be adopted in connection with the conduct of this work. It might be pointed out, however, that this work of indexing general orders logi- cally belonged in the Orders Division, which is engaged in indexing current Army orders. Moreover, a criticism might be made of the method employed in preparing the material for the index. The pres- ent method involves unnecessary work in that hand-written and type- written lists of the material to be included in the index are prepared. By modifying the present method of revising the entries on the slips it would be possible to omit the preparation of the hand-written list and to prepare the typewritten list directly from the edited slips. 188 EEPOETS OF COMMISSION OK ECONOMY AND EPPICIEFCY. Criticism might also be made in this place of the number of vol- umes of the consolidated index for the years 1881 to 1911 which were published. Of the edition of 2,500 volumes, 1,768 have been dis- tributed and 732 remain in stock. A much larger number of volumes were distributed to many offices than could possibly be used by those offices. Moreover, copies were sent to other offices which have no need for such a publication. If the edition had been limited to a thousand volumes, which would have been as large as could possibly be justi- fied, the printing cost would have been reduced by at least $800. 10. IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT THE WORK OF PROOF READING BE TRANS- FERRED TO THE ADMINISTRATION DIVISION. The proof reading done in this branch of The Adjutant General's Office comprises work on reports compiled in other divisions of The Adjutant General's Office. Two clerks are employed on proof read- ]ng, each receiving a salary of $1,400 per annum, and each devoting about one-half of his time to this work. The greater part of the proof reading that is sent to this division should be done in con- junction with the office where the data is compiled, or with some one having a technical knowledge of the subject matter. For instance, in proof reading such material as the competitive examination ques- tions for West Point Military Academy, the annual report of The Adjutant General, the official register of the officers and cadets of the Military Academy, the report of the Board of Visitors at the Mili- tary Academy, and proceedings of the general courts-martial, it would be of advantage to have as copyholder an employee from the ■division preparing the material or an employee having knowledge of the subject matter. The clerk who does the major part of the proof reading is well adapted to this work, having had a number of years' experience as a proof reader at the Government Printing Office. As much of this proof reading is of a technical nature and requires a man not only with experience as a proof reader, but with education and experience in the War Department, it is recommended that the clerk with experience as a proof reader be transferred to the Administration Division and given charge of all of the proof reading for The Adju- tant General's Office, instead of giving only a portion of his time to thi? Avork and being located in a building at a distance from the offices in which the original data is prepared. It is further recom- mended that in proof reading all technical and involved reports, an employee having technical knowledge of the subject matter be tem- porarily assigned to hold copy. BUSIISrESS METHODS OF OFFICE OF THE ADJUTANT GENEEAL. 189 COST OF WORK AND SAVINGS. Cost of work. — The commission has not received satisfactory tig- ures upon which to base an accurate statement of cost of the several lines of work conducted in the publication branch. This seems to be" due in part to the fact that some of the work is being conducted in a loose fashion and not according to any well-defined plan. In view of the fact that the salary roll for this branch is $22,800 per annum, it is highly important that the work should be thoroughly planned and the assignments of work definitely made. The salary cost of the several lines of work is estimated as follows, using for these estimates the statement submitted by the clerk in charge : 1. General admiuistration, including keeping time and property records, preparing requisitions, and supervising cleaning of building $1, 190 2. Searching records for information in answer to requests for informa- tion and for verification of proposed inscriptions for monuments, memorials, etc 420 3. Preparation of report shovping organization, engagements, and casual- ties of the Union and Confederate armies 7, 470 4. Preparation of subject index of general orders and circulars It, 460 5. Proof reading 1, 120 6. Twpevpriting, unassigned 54^0 Total 22.800 Savings. — TKe recommendations for this division provide for abol- ishing or transferring all work, with the result that the employees of the division may be assigned to other work, with the exception of the proof reader at $1,400 and of those employees engaged in the preparation of the report showing " Organization, engagements, -and casualties of the Union and Confederate armies," provided the War Department decides to continue this latter class of work. Assuming that the work on this report will be continued, the employees of this division to be retained on their present work are as follows : Proof reading : 1 clerk, class 2 ?1, 400 Preparation of report : 1 clerk, class 4 $1,800 1 clerk, class 3 1,600 2 clerks, class 2 2, 800 1 clerk, class 1 1,200 ■■ 7,400 Total 8,800 190 EEPOETS OF COMMISSION" ON ECOISTOMY AND EFFICIENCY. One of the clerks of class 2 in the above list is in place of four clerks now devoting part of their time to this work, as follows : 1 clerk of class 4, 10 per cent of time $180 1 clerk of class 4, 25 per cent of time 450 1 clerk of class 1, 20 per cent of time , 240 1 clerk of class 1, 50 per cent of time 600 Total 1', 470 The annual saving in salaries will accordingly be. $14,000, or the difference between $22,800, the salary roll, and $8,800, the salaries of employees to be continued on present work. It is to be noted that the amount allowed for proof reading is $1,400, although the clerk in charge estimated the cost of this work at $1,120. An additional annual saving will be effected by vacating the build- ing now occupied by the publication branch. The annual rent is $800 and the cost of fuel approximately $150, the total of which can be saved. The other costs of operating this building may be con- sidered as offsets to the cost of housing the six employees to be con- tinued on present work. The total annual saving effected by the recommendations for this branch are thus approximately $14,950. The reduction in the num- ber of employees is 10. Distribution Division. In another section of this report the transfer of this division to the Administrative Division is recommended and discussed in detail. The work of this division, consisting of the keeping and dispatch- ing of books, forms, circulars, orders, and regulations, would seem to be conducted in a fairly efficient manner. Orders Division. In another section of this report the transfer of this division to the Administration Division is recommended and discussed in detail. SUMMARY of RECOMMENDATIONS. 1. That drafts of orders be prepared on sheets of paper 8 by 10^ inches in size. 2. That retained copies of orders be filed flat. 3. That the divisions drafting the order prepare "call-up" cards in duplicate, one to be retained in the division drafting the order and the other in the Orders Division. 4. That the window envelope be used. BUSINESS METHODS OF OFFICE OF THE ADJUTANT GENERAL. 191 5. That the practice of indorsing on the consolidated order the names of all persons to whom extracts are sent be discontinued. With the adoption of the foregoing recommendations the present force of emploj^ees can be reduced to six clerks, with a total annual salary expense of $7,600, thereby saving $2,800 per annum. The original drafts of orders are received by this division written on paper varying in size from 8^ inches wide by 4 inches long to 8^ inches in width by 6 feet in length. When the order has been printed the original drafts are fastened together with a '• Dennison " fastener and at the close of the day are folded and filed in a document file. It is often necessary to consult the drafts and, under the present method of filing them, it is an awkward and tedious operation. It is recommended that the original drafts be prepared in the issuing division upon sheets of paper 8 inches wide by 10| inches long and when more than one sheet is required for a particular order that additional sheets of the same size be used. The adoption of the above recommendation would admit of these papers being filed flat, in which condition they would be more accessible. When a general order or bulletin is issued 11,000 copies are printed and sent to the Distribution Division; these are all sent out except from 900 to 1,000 copies. The Distribution Division retains approxi- mately 40 copies for the files in that office, and the remainder is sent to the Orders Division for filing. The Orders Division keeps a file of these general orders and bulletins for a period of five years, and at the end of each year the matter which has been in the file more than five years is transferred to the Distribution Division, where the permanent file of such records is maintained. Thus both the Orders Division and Distribution Division are keeping complete files of these records for a period of five years. This practice is wholly unneces- sary and is the cause of a waste of valuable filing space. • The excess copies of these documents, namely, 900 to 1,000 of each issue, occupy a great area of filing space. The number could be reduced by at least one-half and still amply supply all requirements, and with the discontinuance of the duplicate file in the Distribution Division, would make available one desirable office room in the State, War, and 'Navj Building. There is some duplication in regard to the system followed of keep- ing track of the status of a general order which has been prepared for printing. A card is made out in the division in which the order is drafted, which card is held in the Mail and Record Division and called up at stated times, and in addition practically the same card is again written in the Orders Division and retained on file in that division for calling up from time to time. We recommend that when the draft of the order is prepared the division from which the order originates make a card in duplicate; one to be retained in the divi- 192 EEPOKTS OF COMMISSIOISr ON ECONOMY AND EFFICIENCY. sioii, and the second to be transmitted to the Orders Division with the draft of the order. The card retained in the division which pre- pares the draft of the order will serve as a check upon the Orders Division only, and the Mail and Eecord Division will be relieved of calling the matter up from time to time to determine the status of an order in process of preparation. The direct supervision, however, will rest with the Orders Division, where naturally it belongs. That division will file chronologically the duplicate card containing the subject matter of the order, and by that means keep in close touch with orders in process of printing. As there are only an average of 10 or 15 orders outstanding, that is to say, in process of printing, it will be an easy matter for the Orders Division to keep track closely of all orders being prepared there. This will also eliminate the roundabout method of tracing up the course of an order and wholly relieve the Mail and Kecord Division of routine work in connection with that business. When in the opinion of the chief of the Orders Division an inquiry should be made as to the status of a particular order, such can be done by means of a simple form. When the extract of special orders is written, the names of the of- ficers, enlisted men, and others to whom these extracts are to be mailed are written thereon. When the printed supply of extracts has been received by the Orders Division, an addressing clerk writes at the bottom of each printed extract which is to be sent to a particular of- ficer or individual the name of that oflEicer or individual. The ad- dressing clerk then addresses the envelopes from the addresses writ- ten on the margin of the original draft of the order. When the en- velopes have been addressed, a combined copy of the special order for that particular day is then used to record the name and address of «ach person to whom a cop}^ of the extract has been sent. Thus it will be seen that the name of each individual to whom or- ders are sent is written four times ; first, on the typewritten draft of the order; secondly, on the envelope; thirdly, at the bottom of the printed extract ; and fourthly, on the combined order. The danger of error is of course enhanced with each writing of the name and ad- dress and a careful comparison is necessary in order to preclude against error in transmission of the printed extracts. It is believed that considerable time could be saved, and greater accuracy secured, if the window envelope were employed, so that the address at the bottom of the printed extract could also serve as the address of the piece of mail matter inclosed in a window envelope. We also recommend the discontinuance of the permanent record of names and addresses to which copies of the orders are sent, on the ground that they are used only to establish the fact that an order has actually been sent to a particular address. This object will be sub- BXTSINESS METHODS OF OFFICE OF THE ADJUTAITT GENERAL. 193 served by the preservation of the draft of the order itself, which con- tains this information. SAVINGS. There are now eight employees in this division, with salaries aggre- gating $10,400 per annum. With the adoption of our recommenda- tions this force can be reduced to — 1 clerk, class 3 ^ $1,600 1 clerk, class 2 : 1,400 3 clerks, class 1, with salaries aggregating 3, 600 1 clerk at $1,000 ^ 1,000 6 employees at a total annual salary expense of 7, 600 A reduction in force of two persons and in salary cost of $2,800. Mail and Record Division. SUMMARY or RECOMMENDATIONS. It is recommended : 1. That incoming correspondence, after being received-stamped, be divided into two classes, (1) new cases, and (2) that in connection with which there would appear to be previous papers. 2. That the first class of correspondence be distributed for direct transmission to the relevant division without recording it in any way. 3. That the second class of correspondence be sent to the files for previous papers to be attached and then transmitted directly to the relevant division. 4. That the work now performed by the examining section in reviewing statements of service be discontinued. 5. That the name of The Adjutant General be affixed to statements of service by means of a stamp. 6. That the auditor's office be advised when second or subsequent calls for statements of service are received, at the same time furnish- ing all available information, and that the practice of sending an employee to search and examine the files in the auditor's office be discontinued. ^ 7. That notation be made on the military record card jackets in the Regimental Records Division in those statement-of-service cases from the auditor and the Commissioner of Pensions which have not been so noted, approximately 180,000. 8. That the consultation of record cards of previous statement-of- service cases be discontinued. 9. That the file of beneficiary record cards be discontinued. The principal recommendations affecting the Mail and Record Division have already been set forth and discussed in detail in that 72784°— H. Doe. 1252, 62-3 13 194 KEPOETS OF COMMISSION ON ECONOMY AND EFFICIENCY. section of our report containing suggestions on the general business system of The Adjutant General's Office, and there remains, there- fore, but little to be said in regard to the work of this division. The adoption of our recommendations would make of the present Mail and Record Division a file room, primarily, to which would be added the incidental work of receiving, opening, and distributing incoming and dispatching outgoing mail. With the adoption of our recommendations in regard to the han- dling and filing of correspondence the present force of 105 employees with salaries aggregating $136,000 per annum can be reduced to 35 employees at a total annual salary expense of $47,400, thereby saving $88,600 per annum. 1. It is recommended that incoming correspondence^ after being re- ceived-stamped, be divided into two classes, {1) new cases, and, {£) that i7i connection with lohich there would appear to be previous papers. We recommend that the receiving clerk examine the incoming cor- respondence, receive-stamp it, preferably by means of a perforating machine which will make it possible to stamp a number of communi- cations at once and furnish the safeguard of being unchangeable, and immediately distribute it for transmission to the relevant division, or to the file room if it appears there may be previous papers. The receiving clerk will determine from a reading of a letter whether it is likely that there are previous papers on the subject or in relation to the individual or not, and if there are previous papers whether it will be necessary to forward them to the relevant division. Most of the intermediate and complicated processes will thus be eliminated, the dispatch of the mail to the relevant division will be expedited, and the indexing will be reduced to the making of cross-reference cards when correspondence is returned to the files. 2. It is recomraended that the first class of correspondence be dis- tributed for direct transmission to the relevant division without recording it in any way. We recommend that the first class of corresponaence be distributed according to the divisions to which it pertains, by means of a distri- bution case from which it will be collected, periodically, by the mes- senger service for direct transmission to the proper division without passing the communication through the files or recording it in any way. The theory of initially passing correspondence through the filing division and recording and indexing it is, first, to give it a number; secondly, to record somewhere the purport of each com- munication; and thirdly, under the extensive routine of The Adju- BUSINESS METHODS OP OFFICE OF THE ADJUTANT GENERAL. 195 tant General's Office, to keep tally of each piece of correspondence, so that if an inquiry is made for any letter pending its treatment in the office, the fact of its receipt can be definitely determined and trace for it be instituted. As a practical proposition, however, the experience of the other large departments of the Government has been that it is unnecessary to keep track of every piece of correspondence entering the depart- ment, although years ago this was the almost universal method in all departments, as well as in outside business establishments. Recent studies to simplify methods have resulted in a consideration of the embarrassments which would result if certain safeguards and record- ing practices heretofore followed were abandoned. These studies have tended to show that detailed and extensive systems were bene- ficially operative only in respect of a comparatively insignificant portion of the incoming correspondence, and usually brought with them complications which of themselves counteracted or offset all the benefits which the carefully devised system was supposed to bring. So the civil departments, and to a considerable extent, the other military departments of the Government, have gradually cut off elaborate records as they have found it possible to do so without injuring the efficiency of the service or letting down bars which might occasion embarrassment or impair the rights of individuals. 3. It is recommended that the second class of correspondence he sent to the files for previous papers to he attached and then transmitted directly to the relevant division. We recommend that the second class of correspondence be sent to the files for previous papers, and when previous papers have been attached, to be distributed according to divisions in the same manner as in the case of the first class of correspondence referred to. It is proposed that in those cases where there are previous papers, for convenience in handling, the existing record cards shall be with- drawn from the file instead of the original documents, attached to a backing sheet, and that the incoming and succeeding correspondence shall likewise be attached to the backing sheet in chronological order, the latest communication being on the top of the file, so that a case consisting of previous papers and recent correspondence will com- prise in part record cards and in part communications on sheets approximately 8 by 10^ inches in size. The attaching of the record card to a backing sheet will be a simple and expeditious matter if a punching machine operated by a foot press is employed. It will only be necessary to take the record cards, divide them into three equal parts, place them on the backing sheets and with one stroke of a lever the cards will be permanently attached to the backing sheet. 196 EEPORTS OF COMMISSION ON ECONOMY AND EFFICIENCY. When incoming correspondence has been transmitted directly by the receiving clerk to the relevant division, and it appears upon examination by the correspondence clerk in that division that search should be made for previous papers, he should indorse in the upper right-hand corner of the correspondence the symbol " PP " and throw the correspondence in the mail box for transmission to the file room by the messenger service. Under our recommendations briefing and recording will be abso- lutely eliminated, while indexing will be reduced to that small amount of cross indexing and referencing which may be necessary to locate communications which embrace more than one subject. The operations of briefing, recording^ and indexing incoming cor- respondence engage 46 clerks all of their time. The aggregate sal- aries amount to $58,000 per annum, all of which will be saved except that small sum necessary to prepare and maintain cross indexes of the docmnent files. The recording of outgoing correspondence is an operation which it is difficult to measure either in point of time con- sumed or in terms of money value, since it is not separated from the preparation or correspondence and is scattered all through the divi- sions of The Adjutant General's Office. This may be said, however: The record of incoming correspondence is a synoptical one only, whereas the record of outgoing correspondence is a full verbatim copy of each outgoing communication. The number of recorded out- going communications being approximately the same as the number of recorded incoming communications, and recording being an opera- tion of greater extent with outgoing than incoming mail, it is obvious that the cost of the operation is very much greater. In the report of handling and filing correspondence made by the office of The Adju- tant General, February 15, 1911, to the commission, the operation of recording outgoing correspondence was included as part of the cost of preparing outgoing correspondence which amounts in total to $204,940 per annum in salaries alone. Fifty thousand dollars per annum, or about one-fourth of the total cost of preparing outgoing correspondence, is therefore regarded as a conservative estimate of the saving to be secured from a discontinuance of the recording of outgoing communications. 4. It is recommended that the toorh of reviewing statements of se^'v- ice he discontinued. The examination of statement-of-service cases, which is made in this section, consists of a general review for the purpose of ascer- taining whether the request for information have been answered and whether the answers appear to be complete and reasonable. Atten- BUSINESS METHODS OP OFFICE OF THE ADJUTANT GElSrERAL. 197 lion is also given to comparing the name, military organization, and dates in the request and in the reply. No comparison of the data in the reply with the records from which the data is copied can be made in the examining section. The examining section returns to the divisions preparing statement- of -service cases not only those which appear to be inaccurate but also those which contain information in addition to that requested. Em- ployees of this section estimate that they return on an average of about 50 cases per day, or approximately 10 per cent of the total number handled. Of the total cases returned only a very small per- centage is erroneous. This is evidenced by the fact that the Regi- mental Records Division, which prepares over three-fourths of the statements of service, received during the year 1912 from the examin- ing section only 268 cases which contained errors disclosed by the examining section. The discovery of errors in only 268 of the 76,000 cases prepared in the Regimental Records Division shows that the review of these cases in the examining section is unnecessary. The examination of statements in order to ascertain if more in- formation has been furnished than was requested should be dis- continued, as this practice tends to restrict the usefulness of the statements made to the Pension Office and auditor's office. Instead of limiting the reply, as has been the custom in The Adjutant Gen- eral's Office, greater assistance would be rendered to the Pension Office and to the Auditor for the War Department if a full reply were made, instead of one limited to such information as is called for by a literal interpretation of the request. Before being submitted to the examining section, the cases are reviewed to some extent in the divisions preparing them. After a study of the methods used in the several divisions, it is believed that it would be wholly safe to hold the several divisions responsible for the accuracy of their statements, without requiring these divisions to make any further review of the statements than they are now making. In view of the facts (1) that the work of preparing statements of service is performed with accuracy, (2) that the divisions are now re- viewing their work to some extent, and (3) that the review of cases by the examining section is perfunctory, it is believed that the ac- curacy of the work and the efficiency of the office will in nowise be impaired by omitting the review of cases now performed by the ex- amining section. It is recommended that the work now performed by the examin- ing section in reviewing and examining statements of service be dis- continued. 198 EEPOETS OF COMMISSION ON ECONOMY AND EFFICIENCY. 5. It is recoTnmhended that the name of The Adjutant General 1)6 affixed to statements of service hy means of a stamp. After the statements of service have been approved by the examin- ing section, a clerk in that section signs with pen and ink the name of The Adjutant General to these statements. The signing of The Ad- jutant General's name to these papers requires the full time of a $1,400 clerk. Since these statements are made by The Adjutant General's Office for use by the Pension Office, auditor's office, and other governmental offices, it would seem to be wholly satisfactory, if the name of The Adjutant General was stamped upon such com- munications instead of being written by hand. The work of stamp- ing the signature could be performed at two periods each day, once in the forenoon and once in the afternoon, and it would take not to exceed one-half hour at each of these periods. This work should be performed by a clerk in the receiving and dispatching section of the Mail and Record Division. Moreover, it is unnecessary to utilize the services of a $1,400 clerk on such simple routine work as the stamping of an officer's name to routine communications. It is accordingly recommended that hereafter the name of The Adjutant General be affixed to statements of service by means of a stamp, and that a low-salaried clerk be employed for performing this work. If deemed desirable or necessary, the initials of the proper official can be entered below the signature on each communication. Such initialing would doubtless be done by some administrative official. The work of initialing the signature need not be considered in connection with the work of the examining section. The adoption of the recommendation to substitute the use of a stamp for the present practice of writing The Adjutant General's name with pen and ink would effect an annual saving of at least $1,000. 0. It is recom^mended that the auditor'^s office te advised when sec- ond or subsequent calls for statements of service are received, at the same time furnishing all available information., and that the practice of sending an employee to search and examine the files in the auditor'^s office he discontinued. Whenever the examining section is advised by the Regimental Rec- ords Division that prior requests for information have been received in any case, the examining section consults the correspondence record card which was made out in connection with the first request for information. If there are any matters connected with the case which are complicated or difficult of explanation, it is then customary for one of the searchers in the examining section to go to the office of BUSINESS METHODS OF OFFICE OF THE ADJUTANT GENEKAL. 199 the Auditor for the War Department. The searcher from the exam- ining section has authority to personally withdraw from the auditor's files any papers which may have a bearing upon these complicated cases. In place of the withdrawn papers the searcher inserts a charge card and uses the papers from the file in the same way as if they were withdrawn from a file in The Adjutant General's Office. This practice results in The Adjutant General's Office performing work which belongs in the auditor's office. The examination of the papers in the auditor's file should be per- formed by employees of the auditor's office and the case disposed of by the auditor's office upon such evidence as his own records show, and upon such evidence as can be furnished to the auditor by The Adjutant General. If The Adjutant General's Office presented such information as their military record cards and other records show concerning a man's military history, in place of limiting the replies in accordance with a strict interpretation of the question, it would be unnecessary for The Adjutant General to send any of his employees into the files of the auditor's office. It is recomimended that hereafter The Adjutant General's Office advise the auditor's office in all those cases where a second or subse- quent call for information concerning statements of service has been received; at the same time furnishing the auditor's office with such information as is available in The Adjutant General's Office. It is further recommended that the practice of sending an employee of The Adjutant General's Office into the files of the auditor^^ffice be discontinued. The adoption of this recommendation will elimi- nate a large part of the work now performed by the searcher who Adsits daily the files in the auditor's office. 7. It is recomTnended that notation te made on the military record card jackets in the Regimental Records Division in those state- ment of service cases from the auditor and the Commissioner of Pensions which have not teen so noted^ approximately 180^000. At present all requests from the auditor and the Pension Office for statements of service have been noted on the jackets containing the military record cards in the Regimental Records Division, with the exception of approximately 180,000 such requests. The entry on the flap of the jacket in the Regimental Records Division shows the searcher that prior call for information has been made and enables The Adjutant General's Office to so advise the auditor or the Commissioner of Pensions. An exception to this general rule occurs in the 180,000 cases which have not been noted on the file jackets, with the result that it is necessary to consult the index cards for these cases, which are filed in the examining section. 200 EEPORTS OF COMMISSION ON" ECONOMY AND EFFICIENCY. The work of examining these index cards would be eliminated and the cards themselves might be destroyed if the fact that a request for information in these cases were noted on the file jacket in the Regi- mental Records Division. In view of the fact that such notations have been made in all but this small percentage of statement of service cases, it would be of advantage to have these cases entered on the military jackets and thus establish a uniform system of recording the fact that requests for statements of service have been received and also of establishing a uniform practice with respect to the method to be followed in ascertaining whether such a request has been received. It is recommended that a notation be made on the flap of the military-record card jackets filed in the Regimental Records Division to indicate that requests for statements of service have been received in the 180,000 cases which have not yet been so noted. It is further recommended that after these notations have been made, the index cards for these 180,000 cases be disposed of as being of no further value to The Adjutant General's Office. It is also recommended that in the future in noting requests on the military card jacket that the claim nimaber shown on the call from the Pension Office or from that of the auditor's office be entered in addition to such facts as have been entered in the past. Under this proposed plan the Regimental Rec- ords Division will indorse on the forms on which are entered the statements of service the fact that a prior call has been made for this same information, together with the date when made and the claim number of the case. The adoption of this recommendation will eliminate a part of the work now performed by the examining section. 8. That the consultation of record cards of previous statement-of- service cases he discontinued. Elsewhere in this report the practice of preparing record cards for statements of service cases has been discussed. This practice has been criticized as being unnecessary, and it has been recommended that the recording of these cases be discontinued. In connection with this recommendation, it is here pointed out that the examining sec- tion retains the record cards in its active files, in room 51, for a period of two years. After the lapse of that period of time the record cards are then transferred to a file in room 552, which is located in the attic. It is stated by the examining section that the files in the attic are consulted on an average of six times a day. Practically all of the cases requiring consultation of these old record cards are those cases in which ihe Regimental Records Division has advised the ex- amining section of a prior request for information in a given case. Such a consultation of the record cards is unnecessary since the BUSINESS METHODS OF OFFICE OF THE ADJUTANT GENERAL. 201 Regimental Records Division can enter on the statements of service the fact that such prior request was made and thus enable the office making the request to be on its guard against allowing the claim a second time. If the Regimental Records Division reports the fact of the prior call, there will then be practically no use for the old record cards of statement of service cases. 9. It is recommended that the -file of 'beneficiary record cards he dis- continued. Beneficiary record cards are prepared in the examining section from the reports of enlistments sent in by recruiting officers. The purpose of these cards is to enable The Adjutant General's Office to ascertain the name and address of the beneficiaries of enlisted men. This information is used by The Adjutant General's Office in con- nection with the distribution of circulars descriptive of deserters. The cards are filed alphabetically by the names of the men. The file now contains approxmiately 192,000 cards. With the consolidation transfer of the identity section to the proposed Enlisted Men's Divi- sion, the file of original reports of enlistments will be equally as accessible as the present card file. The work transferred to other divisions or sections of The Adju- tant General's Office consists of the signing of the name of The Adjutant General to statements of service and the work of preparing the beneficiary index cards and supplying information from those cards. The saving to be effected by eliminating such work as it has been recommended should be eliminated, will amount to between $6,000 and $6,500 annually. In this connection it should be noted that one of the recommendations, namely, that for noting on the flap of the military record card jackets in the Regimental Records Divi- sion such requests for statements of service as have been so noted, will involve an initial expense for putting the recommendation into effect. The other recommendations here made will involve no ex- pense for putting them into effect. Sum/mary of savings. — The adoption of the recommendations con- tained in the preceding sections of this report will either eliminate or transfer all of the work now performed by the examining section. The present administrative expense of the Mail and Record Divi- sion is approximately $11,600, consisting of the salaries of six chiefs of sections and one chief of division. With the work of 70 clerks eliminated the adininistration expense can be reduced to the salary of one chief of division and two utility clerks with salaries aggregat- ing $4,600 per annum. 202 KEPOETS OF COMMISSION ON ECONOMY AND EFFICIENCY. The following table shows the various classes of operations now performed, with the salary cost of each, compared with those neces- sar}^ under the proposed method, with the salary cost of each : Present salary expense of the Mail and Record Division compared mth that estimated when the proposed methods for handling correspondence have Tyeen adopted. Administrative. Present. Clerks. Salary cost. Proposed. Clerks. Salary cost. Chief of division and 2 utility clerks Chief of briefing, recording, and indexing section and 2 assist- ants Chief of record card flies Chiefs of document flies Opening mail, stamping with numbering machine, and distrib- uting Brieflng, recording and indexing (cross-referencing) Searching the index or flle Withdrawing record cards Connecting cases Tally desk Consolidating and fihng index cards Making flle jackets for index cards Reviewing record cards Filing record cards Suspended file Examining statement of service cases Dispatching and signing The Adjutant General's name Cipher clerk Document files 105 $4, 400 4,600 1,800 3,400 6,600 48, 800 11,200 3,400 2,600 3,200 13, 600 1,400 5,800 2,200 1,200 6,000 4,400 1,600 136, 000 35 $4,600 4,000 3,200 11,200 3,400 4,000 1,200 3,000 1,600 11,200 47,400 As will be seen by the foregoing table, there are now 105 employees in this division with salaries aggregating $136,000 per annum. With the adoption of our recommendations this force can be reduced to — 1 chief of division ' $2,000 1 clerk, class 4 1, 800 4 clerks, class 3 6,400 14 clerks, class 2 „ 19, 600 13 clerks, class 1 15,600 2 clerks, at $1,000 2,000 35 employees at a total annual salary expense of 47, 400 A reduction in force of 70 persons and in salary cost of $88,600. Miscellaneous Division. In another section of this report the consolidation of this division with the Correspondence and Examining Division and the transfer BUSINESS METHODS OF OFFICE OF THE ADJUTANT GENERAL. 203 of the custody and compilation of efficiency reports to the proposed officers' division are recommended and discussed in detail. RECOMMENDATION. It is recommended that the items in efficiency reports relating to the professional qualifications of officers be stated as ratings, after the manner of grading examination papers, and that such ratings be posted to individual cards so as to show in compact form the pro- ficiency of each officer upon any subject for which he has shown spe- cial fitness. With the adoption of the foregoing recommendation and the recom- mendations contained in Section III of this report affecting the handling and filing of correspondence, the present force of 23 employ- ees, with salaries aggregating $29,400 per annum, can be reduced to two clerks for the custody and compilation of efficiency reports and nine clerks for the conduct of correspondence and preparation of gen- eral orders, etc., with an aggregate annual salary expense of $14,600. Adding to this expense one-half of the salary of a chief of the con- solidated division — $1,000 per annum — the total annual salary ex- pense would be $15,600, thereby saving $13,800. EFFICIENCY REPORTS. As stated in the descriptive portion of this report, nine persons are constantly engaged in preparing efficiency records on cards for the use of the following four persons: The President, The Secretary of War, The Chief of Staff, The Adjutant General. The reports are compiled principally from the regular efficiency reports made annually by senior officers in regard to their subordi- nates, and occasionally from general inspection reports and other sources. They are placed on cards in condensed form with the object of enabling the executives above mentioned to scrutinize the entire record of an officer from the time of his entering the service to date. Having in mind, however, that the original efficiency reports from which the condensations are made are on file in the same office, it would seem that they are not sufficiently brief and compact to fully serve the purpose for which they are made, namely, to enable the four high executives to determine at a glance the fitness of certain officers for special duties. In other words, such time as may be saved to the executive officers is not sufficient to justify continuing to employ nine clerks on this work. 204 EEPORTS OF COMMISSION ON ECONOMY AND EFFICIENCY. It is believed that this work is susceptible of very great simplifica- tion, so as to reduce not only the labors of the compilers or con- densers, but also save the time of high executives who may desire to determine quickly the particular or special qualifications of a number of officers. , To facilitate compiling, consultation, and filing, it is recommended that the efficiency reports of officers be rendered on forms approxi- mately 8 by 11 inches in size, which will permit of filing flat in a folder. In regard to that portion of the report on the fitness of officers which has to do with their special professional qualifications, it is recommended that each qualification be identified by a figure, and any subdivisions which there might be of such qualification by a letter, and that the report of the commanding officer in respect of any of the special qualifications be indicated not by a written descrip- tion, but by a figure expressed on a scale somewhat after the plan employed in marking examination papers. Definite instructions Avould have to be issued for the guidance of senior officers making reports on the fitness of their subordinates, so that the reports would be made on a standard scale. In one large office of the Government service a like system is used as follows: The efficiency of officers is designated by using words combined with numbers from 4 to 0, as set forth in the following table : Favorable : Excellent 4.0 to 3.5 Very good 3.5 to 3.0 G6ocl 3.0 to 2.5 Unfavorable : Indifferent 2.4 to 2.0 Fair 2.0 to 1.0 Poor 1.0 to 0.0 For recording in compact form the above ratings, each officer has a card, letter size, which bears at the top printed matter as follows: Name. Year duty time : 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 The column at the extreme left is for the insertion of the date of the reports, the nature of the duty on which engaged, and the time spent on that duty. The scale running along the top symbolizes the various professional qualifications which may be reported on by numbers, thus : Column 1 contains ratings on tlie subject of "Attention to duty." Column 2 contains ratings on the subject of " Professional zeal." Column 3 contains ratings on the subject of " General bearing and military appearance." Column 4 contains ratings on tlie subject of " Judgment in handing enlisted men." Column 5 contains ratings on the subject of " Fitness for General Staff." Column 11 contains ratings on the subject of " Knowledge of Spanish." and so forth. The entries are made in the columns under the num- bers indicating the particular qualification reported on, each succes- BUSINESS METHODS OF OFFICE OF THE ADJUTANT GENERAL. 205 sive rating being placed directly below the preceding rating on the same subject. The cards are filed alphabetically by grade and arm of the service. The reports bearing on the professional qualifications of the officers and their general efficiency, as determined by official means, are tabulated on their individual cards, so as to show the length of time on any duty, the proficiency, and the sources of the information used. A system of metal " flags," attached to the cards, is employed to shoAv at a glance all the officers of any grade or arm of service who may have second or first class or higher qualifications in any duty for which a detail may be desired, or who may be recommended for post-graduate courses. On the back of the card is briefly noted any characteristic or qualification which can not be tabulated but which might be, of use in making selections for duty. . To identify the fact that an officer has qualifications in regard to Spanish, a "flag" is placed at the top of column 11. Degree of fit- ness in a special qualification can be shown by the employment of signals of different colors. For example, those officers who have the highest qualifications in regard to any subject are designated by a red signal. Those whose qualifications are very good are identified by a blue signal, and so on. When it is desired to know, for example, those officers who have the highest qualifications in the Spanish language, the cards bearing the red signal over the symbol " 11 " could be withdrawn, and a glance at the card would show the various ratings given the officer in regard to the subject mentioned. We recommend the adoption of the above system for keeping rec- ords in regard to special qualifications of officers in the Army. The proposed system would not only be economical, but greatly advance the efficiency of the Armj^, since it would bring to the atten- tion of those making a selection the names of all officers having high qualifications on any subject, whereas under the present practice the selection of men- is usually restricted to those who have come under the personal observation of members of a board appointed fo make a choice of officers for particular duties. For example, it has been ex- plained to rejaresentatives of the commission that when it is desired to secure several officers for duty on the General Staff a board is created for that purpose composed of higher officers in the Army, whose first or tentative selections for consideration are made from tliose officers who have come within the scope of their observation. Obviously such primary selection excludes from consideration officers who have not come under personal observation of those who consti- tute the board. Such a practice seems to us to be open to criticism on account of narrowing to a few select persons assignments of the highest importance, and tends to retard the development of officers 206 EEPORTS OF COMMISSION ON ECONOMY AND EFFICIENCY. who have not had the good fortune of coming into personal contact with general oiRcers or others high in command who may have con- trol of the selection of men for duty oA the General Staff or other like Avork. Under the method proposed by us the tentative selection would be made without any knowledge of the names of the officers, the selections being guided by the metal " flag " at the top of the card, which would indicate not only all officers of the Army who have special qualifications upon the subjects concerning which inquiry may be made, but give minute details by showing those who have first-class qualifications on the subject, those whose qualifications are of the second class, and those men who are preeminently qualified. It reduces the selection of officers to a matter of mathematical accu- rac}^, so to speak, and takes away most of the temptation to be guided by personal prejudice. Furthermore, when the card of an officer is Avithdrawn the opinions of his successive superior officers for as long a period of yea rs as the officer may have come under observation in respect of a particular qualification are set forth in the form of ratings. The following force is engaged in compiling statements from effi- ciency reports and other communications and reports in regard to officers : I clerk, class 2 $1,400 5 clerks, class 1 6,000 3 clerks, at $1,000 3, 000 Total 10,400 With the adoption of the brief system recommended by us, the Avork of compiling, including making the entries upon the cards, could easily be performed by two clerks, one receiving a salary of $1,400 and the other $1,200. This work logically belongs with the other work relating to the records of the service of officers now in the Army, and its transfer to the proposed officers' division has been recommended in Section III of this report. CORRESPONDENCE. The following force is engaged in the conduct of general corre- spondence : 1 clerk, class 3 $1, 600 1 clerk, class 2 1, 400 8 clerks, class 1 9, 600 1 clerk, at 1,000 II employees, with salaries aggregating 13, 600 per annum. Five are correspondence clerks, five are stenographers and type- Avriters, and one reviews correspondence drafted by others. BUSINESS METHODS OF OFFICE OF THE ADJUTANT GEFEEAL. 207 SAVINGS. There are now 23 employees in this division, with salaries aggre- gating $29,400 per annum. With the adoption of our recommenda- tions, this force can be reduced to — 2 clerks, class 3 $3,200 3 clerks, class 2 4, 200 6 clerks, class 1 7,200 11 employees, at a total annual salary expense of 14, 600 To this salary expense must be added one-half of the salary of a chief of the consolidated division, $1,000 per annum, making a total annual salary expense of $15,600, leaving a net reduction in salary cost of $13,800 per annum. Correspondence and Examining Division. In another section of this report the consolidation of this division with the Miscellaneous Division has been recommended and discussed in detail. RECOMMENDATIONS. The recommendations for this division consist of those general recommendations for reorganization and for handling correspondence which have been set forth in detail in Section III. The recommen- dations especially applicable to this division are as follows : 1. That the final copy of outgoing communications be written in the division which prepares the draft. 2. That printfed forms be used, so far as practicable, in preparing communications. 3. That the dictation machine be used, so far as practicable, in the preparation of correspondence. With the adoption of the first recommendation 20 employees will be transferred to other divisions in order that they may assist in the performance of the work to be transferred. With the adoption of the foregoing recommendations the present force of 46 employees, with salaries aggregating $65,200 per annum, can be reduced to 31 employees, with an aggregate salary exense of $43,000. Adding to this expense one-half of the salary of the chief of the consolidated division, $1,000 per annum, the total annual salary expense would be $44,000, thereby saving $21,200. 1. It is recommended that the "final copy of communications l)e pre- pared in those divisions preparing the first draft or in those divisions furnishing the information for the preparation of the communication. The adoption of this recommendation will transfer from the Corre- spondence and Examining Division (a) the work now performed by 208 REPORTS OF COMMISSION ON ECONOMY AND EFFICIENCY. it in typing the " fair copy " of those communications drafted in other divisions, and (b) the work of preparing the draft of the larger part of those commraiications for which the information has been fur- nished by other divisions. The work of preparing the " fair copy " of communications drafted in other divisions consumes about one-fourth of the time of the ex- aminers and typewriters in the Correspondence and Examining Divi- sion. All of this work will be eliminated from the proposed Corre- spondence Division. The quantity of this class of work to be performed by the divisions to which it should be transferred will be materially reduced upon the adoption of the recommendations for the more extensive use of printed forms. Accordingly, it will be unnecessary to provide as large a force of examiners and typewriters for the performance of this work as are now engaged upon it in the Correspondence and Examining Division. A further reduction in the quantity of this work will be effected by the adoption of the recommendation Avhich provides for the elimination of the present practice of first preparing a complete typewritten draft on a record card and subsequently copying the draft upon a letter sheet for the final copy of the repl5^ Of these communications which are now drafted in the Correspond- ence and Examining Division 63 per cent are acted upon jointly by this division and other divisions. It is the contention of the commis- sion that a large amount of time and expense will be. saved by having the final copy of such communications prepared by the divisions having the records from which is procured the information to be placed in the communications. The most important classes of com- munications which it is recommended should be transferred to other divisions are as follows: - 1. Requests for statements of military service received from Con- gress; Commissioner of Pensions and Auditor for War Department (described as "requests presenting unusual difficulties"); soldiers' homes: associations and societies; and Civil Service Commission. 2. Requests for statements of military service of officers and en- listed men in the Revolutionary War and War of 1812. 3. Requests for statements of military service of officers and men in the Confederate Army. 4. Requests for historical and statistical data on former military organizations and activities. 5. Applications for certificates in lieu of lost or destroyed dis- charge certificates; and applications for original discharge certifi- cates. 6. Requests for the address or for the service of officers. 7. Requests for the address or for the service of enlisted men. BUSINESS METHODS OE OEEICE OE THE ADJUTANT GENERAL. 209 The classes of work included in items 1, 2, and 3 should be trans- ferred to Regimental Eecords Division; that in item 4, to Eegimental Records, Archives, or other divisions having the custody of the records to be consulted in the preparation of the reply ; that in item 5, to Regimental Records or the new Enlisted Men's Division, accord- ing as the case applies to volunteers or regulars ; that in item 6, to the proposed Officers' Division; and that in item 7, to the proposed En- listed Men's Division. Some of the cases included in the classes of communications listed above are now handled by men in the Corre- spondence and Examining Division who have been trained as special- ists. It is proposed that these specialists be transferred as far as necessary to the divisions to which the work is assigned by the recommendations in this report. Such work as is now performed by the Correspondence and Examining Division, which is not logically assigned to other divisions by the general recommendations contained in this report, should remain in the Correspondence Division. This division should also handle, as at present, those cases requiring ad- ministrative action, such as applications for the admission of former enlisted men to the hospital for the insane. The communications included in the list of work to be transferred amount to at least 75 per cent of all those now drafted in the Cor- respondence and Examining Division. The transfer of the prepara- tion of these communications to the divisions now furnishing the in- formation for their preparation, will increase somewhat the work of these divisions, but the more extensive use of printed forms and the elimination of writing a first draft on the record card will materially reduce the work necessary for the preparation of the outgoing com- munications. It is believed that the work here proposed to be tra,nsferred can be readily handled by the divisions to which it is to be assigned with the following additions to their present force, these additional clerks to be transferred from the present force of the Correspondence and Examining Division. 1. Clerks tp be transferred to the Regimental Records Division : 1 clerk, class 4 $1, 800 1 clerk, class 3 1,600 2 clerks, class 2 2,800 9 clerks, class 1 10,800 13 clerks, with salaries aggregating 17,000 2. Clerks to be transferred to proposed Enlisted Men's Division : 1 clerk, class 3 1,600 2 clerks, class 2 2,800 3 clerks, class 1 3,600 6 clerks, with salaries aggregating 8, 000 3 Clerks to be transferred to the proposed Officers' Division : 1 clerk, class 1 1,200 72734"— H. Dor. 1 252. 62-3 1 4 210 EEPOETS OF COMMISSION ON ECONOMY AND EFFICIENCY, 2. It is recommended that printed fornix be used so far as practicahle in the preparation of outgoing correspondence. This recommendation applies particularly to those statement-of- service cases discussed in the preceding recommendation. These cases will, upon the adoption of the commission's recommendation, be transferred from the Correspondence and Examining Division to Regimental Records Division. The recommendation for the more extended use of forms is in accordance with the present practice of The Adjutant General's Office to use forms for furnishing state- ments of service in reply to the majority of requests now received from the Commissioner of Pensions and the Auditor for the War Department. The use of forms can be readily and advantageously adopted for preparing replies to many other classes of communications now han- dled by the Correspondence and Examining Division, such as requests for the addresses of officers and enlisted men, requests for copies of reports, etc. 3. It is reconn/mended that the use of dictation machines he adopted so far as practicable in the preparation of communications. This recommendation applies particularly to the proposed Corre- spondence Division which will be formed by a consolidation of the present Correspondence and Examining Division and the Miscel- laneous Division. From a study of the nature of the work to be per- formed in this division and from the preliminary results of the test which is being conducted in the Correspondence and Examining Division it is evident that the use of the dictation machine will mate- rially expedite the preparation of correspondence. SAVINGS. There are now 46 employees in this division, with salaries aggre- gating $65,200. With the adoption of the commission's recommenda- tions, the following employees will be transferred to other divisions : 1 clerk, class 4 $1, SOO 2 clerks, class 3 3,200 4 clerks, class 2 , 5,600 13 clerks, class 1 15,600 20 clerks, with salaries aggregating 26, 200 The following employees will be needed for performing the work remaining in the Correspondence and Examining Division: 3 clerks, class 4 .$5,400 4 clerks, class 3 6,400 2 clerks,- class 2 2,800 1 clerk, class 1 1, 200 1 clerk, at $1,000 1,000 11 clerks, with salaries aggregating 16, 800 BUSINESS METHODS OP OFFICE OF THE ADJUTANT GENERAL. 211 To this salary expense must be added one-half of the salary of a chief of the consolidated division, $1,000 per annum, making a total annual salary expense of $17,800, and leaving a net reduction in salary cost of $21,200. Enlisted Men's Division. In another section of this report the consolidation of this division with the present Rolls and Recruiting Divisions is recommended and discussed in detail. SUMMARY OF RECOMMENDATIONS. 1. That forms be provided for use in the following cases : (a) Preparing data regarding applications of enlisted men for retirement. (b) Informing the enlisted man's commanding officer of the action taken on the application for retirement. (c) Notifying retired enlisted men of failure to report their address. 2. That only those retired enlisted men failing to report be checked on the card record of retired enlisted men, thus eliminating 95 per cent of the present amount of this work. 3. That the correspondence clerks make their own searches of the records in addition to preparing their own correspondence. (To be practicable upon the consolidation of the Rolls, Enlisted Men,'s, and Recruiting Divisions.) With the adoption of the foregoing recommendations the present force of 10 employees, with salaries aggregating $14,400 per annum, can be reduced to 7 clerks, with an aggregate annual salary expense of $10,000. Adding to this expense one-third of the salary of a chief of the consolidated division, $666.67 per annum, the total annual salary expense would be $10,666.67, thereby saving $3,733.33 per annum. The major reform to be accomplished in the conduct of the work now being done in this divison is in connection with the preparation of correspondence. The same failure to take advantage of the printed form is observed in this division as elsewhere in The Adju- tant General's Office. Two examples will suffice to show what can be done in this regard : 1. Application for retirement of Sergt. Frank Laio^ Company E^ Seventeenth Infantry. This enlisted man, having served over 30 years in the Regular Army, being entitled under the law to be retired on three-fourths pay, makes application for that privilege. His letter of application 212 KEPOETS OF COMMISSION ON ECONOMY AND EFFICIENCY. is received, opened, and recorded in the Mail and Record Division, after which it is transmitted to the Enlisted Men's Division, by which division the correspondence and record cards are forwarded to the Rolls Division, where a search of the muster rolls and other papers concerning the man's enlistment is undertaken to cover the entire period of his service in the Army. Pencil memoranda are made of the data taken off the rolls by the searcher, who, at the completion of his search, drafts a report on the record card of dates of beginning and conclusion of each enlistment. The record card and correspondence are then returned to the Enlisted Men's Division, where a computation is made upon a separate sheet, in order to determine the total Army service, domestic and foreign, with which the man may be credited. If this computation shows that the length of service requirements have been fulfilled, the statement is then used as the basis for the draft of the letter to the man's commanding officer authorizing retirement (usually written on the record card in longhand), which draft is then copied on the typewriter as the outgoing letter. The body of the letters in these cases reads uniformly as follows r Referring to the application of First Sergt. Franli Law, Company E, Seven- teenth Infantry, for retirement, forwarded by your indorsement of the 1st instant, you are informed that as the records of tliis office show that the soldier has served 24 years 2 months and 21 days, with double time for 5 years' 9 months and 10 days' foreign service, mailing a total credit of 30 years and 1 day, his retirement has been authorized. The records also show that the soldier is serving in the seventh enlistment period. Duplicate blanli form of descriptive lists for retired enlisted men are in- closed herewith. Copies of special orders directing retirement will follow by mail. Under the heading " Remarlis " on page 5 of the descriptive lists the date? of enlistments and discharges of the soldier should be stated. By order of the Secretary of War: Adjutant General. We recommend the use of a form similar to that already described, which will be filled out by the clerk making the original search of the rolls and other documents affecting the enlisted men, who will make the extension as well. We are advised that under the present practice it takes from three to four hours to make a search of the records in retirement cases, not including the time spent now in the Enlisted Men's Division in the computation of length of service, and the time spent in draft- ing and engrossing the letter authorizing retirement. With the use of the form, the duplication just described will be eliminated, lia- bility to error in the statement will be reduced, and the original statement as first transcribed from the rolls will serve as the perma- nent record in the case. BUSINESS METHODS OF OFFICE OF THE ADJUTANT GENERAL. 213 In place of the stereotyped communication sent to the enlisted man's commanding officer we recommend the use of a form, which, by the insertion of the enlisted man's name, company, and regiment, will simultaneously produce the original letter and the copy for the files. 2. Case of John Doe's failure to notify department of Ms address. The Army regulations provide that retired enlisted men shall re- port their address monthly to the department. In cases of failure to do so the following letter is drafted, usually in longhand, in the Enlisted Men's Division, and then engrossed in form for dispatch. Transcript from records in re Enlistment. Years. Months. Days. Remarks. Number. From— To- 1 Jan. 2,19001 Jan. 2,19031 Jan. 3,19061 Jan. . 1,1903 Jan. 1, 1906 Jan. 1,1909 3 3 3 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 i 10 1 ... Foreign service. Years. Months. Days. Remarks. Place. From— To— Philippine Islands Mar. 1,19001 SAT>t i."; lonn 6 15 Alaska June 30,1908 July 10,1910 2 11 i " j j i Less 30 days' furlough.. . 2 6 26 30 Total Army service to credit 1 An inserted item to illustrate use of form. 214 EEPOKTS OF COMMISSION ON ECONOMY AND EFFICIENCY. From : Tlie Adjutant General of the Army. To : First Sergt. John Burke, United States Army, retired, San Diego, Cal. Subject : Report of address A. G. 136. 1. Under the provisions of paragraph 136 of the Army Regulations you are required to report your address to this office on the last day of every month. 2. You will report your address at once and hereafter comply with the pro- visions of said paragraph. By order of the Secretary of War : Ajjjutant General. It is almost needless to say that a printed post card should be used in such cases. Writing the address on the face of the card is all the clerical work necessary in this case. The above examples strongly illustrate the need of an examina- tion being made of the outgoing correspondence of this division, with the view of devising forms in cases where stereotyped letters are being prepared with frequency. We recommend that instead of checking off on the card records the fact of receipt of notification from retired enlisted men of their address each month, checks be made only of failures to report, which will reduce the work of checking off cards by 95 per cent, since only 5 per cent fail to report monthly. The following force is engaged in drafting correspondence and typewriting the same on matters relating to the station or status of enlisted men. The number of communications so drafted amounts approximately to 80 a day, or a fraction over 13 for each employee. 1 clerk, class 3 $1, 600 2 clerks, class 2 2, 800 3 clerks, class 1 .. 3, 600 Total 8, 000 By the adoption of forms and the discontinuance of the writing of drafts of correspondence on the record cards in accordance with preceding recommendations the actual work of typewriting the com- miuiications will be materially reduced. It is recommended that the six men now engaged on the above correspondence work be reduced to four, who shall prepare their own correspondence, and in addition thereto make their own searches of the records, which latter work is now being performed in the Rolls Division, at the expense of a great deal of time in communi- cating requests and information back and forth between the two divisions. The following work is now performed by two $1,200 clerks, mak- ing an aggregate salary expense of $2,400 per annum : (a) Receiving all mail directed to the division and distributing the same among the various correspondence clerks. This incoming mail averages 80 communications a day. BUSINESS METHODS OF OFFICE OF THE ADJUTANT GENEEAL. 215 (b) Reference to the Rolls Division mainly and other divisions incidentally of about 20 per cent of the incoming mail. (This means an indorsement on a reference card of a brief request for a report or for comment, amounting in the aggregate to about 20 a day.) (c) Keeping a record of the amount of work performed by the various clerks of the division. (d) Keeping a card record of the furnishing by retired enlisted men of their post-office addresses each month, (e) Drafting longhand letters to enlisted men who fail to report their addresses each month. Our recommendations eliminate the following of the above opera- lions and processes in connection with the work of the two clerks above mentioned: Distribution of mail to the various correspondence clerks. This will be done by the distributing clerk of the consolidated division. The work of requesting the Rolls Division by means of the record cards to furnish information as to history and records of enlisted men. , Ninety-five per cent of the checking of the retired enlisted men's cards. We also recommend substitution of a postal card for the present formal letter addressed to enlisted men notifying them of their fail- ure to advise the department as to their post-office address, and re- cording of such correspondence. The above changes will reduce this work more than one-half. It can therefore easily be performed by one man. SAVINGS. There are now 10 employees in this division, with salaries aggre- gating $14,400 per annum. With the adoption of our recommenda- tions, this force can be red'uced to — 1 clerk, class 4 $1,800 5 clerks of class 2, with salaries aggregating 7, 000 1 clerk of class 1 1,200 7 employees at an aggregate annual salary expense of 10,000 To this salary expense must be added one-third of the salary of a chief of the consolidated division, $666.67 per annum, making a total annual salary expense of $10,666.67, leaving a net reduction in salary cost of $3,733.33 per annum. The adoption of our general recommendations in connection with the handling of correspondence, such as the use of the phonograph, discontinuance of the record card, abolition of the practice of pre- paring a first draft of all outgoing correspondence, and the employ- 216 KEPORTS OF COMMISSION^ OF ECONOMY AND EFFICIENCY. ment of printed forms wherever practicable, will materially reduce the clerical work of this division and permit of a corresponding reduction in the working force, as follows : 1 clerk, class 3 $1,600 2 clerks, class 2 2, 800 5 clerks, class 1 6,000 8 employees with salaries aggregating 10,400 per annum. Preparation of general orders^ special orders^ 'bulletins^ and changes in regulations and service manuals. This work is now performed by one clerk, whose salary is $1,600 per annum. He is assisted in proof reading the material to be printed by one of the correspondence clerks of the division. In a discussion of the work now performed by the proof reader in the present pub- lication branch, recommendation has been made that he perform all the proof reading for The Adjutant General's Office, the clerk pre- -paring the copy assisting as copyholder. With the adoption of this recommendation the work can still be performed by one clerk. Recruiting Division. In another section of this report the consolidation of this division with the present Rolls and Enlisted Men's Divisions is recommended and discussed in detail. SUMMARY OF RECOMMENDATIONS. 1. That trimonthly reports be discontinued and that monthly re- ports be required in their stead. 2. In assigning men to organizations : , (a) That the use of forms in correspondence be authorized. (b) That an adjustable, visible index be provided for showing the strength of the Army, authorized and actual, and the number of vacancies. 3. That correspondence clerks personally consult the records in handling correspondence. (To be practicable on the consolidation of the Rolls, Enlisted Men's, and Recruiting Divisions.) With the adoption of the foregoing recommendations, the present force of 11 employees, with salaries aggregating $15,800 per annum, can be reduced to 6 clerks, with an aggregate annual salary expense of $9,000. Adding to this expense one-third of the salary of a chief of the consolidated division, $666.67, the total annual salary expense would be $9,666.67, thereby saving $6,133.33 per annum. BUSINESS METHODS OF OFFICE OF THE ADJUTANT GEFEEAL, 217 TKIMONTHLY REPORTS. The so-called trimonthly report, which is issued three times a month, may be made monthly with no inconvenience to the service, its present purpose being solely a statistical one, intermediate sta- tistics being prepared on a monthly basis, which finally are incorpo- rated in the annual report. Two men are engaged on this work, and if the trimonthly reports were changed to a monthly one, so arranged that it could be placed in a loose-leaf file, the report itself would show the complete record, to enable the Eecruiting Division at any time during the year to ascertain the status of recruiting, make ap- propriate assignments to the various arms of the service, and do all things which are now done by consultation of the monthly summa- ries of enlistments. A pamphlet is issued every month showing the recruiting for the Army during the month. This pamphlet could be made with greater facility if monthly reports were sent in from the field instead of the present trimonthly reports, with this added ad^'antage : The data pre- pared for printing the pamphlet would be taken directlj^ from the original report and thus tend to insure the correctness of the monthly statements as to recruiting. In the event of monthly reports the enlistment papers could then be transmitted directly to the Rolls Division, Avhere thej'- are event- ually filed and where most all of the data thereon is transferred into records kept in that division. The only data taken off the enlistment papers by the Recruiting Division is as to the number of native and foreign born recruits and the number of the reenlistments ; that is to say, enlistments made within a period of three months after a pre- ceding enlistment. This information could more properly and easily be taken off in the Rolls Division at the same time that the other data from the enlistment contracts are obtained; and whenever the Recruiting Division needed such information, requests on the Rolls Division for it would cause it to be furnished. The changing of the trimonthly report to a report made monthly will reduce the amount of work in the field occasioned by the prepa- ration of these reports at recruiting stations, and to that extent con- tribute to the general reduction of paper work and simplification of administrative methods now going on in the field in the interests of good military administration. The following men are engaged upon this service : 1 clerk, class 4 $1, 800 1 clerk, class 1 1,200 Total 3, 000 With the abolition of the trimonthly report this work would be performed by one man, at an annual salary expense of $1,400. 218 REPOETS OF COMMISSION OX ECONOMY AWD EFPICIEISrCY. ASSIGNING MEN TO ORGANIZATIONS. In assigning men to regiments there was noted the same failure to take advantage of the form method of conducting correspondence as exists in other divisions. In the case of each assigiiment or transfer of recruits there are prepared letters in which the following para- graphs appear to be repeated over and over again : I have the honor to communicate to yon the following instructions of tho Secretary of War : (Specific instructions appear here.) The Quartermaster's. Department will provide the necessary funds for trans- portation, the Subsistence Department suitable subsistence, and the Medical De- partment such medical attendance and supplies as may be necessary. Detailed instruction will be given for the police and discipline of the detach- ment while en route. The date of its departure and under whose charge sent will be telegraphed this office and to the commanding general of the division. By the use of a form the above communication will be readily writ- ten with a considerable saving in typewriting work. It seems also that a large part of the duty of the clerk and stenog- rapher engaged in tabulating enlisted vacancies in organizations as shown by the monthly returns, and assigning recruits to specific organizations, can be saved if both the data regarding vacancies and that showing available recruits were maintained in such shape as to be readily consulted. Under the present arrangement, much time must be spent in ascertaining existing conditions in respect of either vacancies or men available, since the figures in regard to both of these items are scattered over a large number of sheets of paper. By the use of an adjustable visible index, both available men and exist- ing vacancies in the entire Army could be before the eye simul- taneously, which would greatly facilitate the work. The following persons are engaged on assignment work : 1 clerk, class 3 $1, 600 1 clerk, class 1 1,200 Total 2, 800 With the use of a visible index this work could be performed by one man with occasional assistance of one of the stenographers. An examination of the work of the Recruiting Division convinces us that it should be consolidated with the Rolls Division. A great many of the reports are also handled by the Rolls Division, and the clerks of the Recruiting Division in preparing correspondence have considerable occasion to consult the records of the Rolls Division in regard to the previous history or status of men seeking reenlistment in the Army. This information is usually obtained by making a BUSINESS METHODS OP OFFICE OF THE ADJUTANT GEISTERAL. 219 request on the record card and transmitting the papers to the Rolls Division, which division has one of its clerks make the proper search in regard to the applicant for enlistment, draft on the record card the pertinent information called for, and transmit the record card and correspondence back to the Recruiting Division. If the Re- cruiting Division were consolidated with the Rolls Division the clerk before whom the case is originally brought would himself pro- ceed to the papers concerning the enlisted man, take off his informa- tion, and draft it immediately into the reply, which would eliminate the writing of considerable matter on the record cards as well as cut out a good deal of the delay occasioned by the transmission of the papers from one division to the other. A striking illustration presents itself in this division of the extent to which the use of record cards retards the business of the office. A very large portion of the correspondence of the Recruiting Division, both incoming and outgoing, is in the form of telegraphic communica- tion. Each telegram is briefed on the back, a record is made of it, which of course delays its receipt in the Recruiting Division. The reply is then drafted on a record card, or, in cases which present unusual complications, a memorandum setting forth the facts and in some cases suggesting the nature of reply appropriate to the par- ticular case. The draft or memorandum is submitted to the adjutant general in charge of recruiting matters, and his approval or direc- tion is written on the record card. A very considerable reduction in this work can be secured by the employment of the direct method in place of the card-record system now existing. Asl an illustration of, the difference between the present method and that proposed, an outline of the course of the ordinary case is here shown : PASSING UPON APPLICATIONS FOR EEENLISTMENT. ■ The following letter, which itself explains the nature of the case, is received at the office of The Adjutant General : U. S. Aemy Recruiting Station, CoBNEK Third and Olive Streets, St. Louis, Mo., August 1, 1912. The Adjutant General U. S. Army, Washington, D. G. Sir : I have the honor to inform you that John A. May, last discharged as a sergeant from Forty-second Company, Coast Artillery Corps, Fort McDovyell, Cal., July 15, 1912, per expiration of term of service, with character " Excel- lent," and who has been examined and found physically qualified, has applied for reenlistment and assignment to Coast Artillery Corps, Jackson Barracks, La., Fort Howard, Md., or Fort Crockett, Tex. I request instructions by telegraph. Very respectfully, F. R. Lang, Major, U. S. Army, Recruiting Officer. 220 EEPOKTS OF COMMISSIOlSr ON ECONOMY AND EFFICIENCY. The following record card is made in the Mail and Kecord Divi- sion: 1941442. Adjutant General's Office, War Department, August 3, 1912. Subject : John A. May, late sergeant Forty-second Company, Coast Artillery Corps. From: Recruiting officer, St. Louis, Mo. (Maj. F. R. Lang), corner Third and Olive Streets. Date of communication : August 1, 1912. Purport of communication : Requests telegraphic instructions as to reenlistment of the above named, for Coast Artillery Corps, Jackson Barracks, La., Fort Howard, Md., or Fort Crockett, Tex. Discharged at Fort McDowell, Cal., July 15, 1912. Character excellent. Physically qualified. Date of reply or final disposition : August 3, 1912. The following brief was written on the first outside fold of the form : [Adjutant General's Office, War Department. 1941442. August 3, 1912.] St. Louis, Mo., August 1, 1912. R. O. : Telegraphic instructions as to reenlistment of John A. May, late ser- geant Forty-second Company, Coast Artillery Corps. The correspondence was then sent to the Eecruiting Division for treatment. The distributing clerk examined the case and wrote on the record card the following: Rolls Report, 9 :35. Shelton, S. H. H. The record card and correspondence, unless requiring action by telegraph, are then thrown in the box for transmission by the mes- senger service to the Rolls Division; if the case requires action by telegraph, the papers are sent special by hand. The distributing clerk in that division assigns the case to a searcher. The clerk mak- ing the search of muster rolls or other papers usually jots down a pencil memorandum of the data essential apparently for the purposes of the Recruiting Division. It is in most cases necessary for the examiner in the Rolls Division to read the correspondence in order to determine in his own mind the nature of the information desired by the Recruiting Division. In this .case, after making the pencil memorandum, the clerk prepared the following report, which was written on the record card : Rectg. Division : John A. May, sergeant, Forty-seconfl Company, Coas!: Artillery Corps, enlisted July 30, 1909, at Jeff. Barracks, jNIo. 1st enc. single. Present April 30, 1912 (latest roll). Arrived in United States July 10, 1912, on trans- port Sherman. 10 Stafford. BUSINESS METHODS OF OFFICE OF THE ADJUTANT GENERAL. 221 Card and correspondence then go to the reviewing clerk of the division for examination. He transmits them by messenger service to the Eecruiting Division unless action is required by telegraph, in which case the papers are sent special by hand. His action in this case, following the usual practice, was to write the following draft of a telegram on the record card: (This is written sometimes in long hand by the clerk in charge ; sometimes in typeAvriting by the stenog- rapher.) Not approved. No vacancies either post mentioned. August 3, 1912. J. S. K., A. G. The record card and correspondence were sent by special messenger to Col. Kerr for his approval, which was indicated by writing his initials on the card below the draft of the telegram. Record card and correspondence were then returned by messenger to the Eecruiting Division. Mr. Brandt handed the case to a clerk (Mr. Helmers), who drafted the telegram on a record card, as follows : Referring to No. 1941442 write the telegram recorded below : 11.45. GHH, Correspondence Clerk. , Examiner. Done Aug. 3, 1912, by GHH, 11.48. [Telegram.] Eecrxjiting Officer, Third and Olive, St. Louis, Mo.: Application May not approved by Secretary War. No vacancies either post mentioned. Kebe, Adjutant General. After drafting the above telegram Clerk Helmers filled out the file number and time at the top of the card and then wrote the telegram itself on a regular blank. After writing the telegram he inserted the time — 11.48. The telegram was transmitted to the War Department telegraph office, where, after transmission of the telegram, the telegrapher placed the following stamp on the record card, filling out the time : Original of following telegram filed in War Department Telegraph Office Aug. 3, 1912, 12.10 p. m. J. H. P. Reviewed by E. L. The telegrapher then returned the record card by messenger service to the Recruiting Division, where the same was delivered in the box of Mr. Brandt. Mr. Brandt handed the papers to Mr. Helmers, wha indorsed on the first outside fold of the form the following: Tel. to R. O., St. Louis, Mo. Aug. 3/12. File. B. H. B. 222 EEPOETS OF COMMISSIOlSr ON ECONOMY AND EFFICIENCY. Under the proposed method the form or telegram, submitting the question to the department will be given directly to the clerk in charge of the case, and his decision will be put in the form of a tele- gram, which will be transmitted to The Adjutant General for signature. If the Eecruiting Division were a section of the Rolls Division, the clerk who has this work in charge could be located near the files so that a consultation of the roll would be facilitated. The telegram would go immediately to the clerk handling the case; he would examine the records and draft his reply, and the submission of the reply to The Adjutant General would serve the purpose of a memo- randum made on the record card and the signature of The Adjutant General would have constituted his approval of the suggested actii. ~ of his division. A clerk of class 4, assisted by two stenographers, is engaged almost the whole of his time in handling requests and inquiries of this nature, which are received to the .average extent of 35 daily. By the elimina- tion of the record cards the time of at least one stenographer would be saved and the work of the clerk would be considerably reduced. SAVINGS. There are now 11 employees in this division with salaries aggre- gating $15,800 per annum. With the adoption of our recommenda- tions this force can be reduced to — Per annum. 1 clerk, class 4, in charge $1, 800 2 clerks, class 3 3,200 2 clerks, class 2, with salaries aggregating 2, 800 1 clerk, class 1 1, 200 6 employees at an aggregate annual salary expense of 9, 000 To this salary expense must be added one-third of the salary of ,1 chief of the consolidated division, $666.67 per annum, making a total annual salary expense of $9,666.67, leaving a net reduction in salary cost of $6,133.33 per annum. EoLLs Division. In another section of this report the consolidation of this division with the present Enlisted Men's and Recruiting Divisions is recom- mended and discussed in detail. SUMMARY or RECOMMENDATIONS. 1. That forms and other abbreviated methods of correspondence be used in — (a) Correction of muster rolls. (b) Correction of enlistment papers, etc. (c) Preparation of miscellaneous correspondence. BUSINESS METHODS OF OFFICE OF THE ADJUTANT GENERAL. 223 2. That the register of enlistments be discontinued and the original papers used instead. 3. That contracts of enlistment, descriptive, and assignment cards be on cards 5 by 8 inches, filed openly instead of in jackets. 4. That reports be filed flat and that enlistment papers with analo- gous dociunents be filed in one file instead of in chronological periods. With the adoption of the foregoing recommendations the present force of 52 employees with salaries aggregating $65,600 per annum can be reduced to 26 clerks with an aggregate annual salary expense of $32,800. Adding to this expense one-third of the salary of a chief of the consolidated division, $666.66 per annum, the total annual salary expense would be $33,466.66, thereby saving $32,133.34 per annum. The major part of this saving will be effected by the elimi- nation of clerical work in connection with the preparation of correspondence. The above estimate of saving to be secured through the adoption of our recommendations takes no account of the reduction in clerical work hj the Correspondence and Examining Division in engrossing communications which have already been drafted in the Rolls Divi- sion. This work of engrossing correspondence as well as the work attached to the indexing and filing of the record cards under the present system will be eliminated by the adoption of our recom- mendations. The clerks of the Rolls Division are engaged principally in ex- amining current Army reports and returns, keeping registers of enlisted men, and drafting correspondence looking to the correction of errors and omissions in Army reports and returns, as well as answering inquiries from governmental sources and the public on subjects relating to enlisted men now serving or who have served in the Army. The greater part of the clerical work consists of the preparation of correspondence; and it is in connection with this function that the failure existing generally throughout The Adjutant General's Office to make use of forms and other abbreviated means of answering inquiries of the public or the Army is brought to light in a most pronounced way. Such purely perfunctory matters as furnishing an inquirer with the address of an enlisted man in the Army are made the subject of a formal communication, anywhere from 50 to 100 words in length, when such information, so frequently furnished, could in a fraction of the time be handled by returning the letter to the inquirer with a form or slip attached containing the present address of the individual inquired about. Most of the outgoing correspondence prepared in this division con- sists of information taken from the records of the division ; that is to say, information in regard to the whereabouts, status, or military 224 EBPOKTS OF COMMISSION ON ECONOMY AND EPFIGIENOY. service of enlisted men. With few exceptions, a card record is re- tained of this information. This record only rarely serves a useful purpose, and that is when a similar inquiry in regard to the same individual is made in the future. Information of this sort should be unrecorded and the letter of inquiry should be returned to the person asking for the information, in order to relieve the files and records. It may be stated, however, that in accordance with a general recom- mendation contained in the preliminary report of March 20, 1912, an order, it is understood, has been issued by the chief clerk of The Adjutant General's Office to discontinue the recording of letters on certain subjects of a perfunctory nature. This unrecorded corre- spondence in the EoUs Division now amounts to about 25 communica- tions a day, but it falls very far short of the extent to which it is possible to carry the elimination of the recording of correspondence. In fact, in our opinion, there is very little correspondence emanating from this division of which any record should be kept. A recommendation has been made by the office of the Chief of Staff that the muster roll be discontinued. Until its discontinuance can be effected, however, we believe that no time should be lost in changing the methods of correcting the rolls and drafting corre- spondence relating to the correction of errors and omissions in the rolls. A great deal of time is unnecessarily spent in drafting lengthy correspondence which should be replaced by forms in accordance with recommendations treated more in detail later on in this report. The general recommendation made in the preliminary report that the filing of papers in folded condition should be discontinued and that papers should be filed flat, or, in the case of large documents, be folded to a size approximating 8 by 11 inches, applies with full force to the papers of this division. The necessity to frequently handle folded papers in the files considerably retards their examina- tion as well as the filing of them. la. C orrespondence inrelation to muster rolls. — In connection with the examination of muster rolls it becomes necessary to conduct cor- respondence looking to the correction of errors and omissions made in the field by those writing up the rolls. These errors and omissions in the main fall into 12 classes, as follows : 1. Error in name. 2. Error in date of enlistment. .3. Name omitted from tlie column " Names — Present/' but cause of absence at muster not shown in tbe remarks. 4. Name entered in column " Names — Present," whereas a statement in column for remarks shows absence at muster. 5. Date of change of grade omitted. 6. Date of joining (by assignment or transfer) omitted. 7. Date, place, or cause of discharge not stated. BUSINESS METHODS OF OFFICE OF THE ADJUTANT GENEEAL. 225 8. Wlietlier service was honest and faithful not stated. 9. Character given on discharge certificate not stated. 10. Date and place of return of deserter to military control not stated. 11. Money value of clothing drawn by deserter between dates of apprehension and separation from service not stated. 12. Balance due United States or due soldier for clothing at discharge or desertion not stated. Instead of the present practice of writing a letter at length in cases where the above classes of errors and omissions appear in connection with the muster roll, we recommend that a form be devised setting forth the nature of these errors and omissions as separate items, so that by means of a check mark or the insertion of a word or two the error or omission can be called to attention and a direction issued to take the necessary corrective action. A suggested design for the form appears hereafter. We believe that by the use of the form the time taken to prepare correspondence in connection with the correction of muster rolls will be gTeatly reduced. A detailed description of the present practice, as compared with that' proposed, appears to be pertinent to point out the necessity for changing the existing method and to show definitely the great saving to be accomplished by the elimination of unnecessary work in connec- tion with the examination and correction of muster rolls on which 16 men are now employed. The examination of muster rolls is about as follows : The examiner takes the current roll and compares it with the roll of the preceding month. The first step is an examination of the recapitulation of the rolls to see that the entry of the aggregate of the last bimonthly muster agrees with the total shown on the pre- ceding muster roll. The next step is to note from the recapitulation the total number of alterations since the preceding muster. The examiner then proceeds to check the names on the roll that are found to conform in spelling and date of enlistment to the names on the roll submitted for the next preceding bimonthly period. When agree- ment is found with the entry of the same person's name on the pre- ceding roll that name is checked with pencil. After all the names have been checked the examiner then proceeds to make a notation of the losses and gains. A slip is made for every alteration. The ex- aminer first goes through the rolls making out slips showing all the gains. In cases of transfer from one regiment to another the regi- ment from which the transfer is made is shown on the slip. After the slips showing the gains have been made the examiner counts the slips and compares the total with the total shown by the recapitula- tion as having joined the organization. The examiner then goes through the rolls and makes out slips for the discharges. In some 72734°— H. Doc. 1252, 62-3 15 226 REPORTS OF COMMISSIOISr ON ECONOMY AND EFFICIENCY. cases the discharged man reenlists in the same company, in which case the examiner makes a separate slip. In these cases it would be possi- ble to enter the information on the first card made out. To show that a slip has been made the examiner red checks the names on the page in which the losses from the regiment have been shown. He then compares the total number of loss slips with the total number of losses to the regiment shown in the recapitulation. The next step of the examiner is to make a complete check of the recapitulation. After this checking has been done the examiner is then ready for the preparation of correspondence to correct errors and omissions in the roll. The best way of illustrating this method is to take an actual case. One of the most frequent errors in muster rolls is the failure to state in the roll the balance due the United States or due the soldier for clothing at discharge or desertion. Bearing in mind that this case arises with great frequency in a group of a dozen above enumerated, comprising 75 per cent of the total errors and omissions in muster rolls, it is believed pertinent to show a comparison of the great and unnecessary amount of work done under the present practice and the slight clerical work involved in the method proposed. Assume that the roll submitted by Company A, First Battalion of Engineers, Washington Barracks, Washington, D. C, reports Thomas Jones, a second-class private, as a deserter, but does not show the balance due the United States or due the soldier' at his desertion, as required by instruction 8, on the muster roll. The clerk examining the roll, finding this error, proceeds as follows: He writes in long- hand on the record card the following matter : The Commanding Officer Company A, First Battalion of Engineers, WasMngton Barracks, Washington, D. C. Sir : The muster roll of your company for May and June, 1912, on file in ihis office, is defective as follows: Thomas Jones, second-class private, is reported as deserted, etc., but the Mlance due the United States or due the soldier for clothing at desertion is aot stated, as required by instruction 8 on the roll. The Secretary of War directs that, with the return of this letter, the information necessary to complete the roll be furnished this office, and that ihe retained records be amended accordingly. Very respectfully, , Adjutant General. The work in the above, as will be observed, involves writing 106 words in longhand, a most laborious and thoroughly out-of-date practice. The next step is to send the draft by five-minute messenger service io the Correspondence and Examining Division, where a typewriter BUSINESS METHODS OP OFFICE OP THE ADJUTANT GENEKAL. 22? engrosses the same. The following work, therefore, is done in the Correspondence and Examining Division: War Department, The Adjutant General's Office, Washington, July 27, 1912. The Commanding Officer Company A, First Battalion of Engineers, Washington Barracks, WasMngton, D. C. Sir : The muster roll of your company for May and June, 1912, on file In this office, is defective as follows : Thomas Jones, second-class private, is reported as deserted, etc., but the balance due the United States or due the soldier for clothing at desertion is not stated, as required by instruction 8 on the roll. The Secretary of War directs that, with the return of this letter, the information necessary to complete the roll be furnished this office, and that the retained records be amended accordingly. Very respectfully, , Adjutant General. The above work, as will be seen, involves the typewriting of 106 words. From the Correspondence and Examining Division the letter goes to The Adjutant General or one of his assistants for signature. The next step is to press-copy the letter; then an envelope is ad- dressed by hand, the letter inclosed therein, and dispatched. There are many other details in connection with the preparation of a letter, such as comparison of the typewritten letter with the hand-written draft; preparation of a card to hold the case in the suspense file; numbering of the communication and the attendant papers ; and filing of the copies of the correspondence in the Division of Mail and Kecord. Under the proposed method the clerk examining the roll would merely write the words "Thomas Jones" in the body of the form below described. The date of the muster roll will have previously been stamped in a number of the forms, and the address will bo written at the top. The form will then be placed in an outlook en- velope which eliminates the necessity for addressing and insure':! correctness of address. The difference, therefore, in actual writing of words in the communication proper in longhand and typewriting is between 212 and 2. The following is the proposed form : War Department, The Adjutant General's Office, Washington, November — , 1912. From : The Adjutant General. To : The Commanding Officer, Company — , . Subject : Discrepancies in muster roll. The muster roll of your company for , 1912, is defective in the particu- lars indicated by the numbers accompanying each name of enlisted men inserted below. 228 EEPOETS OF COMMISSION ON ECONOMY AND EFFICIENCY. The Secretary of War directs tliat tliis form be returned to this office if additional information is necessary to complete the roll, with such information Inserted on the blank line or lines below each name, and that the retained records be amended accordinglJ^ KEY TO NUMBERS. 1. Error in (a) name, (b) date of enlistment. It appears on the roll as (1) and on the enlistment contract as (2). Note instructions on the roll. 2. Name omitted from the column " Names — present," but cause of absence at muster not shown in the remarks. 3. Name entered in column " Names — present," whereas a statement in column for remarks shows absence in muster. 4. Date of change of grade omitted. 5. Date of joining omitted. 6. (a) Date, (b) place, (c) cause, of discharge not stated. 7. Whether service was honest and faithful not stated. 8. Character given on discharge not stated. 9. (a) Date, (b) place, of return of deserter to military control not stated. 10. Money value of clothing drawn by deserters between dates of apprehension and separation from service not stated. 11. Balance due (a) United States, (b) soldier, for clothing at discharge or desertion not stated. 12. 13. 14. 15. Note. — In all discrepancies indicated by (1) it is only necessary that the retained records be amended. The use of the above form if not obvious from a reading thereof may be briefly stated as follows: The date of the form letter and period of the muster roll will, of course, be rubber-stamped on the form, while the name of the com- pany and address will have to be written in. It will be observed, that in every case of an error or omission which occurs in relation BUSINESS METHODS OF OFFICE OF THE ADJUTANT GENERAL. 229 to a particular individual, the mere writing of his name will be suffi- cient to call attention to the defect in the roll respecting that indi- vidual. The same form will be used by the field force in correcting the errors or supplying the War Department with the omissions to en- able it to correct its own records. In most cases it will be seen that a date or a word or two entered in the appropriate place on the form will suffice to take the place of the lengthy communication now pre- pared in the field to do this same service. The return of the form will be evidence that the matter has been attended to in the field- It is proposed to write this form in one copy only, stamping on the muster roll which is immediately filed the fact that it is " pending correction." No periodic examination of the roll will be necessary in order to see whether the correction has been made, since with the com- ing of the new roll the preceding roll must be withdrawn from the files for purposes of comparison. Whether proper action has been taken in the field in respect to the particular roll will then be shown automatically, so to speak. The result will be that instead of writing first a hand draft and then a typewritten letter, press copying the same, maintaining a suspense file, and performing many other pieces of work, all of which taken together consume a great amount of clerical time and labor, engaging the attention of three large divisions of the office, a form can be employed, the writing of one name on which will accom- plish the administrative purpose as expeditiously and surely as the present method, and with the expenditure of very much less time and labor. The following force is engaged in examining muster rolls and drafting correspondence relative thereto: 3 clerks, class 2 $4,200 8 clerks, class 1 9,600 5 clerks at $1,000 5,000 Total 18, 800 The elaborate method just described is mainly responsible for the large force of 16 men being engaged on this work. The elimination of work which will be accomplished by the use of the form will easily save the services of 8 men. In addition to the saving in this division, the Correspondence and Examining Division will be relieved of the work of typewriting and comparing the outgoing correspondence which is put upon the new form. This now amounts to 8,000 type- written communications a year, most of the work in connection with which it is believed will be eliminated by the use of the form. This may seem a reduction which is not warranted by the situation, but when consideration is had of the fact that the average communica- 230 EEPOETS OP COMMISSION ON ECONOMY AND EFFICIENCY. tion in connection with the correction of an error in a muster roll amounts to not less than 100 words, whereas under the system pro- posed it would involve the writing of 2 to 10 Avords only, the con- servatism of the estimated reduction becomes apparent. Another factor entering into this saving is that the work of the examination of muster rolls will be concentrated among fewer men and save the interchange of slip memoranda between them, as is now the practice. For example, when a man examining a muster roll discovers a gain to the service he fills out a slip showing that fact. This slip goes to the man entering the register of enlistments. If the register clerk finds a difference in the name as shown on the slip when compared with that entered in the register of enlistments, he notes that fact on the slip, the slip is then returned to the clerk originally making the same, and this necessitates a reexamination of the muster rolls to see whether the clerk has made an error in the transcribing; if he has correctly taken the name from the roll, it then becomes necessary for the examiner to go to the files containing the original enlistment papers in order to ascertain the way the applicant signed his enlist- ment contract. After examination of the original enlistment con- tract the examiner will write the correctly spelled name on the slip and transmit it back to the clerk writing on the register of enlist- ments. Nearly all the roundabout detail just described will be saved by the direct method of having the clerk who examines the muster rolls compare gains with the enlistment papers. When he discovers that an error has been made in entering the name on the muster roll, he can immediately fill out the form letter, which will be done in but a fraction of the time consumed by the slip method. Eight men can perform all the work in connection with the exami- nation of muster rolls and prepare the correspondence looking to the correction of errors and omissions therein, which reduction will effect a saving of approximately $9,600 per annum. The discontinuance of tho muster roll would save the services of every one of the above men. Until the abolition of the muster roll can be secured, however, great savings in the clerical work of han- dling them can be immediately effected. It is no exaggeration to say that two-fifths of the time of the above men is consumed in drafting, by handwriting, correspondence in relation to errors and omissions in muster rolls. lb. Exmnination of enlistment pa^ers^ etc. — We recommend that forms be printed for the use of clerks examining enlistment con- tracts, descriptive and assignment cards, and analogous papers. The same lengthy, detailed, and obsolete method of preparing cor- respondence in connection with errors found in enlistment papers, descriptive and assignment cards, and other similar reports is fol- BUSINESS METHODS OP OFFICE OF THE ADJUTANT GENERAL. 231 lowed as in the case of the muster rolls except that the classes of errors in these papers are fewer than in the case of muster rolls and they can be more easily handled. As has been set forth at length in the descriptive portion of this report, at least 90 per cent of the errors found in enlistment contracts fall into about 12 classes. The following is a suggestion for a form: War Department, Office of The Adjutant General, Washington, — , 19 — ■. Sir: Examination. of the attached enlistment paper shows that it is defective in the particulars checked : 1. Street and house number omitted. 2. Declaration not signed. 3. Corrections made by officer on the within contract not certified. 4. Difference in name as shown by signature and as entered by auditor. 5. Record of aeeptance not filled in. 6. Consent of minors not filled in. 7. Consent of minors not signed. 8. Conflict of dates. 9. Conjugal condition not stated. Please correct the enlistment paper in respect to the particulars checked above and return the same to this office. Respectfully, . . Adjutant General. By the use of the above form a check mark opposite the pertinent item will be all that will be neccesary to call attention to the fact that the enlistment paper is defective in that regard. The following force is engaged in examining enlistment papers, descriptive and assignment cards, beneficiary designations, and also drafting correspondence relative thereto: 1 clerk, class 2 $1,400 2 clerks, class 1 2,400 Total 3, 800 The principal work of these men is drafting letters looking to the correction of errors and omissions found in enlistment papers and assignment and descriptive cards. It is obvious that the entire work of examining enlistment papers, descriptive and assignment cards, and filling out forms designed to correct errors and omissions shown by such examination, can be per- formed by two men who also can file the original papers submittedc The saving, therefore, will be not less than $1,200 per annum. Ic. Miscellaneous correspondence. — A careful observation of the work of 22 clerks who were engaged in searching and reporting from records and drafting miscellaneous correspondence, as well as review- ing certain reports from records was made. The same criticism as to failure to take advantage of the use of forms in the preparation of 232 EEPOETS OP commissioint on economy and efficiency. correspondence as was made in relation to other sections of the office applies with equal force here. Correspondence of the most perfunc- tory nature, such as informing an inquirer as to the whereabouts or address of an individual, informing the inquirer that additional in- formation should be furnished the division in order to enable it to make a complete search in regard to a particular individual; well crystallized statements of the military service of enlisted men, state- ments as to the actual date of joining the Army or the actual date of separation from the service — all these are made the subject of care- fully prepared letters, which have to be reviewed from the standpoint of accuracy of statement and correctness of presentation. These let- ters will run from 50 to 200 words in length, whereas by the use of appropriate forms the actual writing by the clerks preparing the cor- respondence would be reduced at least 90 per cent. As quite a number of forms should be used in this work, we will not suggest drafts of the same, but we recommend that a careful ex- amination of outgoing correspondence prepared in this division be made and forms devised to reduce the amount of labor. The recom- mendations made in another part of this report regarding the han- dling and filing of correspondence provide that letters of this class be prepared for signature by the clerks making the searches. We do not hesitate to state that at least 10 men can be withdrawn from this work when such forms have been devised and the recording and in- dexing of statements concerning the whereabouts or military service of enlisted men are eliminated, which will accomplish a saving of approximately $12,600 per annum. The following force is engaged upon this work: 1 clerk, class 4 $1,800 2 clerks, class 3 3, 200 4 clerks, class 2 5,600 14 clerks, class 1 16, 800 1 clerk at $1,000 ^ 1,000 Total 28,400 2. THE REGISTER OF ENLISTMENTS. We recommend the discontinuance of the register of enlistments. All the information contained on this register, with the exception of information in regard to the final separation of an enlisted man from the service, is contained in the original papers. The original papers are accessible, in fact very much more so, than the data in respect to the man contained in the register. They are filed in straight alpha- betical order, while in the book registers the names are entered chro- nologically under the initial of the surname only. About 200 con- tracts are entered dailv in the register, and in addition about 300 BUSINESS METHODS OF OFFICE OF THE ADJUTANT GENEEAL. 233 entries dailj" are made to note losses and gains to the enlisted men's service. The purpose of the enlistment register has been described as fol- lows by the head of the Rolls Division : The enlistment register enables the office by inspection of the relevant page column to ascertain- promptly the cases in which the examination of service and enlisted men are not shown by the records, and consequently to take steps to obtain information with regard to such examinations of service. Cases in which the records do not show termination of service of enlisted men are not infrequent. A systematic examination of the enlistment registers are made periodically with a view to disclosing cases in which, although the period for which enlistment has expired, no termination of service is shown by the record. When any such cases are found the responsible officer is called on to report the fact in the case, and in this way a final record is obtained within a reasonable length of time after their separation from the service and before the facts of the case have been lost or forgotten. The enlistment registers enable the office to identify soldiers or former soldiers in many cases in which the actual or approximate date of enlistment is known but in which the organization is not known and the name as given by the in- quirer varies from the service name. This occurs quite frequently, especially in cases of telegraphic inquiries from police authorities or other civil officials as to whether a man who enlisted about a certain date is wanted as a deserter. In many of these cases the inquiry is made by telegraph and names are fre- quently so changed in transmission by telegraph that the man whose record is desired can only be identified by means of an examination of the record, in the enlistment register, of enlistments made on or about the date indicated in the request. The enlistment registers are the only source available for the compilation of certain statistical and other data called for by the Secretary of War, the Chief of Staff, and other officials of the War Department. For example, in- formation concerning (a) the number of men in the service at a given date whose terms of service will expire within a certain period; or (b) the number of men enlisted during a certain period who had prior military service; or (c) the manner of terminaton of service of deserters restored to a duty status during a certain period; and (d) much other information of a similar charac- ter can be obtained only from these registers. Any item of the above information can be obtained by going over the cards in the file. This information obtained for statistical pur- poses is not called for very frequently, and while it may take a little longer to obtain it by consulting the cards the infrequency of such calls is such that a special record kept for that purpose at a cost of over $5,000 a year is not justified. The following force is engaged in recording in the registers of en- listments the enlistment contracts, noting assignments and transfers therein, jacketing and filing the enlistment contracts, and descriptive and assignment cards: 1 clerk, class 2 $1,400 2 clerks, class 1 2,400 1 clerk at $1,000 1,000 Total 4, 800 234 EEPORTS OP COMMISSION" ON ECOISTOMY AND EFFICIENCY. The following men are engaged exclusively in recording in the register of enlistments memoranda prepared by the roll examiners of discharges, retirements, and desertions: 1 clerk, class 2 $1,400 1 clerk, class 1 1, 200 Total 2, 600 The registers cost $16.97 each. About eight volmnes are used in three years, so that the annual cost for books which will be saved is $45.25. With the discontinuance of the registers the above work will be cut to the filing of enlistment contracts and descriptive and assign- ment cards. This work can be performed by one man, with time to spare. The net saving in this connection, not including the cost of the registers, will therefore be $6,400 per annum. 3. CONTEACT OF ENLISTMENT. We recommend that the present application pr contract of enlist- ment be placed upon a card 5 by 8 inches in size, written on both sides, and that the descriptive and assignment cards be changed so as to be 5 by 8 inches in size. The latter cards should be placed upon paper of a different color than that used for the enlistment con- tracts. Instead of filing the cards and the accompanying papers in jackets, they can then be filed openly at a great saving of space and time in handling them. These papers will take up less than half the filing space that is now given to them under the use of the jacket and folding method. 4. FILING METHODS. While we do not approve of the cumbersome and obsolete method of filing reports folded in wooden file boxes, which are difficult of access, do not preserve the papers well, and admit dust, we have criticized this method generally in other parts of this report. We do not approve of the practice of filing enlistment papers and like docu- ments in chronological periods. We believe such papers should be filed in two sections, one for all enlisted men now in active service in the Army, and another for all persons who have at any time served in the enlisted ranks. This would make it necessary to go to only one place to find a person's record who has previous service in the Army, whereas under the present practice if the date or approximate date of the man's enlistment is not known a search maj^ be necessary in 15 or 20 sections of the file. It would be a very large task to throw the papers together into two comprehensive files, but there is no BUSINESS METHODS OP OFFICE OF THE ADJUTANT GENEKAL. 235 question that if this, were done the speed of consultation would be greatly increased. It is only a question of finding available a force of clerks which can be temporarily placed upon this work, in which event the change would be justified. CONCLUSION. The recommendations we advance above in regard to conducting correspondence, and these constitute a material portion of the sav- ings, can be put into effect immediately without in any way disrupt- ing the present organization of the office. Experiments with forms can be had, and if experience shows that changes should be made in the forms, no vital harm will have been caused and the arrival at well-thought-out forms will be that much advanced. We earnestly urge the immediate adoption of our recommendations in this regard, so that advantage of the material savings which, it is pointed out, can be effected may be immediately taken. SAVINGS. There are now 52 employees in this division, with salaries aggre^ gating $65,600 per annum. With the adoption of our recommenda' tions, this force can be reduced to — 1 clerk, class 4, in cMrge $1, 800 1 clerk, class 3 1, 600 4 clerks, class 2, witli salaries aggregating 5, 600 19 clerks, class 1, with salaries aggregating 22, 800 1 clerk, at 1,000 26 employees at a total annual salary expense of 32, 800 To this salary expense must be added one-third of the salary of n. chief of the consolidated division, $666.66 per annum, making a total annual salary expense of $33,466.66, leaving a net reduction in salary cost of $32,133.34 per annum. Division of Appointments, Commissions, and Personnel. In another section of this report the consolidation of this division with the present Returns and Military Academy Divisions is recom- mended and discussed in detail. SUMMARY OF RECOMMENDATIONS. It is recommended: 1. That the correspondence clerks personally consult the records in the Returns Division and in the register section of this division for necessary data in preparing cases for action. 236 EEPOETS OF COMMISSIOIsr ON" ECOISTOMY AND EFFICIENCY. 2. That the present letter forms be revised and consolidated so that the inserted matter may be concentrated in one place. 3. That the present card form for recording applicants for exami- nation for appointment in the Army be revised to also record the results of the examination. 4. That the two lists now being maintained in the register section, showing the relative and lineal rank of officers of the Army, be con- solidated by the use of an adjustable visible index. With the adoption of the foregoing recommendations the present force of 13 employees, with salaries aggregating $19,200 per annum, can be reduced to 10 clerks, with an aggregate annual salary expense of $14,000. Adding to this expense one-third of the salary of a chief of the consolidated division, $666.67 per annum, the total annual sal- ary expense would be $14,666.67, thereby saving $4,533.33 per annum. 1. It is reconhmended that the correspondence clerk yersondUy con- sult the records in the Returns Division and in the register sec- tion of this division for necessary data in preparing cases for action. Preparation of correspondence. — All cases relating to the service of commissioned officers are referred to the Returns Division for a memorandum of the records of the officers concerned. A request is written on the record card by the correspondence clerk in the Ap- pointments, Commissions, and Personnel Division, asking the Returns Division for the record. The registers in the Returns Division are searched, and the requisite information is regard to the officer is written on the record card and the card is then returned to the Ap- pointments, Commissions, and Personnel Division. This makes it necessary for two clerks (one in each division) to look over the corre- spondence and become familiar with the nature of the case. It is also necessary for the chief of the Returns Division to glance over the correspondence to learn its nature in order to distribute it to the clerks who have that part of the work to do. If the case refers to the record of more than one officer, it may be necessary for several clerks to handle it. This means that each of them will have to read the communication- before he can proceed. By consolidating the Returns Division and the Appointments, Commissions, and Personnel Divi- sion the records of the former will be within easy access of the corre- spondence clerks nov/ in the latter division, so that it will be possible for them to personally consult the records for the necessary data in preparing cases for action, thus eliminating the time spent by the several clerks of the Returns Division in looking over the corre- spondence and transmitting to the Appointments, Commissions, and Personnel Division, by means of a report on the record card, the BUSIlsrESS METHODS OF OFFICE OF THE ADJUTANT GENERAL. 23? information from which is drafted the formal reply. It will also leave the clerks in the Returns Division free to concentrate their ener- gies on the compilation of records. In the majority of cases there is an unnecessary amount of information furnished by the Returns Division, for the reason that they do not know to what extent the correspondence clerk in the Appointments, Commissions, and Per- sonnel Division will require record data. For the same reason infor- mation is liable to be omitted from the record-card report prepared in the Returns Division, due to the clerk not realizing just what is necessary for an adequate reply in the case. This is particularly true of clerks who have been in the office for a short period only. It is believed that with the installation of a card record in the Returns Division showing the service of the commissioned officers of the Army it will be a simple matter for the correspondence clerks themselves to get necessary information from the record cards. There is nothing technical about the records in the Returns Division. The correspondence clerks in the Appointments, Com- missions, and Personnel Division are fully as familiar with the methods of interpreting the data on the returns as are the clerks in the Returns Division. And the correspondence clerks are more familiar with the latest decisions regarding the status of officers, commutation of quarters, and travel allowances. As it is not always possible for the Appointments, Commissions, and Personnel Division to get all the information necessary for action on a case upon the first request of the Returns Division, the time consumed between the time the case is first sent by the correspondence clerk in the Appoint- ments, Commissions, and Personnel Division to the Returns Division and the time it is received by the correspondence clerk after all the information desired has been entered on the record card is, in our opinion, more than equal to that which would be required for the correspondence clerks in the beginning to search the records for the information necessary for action on the case. That this reference to the records by the several correspondence clerks in the Appointments, Commissions, and Personnel Division would interrupt the posting of records by the compilers in the Returns Division is true, but, by placing the compilers who have the officers' records whose names commence with letters from A to E next to the correspondence clerk who will handle the correspondence affecting these officers, the corre- spondence clerk may draw from the file such cards as he will need for a case. For the short period that he is handling that case, this, interference will be practically nothing. Preparation of orders. — ^It is now the practice in the Appoint- ments, Commissions, and Personnel Division for a correspondence clerk, after an order has been drawn up in rough draft, to have it 238 REPOETS OP COMMISSION ON ECONOMY AND EPFICIENCY. sent to the register section of that division for a verification of the spelling of the officer's name and the designation of his regiment and rank. The draft is then sent to the Keturns Division, where a pencil memorandum is placed on the back, showing the address of the officer and his status, and then the draft is sent to the Orders Division for printing. By having the correspondence clerk prepare his own case in reference to looking up the records, these two steps in send- ing orders from the Appointments, Commissions, and Personnel Division to the Orders Division will be eliminated. The correspond- ence clerk will be familiar with the proper designation of the officer and the correct spelling of his name, and should be held responsible that the name appears in the order correctly, and that the officer's status is so shown in memorandum form on the order, so as to insure a proper distribution of copies of the order by the Orders Division. 2. It is recoTnmended that the present letter forms he revised and consolidated so that the inserted matter may he concentrated in one place. An examination of the forms used in connection with the work of this division shows that by a rearrangement of the matter thereon a saving of time in filling them out on the typewriter can be effected. The blank spaces in which the typewritten information must now be inserted are scattered. The forms should be revised so that the in- serted matter may be concentrated in one place, and by so doing the speed of filling out the forms would be materially increased. This will not only save time of the stenographer, but also enable the re- viewing officer or employee to see at a glance the inserted informa- tion, because of its being all in one place. He will not have to scruti- nize the entire form to see whether the same is made out correctly. It also appears that there are cases where form communications are sent simultaneously to several persons with practically the same in- serted matter, although some slight difference or variation in the printed part of the form may exist. By rearranging such forms so that they may be filled out by one process a considerable saving of time will be secured. 3. It is recommended that the present card for recording applicants for examination for appointment in the Army he revised to also record the results of the examination. All pending applications for appointment in the Army from civil life or from the ranks of the Army are now kept on blank cards which show the name, age, and birthplace of the applicant. When the applicant has been examined a new card is made out showing the result in detail of the examinations, both preliminary and competi- BUSINESS METHODS OF OFFICE OF THE ADJUTANT GENEEAL. 239 tive. By inserting the same information which is now put on the blank card on the card showing the result of the examination in the spaces already provided for this information, there would be a saving in the time required in making out the blank card and a saving of space in the card file, and the card now used for showing the name of the applicant could be discontinued. Besides, in the case of each record of examination for appointment there would be saved in fill- ing out the form the work involved in writing name, age, and birth- place of the applicant. The only change necessary in those cases where it is essential to record the result of an examination would be to remove the record card of the applicant from the file, record the result of the preliminary and competitive examinations and transfer the card to the file containing the results of the examinations. 4. It is recommended that the two lists now heing maintained in the register section showing the relative and lineal rank of o-fjicers of the Aivny be consolidated by the use of an adjustable visible index. Lists showing the lineal rank of officers of the several corps or arms of the service, as well as the relative rank of all officers in the Army, are published monthly in the Army List and Directory. For the purpose of making up these lists each month, a continuous record is kept in books, which, of necessity, must be corrected day by day in accordance with the changes made in the official ranks of the Army. The book record showing the lineal rank of officers contains, entered in the order of their standing in each grade, the names of officers of the several corps or arms. The successive changes are shown by interlineation, crossing out, transferring, and adding to the record. After the book has become filled, which occurs within two or three years, the information must be transferred to another record. In connection with the present list there is employed the method of drawing lines of different colors to indicate changes in respect to particular officers. For example, if an officer is detailed to the staff, a green line will be drawn through his name, if sent to some other service a red line, etc. The present method is lengthy and presents many possibilities for error. It is inconvenient and occasions a great deal of unnecessary work, in our opinion, whenever a change is made in the grade, posi- tion, or duties of an officer, since this necessitates ruling out the name of the officer if he has died or been separated from the service, or if he has been promoted from one rani?: to another. For example, a major is promoted to lieutenant colonel. The method by which the position number of the new lieutenant colonel is determined is by counting up the number of names unscratched ahead of him. 240 EEPOKTS OF COMMISSION ON ECONOMY AND EFFICIENCY. We recommend the use of a visible, adjustable index for maintain- ing intact and at all times up to date a list of officers showing their relative and lineal rank. These two lists can be combined by the visible index, which will be far more speedy of consultation, more compact, easily kept up to date, and practically free of the possibility of error. The visible index is a device which holds in a panel strips of cardboard of uniform size. The panel is so constructed that it permits the strips of cardboard to slide up and down without their having to be removed and reinserted. They can also be removed singly from any position in the panel without injury. The standard sized panel holds from 70 to 80 name cards, or strips of cardboard, ac- cording to the width of card used, and are mounted on leather-backed metal leaves, two panels on each leaf ; the leaves, in turn, are mounted on desk or shelf stands, wall brackets, or in book form. The name cards may be readily typewritten by the aid of a simple attachment adaptable to any typewriter. By the use of a numerical scale at the left of each panel the rela- tive rank of any officer of the Army could be instantly determined, and when a change occurred affecting the lineal or relative rank of a portion of the list, the change would be automatically shown. This would be possible because the small strips of cardboard on which the names are written are adjustable. The marginal scale on the left of each panel is immovable and the changes in position would be shown by shifting the slips of cardboard containing the officer's name and not by changing the scale. By the use of this index, whenever a change is made in the rank of an officer of the Army, the lineal rank of all officers below him in rank would be immediately automatically adjusted. For example, if in a list containing names from 1 to 100, officer who stands No. 40 should leave the service the removal of the officer's name slip would automatically cause the officers whose rank heretofore had been from 41 to 100 to each enter a rank one place above that which he formerly held. By closing up the gap made by the removal of the slip num- bered 40, slip heretofore numbered 41 would then be pushed up opposite the number 40 on the margin; 42 would become 41, and so on. By this means the rank of any officer in the entire Army would always be shown and the possibility of error be practically eliminated^ In connection with the visible index there are provided fiberloid transparent tubes of different colors, each one designed to slip over the strip of cardboard containing the officer's name, thus showing by their color the particular classification of the officer concerned. The method by which the two lists may be combined is as follows : The list can primarily be arranged to show the relative rank of all the officers of the Army, regardless of the arm of the service to which they belong. In order to show lineal rank of officers of Cav- BUSINESS METHODS OF OFFICE OF THE ADJUTANT GENERAL. 241 airy, Field Artiller}-, Coast Artillery, Infantry, etc., transparent fiberloid tubes of different colors to designate the corps or arms of the service can be placed over the white cards bearing the names of the officers in the list showing the relative rank. Thus it will always be possible to determine at a glance the rank of one officer in relation to another, whether in the same arm of the service or from the standpoint of the Army as a whole. The time spent in maintain- ing and consulting this list will be practically nil, chance for error will be reduced to the minimum, and the work of making up the Army List and Directory will be cut 50 per cent. At present it is necessary, in addition to the two men regularly engaged upon this work, to detail three or four clerks from the remaining force of the division, who consume about three or four days each month in pre- paring the Army list. This extra work could be entirely saved by the use of the adjustable index. 2. SAVINGS. There are now 13 employees in this division, with salaries aggre- gating $19,200 per annum. With the adoption of our recommenda- tions, this force can be reduced to — 1 correspondence clerk in charge $1, 800 2 correspondence clerks (class 3) 3,200 1 register clerk (class 2) 1,400 3 correspondence clerks (class 2) with salaries aggregating. 4,200 2 stenographers (class 1) with salaries aggregating 2,400 1 engrossing clerk 1,000 10 employees at an aggregate annual salary expense of 14, (X)0 To this salary expense must be added one-third of the salary of a chief of the consolidated division, $666.67 per annum, making a total annual salary expense of $14,666.67, leaving a net reduction in salary cost of $4,533.33 per annum. Military Academy Division. In another part of our report on The Adjutant General's Office, recommendations have been made for the consolidation of this division with the appointments, commissions, and personnel and the returns division of The Adjutant General's Office. SUMMARY or RECOMMENDATIONS. 1. That the card register of cad6ts be discontinued. 2. That the card register of appointments of cadets, now filed alphabetically, be confined to those candidates who have not been actually admitted to the academy, and be limited in the data it con- tains to the names of the appointees or candidates and the districts or States from which appointed. 72734°— H. Doc. 1252, 62-3 16 242 KEPOETS OF COMMISSION OX ECOXOMY AND EFFICIENCY. 3. That form letter A. G. O. 50, which is now used to notify Con- gressmen of vacancies, be changed regarding inclosures, so as to pro- vide for forwarding three copies of form A. G. O. 51 (as amended By our recommendation No. 6) and three copies of the regulations of the Military Academy. 4. That forms A. G. O. 103 and 104, now used by Congressmen in making nominations, be discontinued. 5. That form letters, A. G. O. 55 and 130, now used in notifying candidates of their contemplated appointment, be discontinued. 6. That the blank form of acceptance, A. G. O. 51, be so changed that it can serve the purposes of the present card register of cadets. 7. That carbon copies be made of the lists of candidates for exam- ination at the various Army posts and that these carbon copies be forwarded to the superintendent of the Military Academy in lieu of the separate list now prepared. 8. That the present card register of cadet warrants be discontinued. The date warrants are issued to be noted on the records of the cadets. With the adoption of the foregoing recommendations, the present force of four employees with salaries aggregating $5,800 per annum, can be reduced to one clerk with an annual salary expense of $1,600. Adding to this expense one-third of the salary of a chief of the con- solidated division, $666.67 per annum, the total annual salary expense would be $2,266.67, thereby saving $3,533.33 per annum. Criticisms of the present methods employed in this division are in- cluded in the following discussion of the several recommendations just stated. 1. It is recom/mended that the card register of cadets he discontinued. The maintenance of this file necessitates a duplication of the origi- nal records with no increased accessibility for reference purposes being gained thereby. By flat filing the original records geographically the same data will fee equally as accessible as on the card register. 2. It is recoTYiTrhended that the cafd register of appointments of cadets now filed alphabetically, he confined to those candidates who have not heen actually admitted to the academy, and he limited in the data it contains to the name of the appointee or candidate and the district or State from which he is appointed. That there is no need of encurtibering a file of this kind with the names of cadets who have already entered the 'academy is obvious when it is known that rosters are issued by the Military Academy showing alphabetically the personnel of the academy by classes each year. The present file contains data entirely unnecessarjT^ for the purpose intended. By using a small 3 by 5 card with the name and the State or district from which appointed the records of the BUSINESS METHODS OF OFFICE OF THE ADJUTANT GENERAL. 243 candidates desired can be readily located. Under the present method it is again necessary to duplicate the original records, which, we assert, are fully as accessible as is this card record. 3. It is recommended that form letter A. G. 0. 50 used to notify Congressm.en of vacancies he changed regarding inclosures, so as to provide for forwarding three copies of form A. G. 0. 51 {as amended hy our recommendation No. 6) and three copies of the regulations of the Military Academy. The present method of securing the appointment of candidates for cadetships not only incurs the use of unnecessary forms by the Office of The Adjutant General, and consequent clerical labor, but Con- gressmen are obliged to write additional letters that might very easily be eliminated. The present method requires Congressmen to make out three separate nominations, one for the principal and one each for the alternates. These are forwarded to The Adjutant General in reply to his letter requesting the nominations. On receiving the nominations, the clerk in the Military Academy Division makes out the card for the register of appointments and notation of the nomina- tion is made on the card register of cadets. A letter is then prepared for the principal, another for the first alternate, a third for the second alternate, notifying them of their contemplated appointment and requesting them to report at a certain place on a certain date for examination. These three letters are forwarded, each with a blank form of acceptance and copy of the Military Academy regulations, to the nominees through the Congressman. By forwarding to the Congressmen, The Adjutant General's Office again imposes on the Congressman the necessity of writing forwarding letters to the three nominees inclosing the blank form of acceptance and copy of regula- tions in each case. The acceptance of each of the appointees is forwarded to The Ad- jutant General's Office direct. In case of refusal of the proffered ap- pointment by any one of the three appointees, it is again necessary for The Adjutant General's Office to notify the Congressman of this fact that he may make another nomination, in which case the same steps are necessary as have been here outlined. On receipt of the ac- ceptance by the principal appointee a notation is made on the register of cadets to that effect. We recommend that the three blank forms for acceptance of the appointment and the three copies of the regu- lations of the Military Academy be forwarded with the first letter to the Congressman notifying him of his privilege in this regard. The Congressman in turn will forward these blank forms to his prospec- tive appointees and if they accept the appointment the forms will be made out at that time and forwarded to the Congressman who, with his reply to the letter from The Adjutant General's Office, can for- ward them. The Congressman is relieved of the necessity of making 244 EEPOKTS OP COMMISSION ON ECONOMY AND EFFICIENCY. out three separate nomination papers; the Military Academy Divi- sion is relieved of the necessity of making out cards for the register of appointments, of making a notation of the nomination on the reg- ister of cadets, and of writing one letter to the principal and one to each of the two alternates and a letter to the Congressman forwarding these letters. Clerical labor is also saved by removing necessity for entering on the register of cadets that the nominee has accepted the contemplated appointment. In brief, our recommendation provided that The Adjutant General's Office notify the Congressman of his privilege of maldng three nominations. The Congressman makes the nominations and the acceptances are sent to The Adjutant General's Office, after which nothing is further needed but to receive the re- sults of the examination of the candidates. Under the present method the Congressman is, of necessity, required to write a letter forwarding the blank forms of acceptance and copies of the regulations. Under the proposed method he can give the additional information of where and when they are to take the examination. 4. It is recommended that form letters A. G. O. 103 and 10 It.^ now used hy Congressmen in making nom^inations, he discontinued. The further use of these forms will not be necessary on the adoption of our recommendation No. 3. 5. It is recommended that form letters A. G. 0. 56 and 130, now used in notifying candidates of their contemplated appointment, he discontinued. The further use of these forms will not be necessary on the adoption of our recommendation No. 3. 6. It is recomm^ended that the hlank form of acceptance A. G. 0. 51 he so changed that it shall serve the purpose of the present card register of cadets. This form should be changed to include the following : 1. By whom the candidate was nominated or appointed. 2. Result of his examination. 3. The date on which the warrant of cadetship was issued. It is not recommended that the size of the form be changed, but that the information thereon be so arranged that it can be indexed geographically. 7. It is recommended that a carhon copy shoxdd he made of the list of candidates at the various Army posts and that these carhon copies he forxvarded to the Superintendent of the Military Acad- emy in lieu of the separate list now prepared. The present method of making a list of the candidates to be exam- ined at the various Army posts in addition to separate lists for each BUSINESS METHODS OF OFFICE OF THE ADJUTANT GENERAL. 245 Army post seems crude. By the use of a carbon a separate set of the lists that are for the use of the several examining boards can be made and sent to the Superintendent of the Military Academy and will serve him the necessary purposes in better form than the lists now prepared. 8. It is recommended that the present card register of cadet %oarrants he discontinued. The date warrants are issued to he noted on the register of cadets. This file seems obviously unnecessary, as the same data could very easily be inserted on the original record file. SAVINGS. There are now four employees in this divison, with salaries aggre- gating $5,800 per annum. With the adoption of our recommendations this force can be reduced to one clerk, class 3, at $1,600. To this salary expense must be added one-third of the salary of a chief of the consolidated division, $666.67 per annum, making a total annual salary expense of $2,266.67, leaving a net reduction in salary cost of $3,533.33 per annum. Returns Division. In another section of this report the consolidation of this division with the present Appointments, Commissions, and Personnel and Military Academy Divisions is recommended and discussed in detail. SUMMARY OF RECOMMENDATIONS. 'It is recommended: 1. That returns and personal reports be filed flat. 2. That the record of service of officers be compiled on individual cards, approximately 9 by llf inches. 3. That the present method of recording the services of officers of the Army by years and months be discontinued. 4. That the arrangement of the records be alphabetical, for both current and transfer files. 5. That the Army List and Directory show, under personnel of regiments, only the names of the officers belonging thereto, omitting the dates of rank and company letters. 6. That an adjustable visible index be provided for showing the position of officers on the foreign service roster. 7. That the present card record of the foreign service of officers be discontinued. 8. That the present card record of the detached service of officers be discontinued. 246 EEPOETS OP COMMISSION ON" ECONOMY AND EFFICIENCY. 9. That the present card record of the leaves of absence of officers be discontinued. With the adoption of the foregoing recommendations the present force of 13 employees, with salaries aggregating $17,000 per annum, can be reduced to 8 clerks with an aggregate annual salary expense of $10,800. Adding to this expense one-third of the salary of a chief of the consolidated division, $666.66 per annum, the total annual salary expense would be $11,466.66, thereby saving $5,533.34 per annum. 1. It is recomtnended that returns and personal reports he -filed flat. As the original records must be handled and used as the basis of all evidence regarding the history of the United States Army and its personnel, their accessibility should be the prime factor in determin- ing the method of iiling them. That the returns are filed folded is due probably to the fact that they are so received from the headquar- ters of the post or organization preparing them. Consequently the returns are not folded uniformly, and some, being larger than others, are folded three times instead of twice. If a return is received folded unevenly, or if of a size when folded larger than the others, it is filed in the same file box regardless of how it fits. This causes the folds of the returns which project to be rubbed against the sides of the file box each time a return is extracted, for they are compressed by a locking device that has to be released before a return can be removed from the box, which necessitates moving all or the greater number of the returns in the box to get at one. It is a well-known fact that papers, after being filed folded a number of years become so creased that if the folds are smoothed out to read the writing they are likely to crack, and if old to crumble. Folds also tend to obliterate the writing. Returns that are filed folded are not as accessible as those filed flat, for it is necessary, in order to examine a return, to unfold it and to file it again to refold it. Hence the method of filing returns folded is neither economical in time and labor nor a safe protection for the records. The present method of filing personal reports of officers in indi- vidual envelopes imposes unnecessary work on clerks engaged in filing and searching and requires the briefing of all reports that are on forms larger than 3^ by 8 inches. While the majority of the reports are on the smaller form, the tendency will be for officers to use the letter size form, now that they are required to submit reports only when their status or station changes. The argument against briefing is so fully set forth m our criticisms of the general system of corre- spondence that it is deemed unnecessary to repeat them here. By filing the reports in folders, flat and vertically, envelopes would not be required and briefing would be eliminated. These reports are of BUSINESS METHODS OF OFFICE OF THE ADJUTANT GENERAL. 247 such a temporary value it is recommended that they be destroyed after they are two or three years old. It is recommended that the record of service of officers he compiled on individual cards^ approximately 9 hy 11% inches. In a system that compiles records Avhich must be searched daily, the chief requirements are accuracy and accessibility. Subordinate to these two is economy of material required for the records when compiled; There are three forms of ruling and four forms of printing in the present system, and these are bound in six flat-opening volumes m full leather with canvas covers. The book system requires approximately double the number of record spaces necessary for one year. There are six on each leaf of the books now in use, and the follow- ing table will show the necessary annual allowance : Books. Number of offi- cers. Number of spaces. Infantry Stall Retired Artillery Cavalry Philippine Scouts and Porto Rico Regiment . Total 1,529 1,261 1,001 905 749 169 5,613 3,300 1,92§ 1,209 2,100 1,950 10,965 The changes that occurred in 1911 were: Promotions and transfers in Infantry, Cavalry, and Field Artillej-y Transfers only in Infantry, Cavalry, and Field Artillery Details and reliefs from detail in Staff Corps Retirements Appointments to the Medical Corps from the Medical Reserve Corps__- 635 291 211 70 46 Total 1,253 Added to the number of officers 5, 613 Gives a total of nsed spaces of 6,866 Number of spaces not used . 4, 094 Allowance -. 10,960 The present system of book registers hampers posting by exposing the operation to errors which can be avoided and by requiring the transfer and duplication of officers' data with unnecessary frequency. One source of error is in having the records of six officers on one page. Care is always necessary in compiling and searching to take the data from the right place. 248 EEPORTS OF COMMISSION O^S" ECONOMY AND EFFICIENCY. It is necessary, except in the case of staff officers, to transfer an officer's record whenever he is promoted, or when he changes from one organization to another. While transferring of a record is still a simple operation, it presents a possibility of omissions in an officer's record. For example, the officer's record may show him to be on leave or changing station at the time his record is transferred, with the result often that the leave is not terminated on the correct date or he is not given the proper allowance of travel time in changing station, due in each case to the complete record not being imme- diately at hand. Duplication of data is now necessary when an officer is transferred to another regiment or relieved from detail in a staff corps and when retired. The officer's name and station, his duties or status, and orders affecting his future status must be entered on the new record. The present policy of keeping certain regiments in the Philippine Islands permanently causes many more changes in the personnel of regiments than when one regiment relieved another, making it more difficult to estimate the spaces that will be required in each regiment in a year. The changes in the strength of the Army in 1901, increasing the Infantry and Cavalry regiments by five each, required two new volumes, one 25 per cent, the other nearly 50 per cent, larger than the ones already in use, although the increase in officers was only 20 per cent and 33^ per cent, respectively, and caused the rewriting of 1,750 names of officers, their stations and duties, because the volumes then in use would not hold the increase. In 1907 the change in the organization of Artillery necessitated a new volume of 250 pages and caused the rewriting of 700 names of officers, their stations and duties. In preparing a military history of an officer it is now necessary to follow his record from his appointment, through each promotion and transfer, each detail to a staff corps or department and relief from same, and each year of his service to his retirement and death. This means an officer's record may be in 32 different books and 41 different places, as is shown bj^ the following table : Average. 1. Appointment 1 place 2. Each promotion and transfer 5 places 3. Each transfer without promotion 2 places 4. Each detail to a staff corps 1 place 5. Each relief from detail to a staff corps 1 place 6. Retirement 1 place 7. Each year of service 30 places Total 41 places Each year of service, each detail to a staff corps and relief from same, means another book to be handled, usually filed in another BUSINESS METHODS OF OFFICE OF THE ADJUTANT GENEEAL. 249 place. The above table does not consider the many transfers to the unassigned and detached officers' lists, and yet each transfer means another place for the officer's record. When statements are required involving the service of a great many officers, as the detached or foreign service of officers of the line, requir- ing the time of many clerks, confusion is caused when reference to the same volumes is sought by two or more clerks at the same time. By compiling the records on cards it would be unnecessary to trans- fer an officer's record other than to change the position of the card in the file. And even this would not be necessary under an alpha- betical arrangement, as is recommended later in this report. The safety of records compiled on cards has been thoroughly tested by every variety of business and found wholly satisfactory in that respect. While it is admitted that cards may be lost, misplaced, and even destroyed by careless or unscrupulous clerks, it is not believed that such clerks would be given the care of records, even in bound books. It is no more difficult to make wrong entries in a bound book than on a card, and there is always the original record for final refer- ence. Either system is merely a recapitulation of the original records. On locating the card desired it is always before one, with no liability for error through glancing at the wrong record. The card system would have two files, one for the current j-ear and one for past years, or (as recommended later in this report) one for officers now on active duty and on the retired list and another for those separated from the service by resignation, death, or discharge. Thus the records for each officer would be in one place onl3^ There would be no handling of foreign or dead matter in preparing state- ments, and the records would be instantly accessible. No confusion could result under the card system, for the only reference to an index would be in withdrawing the cards of the officer whose service is desired and preparing a statement from them at the clerk's own desk. In the card system only one posting of data would be necessary, as the record of an officer would remain on one card,, irrespective of his organization or duties. It would also wholly eliminate the re- vriting of any names, for its capacity would be unlimited, allowing the addition of as many names as might be necessary. No allowances would have to be made for changes or increases, as the number of officers would govern the amount of material or number of cards required and not the possible number of changes to occur in a year. One form of card, similar to the form herewith submitted, would serve the purposes of the forms now used, and there would be no expensive bindings each year. The filing drawer would be the initial and only cost, and they would not equal the price that is annually paid for the volumes now used. 250 EEPOEIS OF COMMISSION OIST ECOXOMY AND EFFICIENCY. > i a .2 ® 1 i i § +3 g 1 P ;S i Eh >< g 5 g p ^ - 1 a pq 1 4 6 g 1^ ^ 1 1>^ 1 w 6 1 1 p i p ^-3 1-5 i 1 s >-< ^ p — 1 > <1 . 1 1 P ft 1 a a> ©■-J3 - ^ g 1 -J-3 •g 1:3 p 5 g stations and duties. ^ .0 1 a B ft 1 4. 1 BUSINESS METHODS OF OFFICE OF THE ADJUTANT GENEKAL. 251 3. It is recommended that the present method of compilino the serv- ices of officers of the Army 'by years and months he discon- tinued. The present method of recording the services of officers of the Army by calendar years is due to the use of bound books for this record. On the 1st of each January a new book is provided for each arm of the service, the Infantry, Artillery, Cavalry, Staff, Philippine Scouts, and Porto Kico Regiments of Infantry officers and the retired officers. And in each of these books a separate space for the year's record of each officer is provided. In beginning the year's record it is necessary to write, in longhand, the names of all officers, their stations and duties; for each month of that year it is necessary to show, either by ditto mark or otherwise, as may be nec- essary, the station, whereabouts, and duties of that officer as shown by the returns on the last day of each month. For example, if Lieut. Jones, of the Infantry, is stationed at Fort Slocum, N. Y., on the 1st of January and is doing the duties of a recruiting officer there this fact is stated. Then follows for each month, as the returns from Fort Slocum are received, the entering by ditto mark the fact that Lieut. Jones was on duty at Fort Slocum, N. Y., as a recruiting- officer for the entire year. If Lieut. Jones is ordered from Fort Slocum, N. Y,, to Columbus Barracks, Ohio, the date of leaving Fort Slocum and the date of joining Columbus Barracks are shown, and the latter station is written in the space reserved for the station of the officer. From the fact that the average officer is at the same station for at least one year, and in a surprisingly large percentage of cases he is there for four years, it is now necessary to make a notation each month during the entire period that he remains. Thus to record the fact that Lieut. Jones was stationed at Fort Slocum, N. Y., from January 1, 1908, to December 31, 1911, it is now necessary to make 48 notations, including writing his name, rank, and duties four times and in four books, since a new book is required each year. By this method it is necessary to search in approximately 30 different books in preparing a military history of an officer now on the retired list. In preparing statements of the average officer now on the active list it is safe to approximate the number of books necessary to search as six. This is necessary in preparing such state- ments as the amount of leave an officer has taken, the amount of detached service he has had, the amount of foreign service, or the list of his stations. Thus the records are in a scattered condition and involve the handling and searching of an unnecessary number of volumes. By using a separate card for each officer's record, of a size 9 by llf , it will be possible to show on this card his services, in as complete a state as is now shown under the present method for 252 EEPORTS OF COMMISSION ON ECONOMY AND EFFICIENCY. a year, for from 5 to 15 years. To prepare statements of the vari- ous kinds of service of an officer it would not be necessary to go over a lot of irrelevant data. Three or four cards would constitute the complete compiled record of the services of an officer who had been in the Army for over 30 years. These cards would be in one file, thus making it necessary to refer to but one place for the neces- sary information. We submit on another page a form which it is believed will answer the requirements of a complete compiled record. From our point of view such a record should include only the changes in the services of an officer and not the repeated state- ments of the same duty. It will be seen that provision has been made for showing the various stations of an officer, the date of joining and the date of leaving, his leaves of absence, his sicknesses, his duties, his orders, and any other data that may be necessary to show his official record. It will not be necessary to remove the card from the file once every month to post the fact that the officer is on duty at Fort Slocum, N. Y., and it will not be necessary to finger over this card in referring to other officers' records, as is now necessary in keeping them in book form. It will, of course, be necessary for the compiler to compare the officer's record with the returns as they are received each month, but it will not be necessary to remove the card from the file or to insert on it any data if his duties or station have not changed. 4. It is recommended that the m^mngement of the records he alpha- betical for hoth current and transfer files. A fruitful source of error in the posting of returns is found in the present arrangement of the records. An officer is detailed or relieved from detail in a staff corps effective on the date of the order. If the officer remains on the duty after being relieved from detail, the post return will, in some cases, continue to designate the officer as of the former organization. The result is that the clerk who should post the record fails to do so because of the wrong designation, and the clerk who formerly kept the officer's record passes the data because of the officer's orders. When a new clerk is put on the work of compiling, he is seriously handicapped until he becomes familiar with the names of the officers whose records are in his book. As there are from 700 to 1,500 names in a book, it would be some time before he would become familiar with the names. Especially would this be true of officers of the line, who are detailed in a staff corps for four years, and unfamiliarity with the names of the officers causes many omissions of data on post returns and record cards that is important. Sometimes the organi- zation to which an officer belongs is omitted, in which case it is quite, necessar\^ to recognize the officers on one's book. BUSINESS METHODS OF OFFICE OF THE ADJUTANT GENEEAL. 253 Two causes for daily referring to the records are readdressing officers' mail that is sent to The Adjutant General to be forwarded, and issuing^ each month, the Army List and Directory. In readdressing mail the alphabetical list of the directory is used, except in doubtful cases. This is a safe practice provided the directory is correct. But an address may have been correct at the time the directory was printed and still be wrong for addressing mail. The most difficult task in issuing the Army List and Directory is in getting the addresses correct in the alphabetical index. It is difficult because of the present arrangement of the officers' records. Line officers are arranged according to regiments and rank, staff officers by corps or department and rank, and retired officers by rank alone. To locate an officer's record an alphabetical index is neces- sary, either to find the page number or the regiment and rank. As has already been mentioned in this report, an officer's record may be in approximately 41 different places, due to the present arrangement of the records and the fact that they are in bound books. It takes as long now to turn to the index and locate the page of the record as it does to turn to the page or post the record. In posting personal reports of staff and retired officers it is necessary to page them and after posting to sort them alphabetically for filing. The present system divides the number of officers' records among six clerks, as follows : Arm of service. Number of officers. Infantry 1, 529 Staff 1,261 Retired 1,001 Artillery 905 Cavalry 748 Porto Rico Regiment and Philippine Scouts 169 Total 5, 613 The number of operations caused in one day by the present arrange- ment is equal to the number of times it is necessary for each of 21 clerks to refer to an index to locate an officer's record in doing the following routine work: 1. Answering inquiries on status of officers: (a) On record cards. (6) By phone, (c) By persons. 2. Checking alphabetical list of Army List and Directory. 3. Statements of: (a) Detached service. (6) Foreign service, (c) Leaves. . {d) Military record, (e) Stations. 254 EEPOETS OF COMMISSION ON ECONOMY AND EFFICIENCY. It should be remembered that even in the cases of line officers belonging to regiments it is necessary to know his regiment and rank in order to find his record in each volume that it is necessary to search. The alphabetical arrangement of the records would give to each clerk the same officers for their entire service. This would be an advantage in several ways. A clerk would become familiar with the names and service of his officers, and a new clerk would not be handi- capped, for the alphabetical arrangement would be a guide to him. Also, it would be as easy to address officers' mail direct from the records as from the directory and with absolute accuracy. The alphabetical index of the Army List and Directory would be kept up to date in a much more efficient manner than is now practicable and with one-fifth less time. The argument that with this arrange- ment of the records it would be much more difficult to keep the per- sonnel of organizations posted up to date is answered in our recom- mendation that this division be consolidated with the Appointment, Commission, and Personnel Division, thus bringing the records of that division and this together. The personnel of regiments is already kept in the register section, hence there would be no addi- tional work given this section in this regard. The affixing of the regimental or company office or letter is now done from the latest regimental returns and orders, and not from the records compiled. So that nothing would be lost in accuracy and a great amount of time would be gained by the alphabetical arrangement. No index would be necessary to locate an officer's record, for they would be self-indexing. The time saved in posting returns would be one- third, for it would take no longer to turn to the record of a line officer than it now takes; and in the cases of staff, retired, or Coast Artillery officers the time now required to turn to the index and locate the page number would be eliminated. The time saved on personal reports would be 50 per cent, for it is now necessary to sort them alphabetically, page them, sort them numerically, post them, re-sort them alphabetically, and file them. By the alphabetical ar- rangement of the records they would be sorted alphabetically, posted, and filed. The records would be equally divided among four clerks, thus making one set of records no more burdensome than any other set. There could always be an equal division of the records or accord- ing to the capacity of the clerks and without disrupting the system in any way. In preparing statements such as have been prepared in the past six months this proposed arrangement would eliminate an average of eight operations on every record searched, or about 32,000 for the work that is now requiring the time of 21 clerks. It would be hard to estimate the time to be saved by the elimination of these unnecessary operations, but it probably would be at least four-fifths. BUSIIsrESS METHODS OF OFFICE OF THE ADJUTANT GENERAL. 255 By filing the cards alphabetically care would be necessary to select the proper card, as officers' records whose names are alike would be together, but there are no cases in the present personnel of the Army where two or three officers have full names alike who are commis- sioned in the same arm of the service and have the same rank. 0. It is recommended that the Army List and Directory show, wider 'personnel of reginnents, only the nafies of the officers belonging thereto, omitting the dates of rank and company letters. This data is shown elsewhere in the directory, under the list of relative and lineal rank. If anyone desires to know the date of rank of an officer and the records of The Adjutant General are not acces- sible, the index will establish the rank, and by glancing through the relative rank list the date of rank can be determined. It is not seen that the insertion of the date of rank after each officer's name under the personnel of organizations will serve any useful purpose in the office of The Adjutant General, and for the few cases where such information is desired the process above outlined would require so little extra time that it would not seem to justify the time required and the liability to error now incurred to keep it posted up to date. The insertion of the company letters serves no useful purpose to anyone, for an officer may be transferred to two or three other com- panies or be given other duties between the time a return is sent to The Adjutant General and the time the directory reaches officers in the field. 6. It is recommended that an adjustable, visible index he provided for showing the position of officers on the foreign-service roster. The purpose of the present card record of the foreign service of officers is to show what officers of a given arm of the service and rank are next in order for serving a tour of foreign service, relieving those whose tours have expired. In order to have this information alwaj^s at hand the total amount served beyond the limits of the United States, in years, months, and days, is shown in pencil at the top of the card, and the cards are filed in the order of the amount here shown, beginning with the least, under each grade in the several arms of the service. Thus, the 10 or 15 cards at the front of the file show the 10 or 15 officers who have to their credit the least amount of foreign service in that particular grade and arm of the service. With the adoption of this recommendation the purpose of the record will be better served in that the information desired will be at all times visible, the record will be more compact and more easily kept up to date, and will be practically free of the possibility of error. 256 EEPOETS OF COMMISSION ON ECONOMY AND EFFICIENCY. The visible index is a device which holds in a panel strips of card- board of uniform size. The panel is so constructed that it permits the strips of cardboard to slide up and down without their having to be removed and reinserted. They can also be removed singly from any position in the panel without injury. The standard-sized panel holds from 70 to 80 name cards, or strips of cardboard, accord- ing to the width of card used, and are mounted on leather-backed metal leaves, two panels on each leaf. The leaves in turn are mounted on desk or shelf stands, wall brackets, or in book form. The name cards may be readily typewritten by the aid of a simple attachment, adaptable to any typewriter. By the use of a numerical scale at the left of each panel the relative position of each officer would be readily determined. When a change occurs the new positions would be automatically shown. The marginal scale is immovable, and board containing the officers' names and not by changing the scale. 7. It 'is recommended that the present card record of the foreign service of officers he discontinued. With the adoption of our recommendations Nos. 2, 4, and 6, pro- vision will be made for showing this information, in detail, on the compiled record of each officer and the form submitted in connection with recommendation No. 2 provides for showing it in as compact a form as is shown on this card record. 8. It is recommended that the present card record of the detached service of officers he discontinued. The reasons for the discontinuance of this record are the same as those given in the recommendation just preceding. To determine the officers to be relieved from detached service or those who may be detailed a tickler is recommended in the form of a colored signal so placed on the card that the position of the signal will designate the month the officer is due either for detached service or for duty with his regiment. 9. It is recommended that the card record of the leaves of absence of officers he discontinued. The reasons given for the discontinuance of the card record of foreign service apply with equal force to this record. By the use of colored signals, to serve as a tickler in showing those officers who have exceeded the amount of leave to which they are entitled, there will be a greater safeguard than the present method affords. BUSINESS METHODS OF OFFICE OF THE ADJUTANT GENEKAL. 257 SAVINGS. With the adoption of our recommendations, the work of compiling can be accomplished by four clerks, leaving four to have general supervision and handle such cases and inquiries as can not be an- swered readily by an examination of the compiled records. One of the four clerks will have charge of the foreigTi service roster and the register showing the strength of the Army. The salaries of the eight clerks would be as follows: 1 clerk, class 4, iil cbarge $1, 800 1 clerk, class 3 1,600 2 clerks, class 2 2, 800 3 clerks, class 1 3,600 1 clerk, at 1,000 8 employees at a total annual salary expense of 10, 800 To this salary expense must be added one-third of the salary of a chief of the consolidated division, $666.66 per annum, making a total annual salary expense of $11,466.66, leaving a net reduction in salary cost of $5,533.34 per annum. Medical, Division. summary of recommendations. 1. That records in the custody of the Medical Division pertaining to volunteer troops, together with such records of the Eegular Army not needed in connection with current military affairs, be trans- ferred to proposed new file building, and that records pertaining to current militarj^ affairs be transferred to the State, War, and Navy Building. 2. That the Medical Division be abolished and its files and work transferred to other divisions. 3. That the medical records, individual medical reports and other papers necessary to be consulted in handling cases affecting officers and enlisted men in the Regular Army, be transferred to proposed new divisions. 4. That the medical record cards for volunteers be transferred to the Regimental Records Division and that these cards be placed in the file of military record cards, and that statements of military and medical histories be furnished at the same time and by making only one examination and search of the records. 5. That the keeping of the book record of withdrawn cards be dis- continued. 6. That The Adjutant General's Office request the Pension Office to use forms similar to those used by the Auditor for the War De- partment in requesting reports on military and medical histories. 72734°— H. Doc. 1252. 62-3 17 258 KEPOETS OP COMMISSION ON" ECONOMY AND EFFICIENCY. With the adoption of the foregoing recommendations, the present force of employees can be reduced from 23 to 17 clerks, and will effect an annual saving in salaries of $10,000. 1. It is recom/mended that records in the custody of the Medical Division pertaining to volunteer troops, together with such rec- ords of the Regular Army not needed in connection with current military affairs, he transferred to proposed new file building, and that records pertaining to current military affairs he trans- ferred to the State, War, and Navy Building. This division is located in part in the State, War, and Navy Building, and in part in the Army Medical Museum. In the former building are located the medical record cards for volunteer troops and the medical record cards for men in the Regular Army up to the year 1884. In the Army Medical Museum are located the med- ical record cards of men in the Regular Army from 1884 to 1910, together with original medical papers, such as monthly reports of sick and wounded, hospital reports, personal papers relating to indi- vidual patients, etc. This location of the files is open to the follow- ing criticisms : {a) The two portions of the division are in widely separated buildings, thus necessitating loss of time and heavy expense in handling cases. All requests for record information are received at the office of the chief of the division in the State, War, and Navy Building. Of the total communications received, approximately 50 per cent are referred to the section in the Army Medical Museum for action. If the division were located in one building a large saving of time and money would be effected. (&) The larger part of the four rooms in the State, War, and Navy Building occupied by the Medical Division is filled with the medical leeord cards for volunteer troops in the Civil and Mexican Wars. These records are used only for furnishing information needed for the adjustment of pension claims and for historical purposes. There is no justification for filing records of this class in rooms of the State, War, and Navy Building, which are urgently needed for office pur- poses. These old medical records should be transferred to a fireproof file building, as has been recommended in the case of old military records. Furthermore, these medical record cards for volunteer troops should be filed with the military record cards for the same men in the Regimental Records Division, as is discussed in a later section of this report. (y use of hand type he transferred to the AdmAnistration Division. The Eegimental Eecords Division is an archives or file division, and it is illogical to assign to such a division a clerk engaged in print- ing, by use of hand type, forms, envelopes, and mail jackets for all divisions of the office. All mechanical work of this nature which is performed for the office as a whole should be brought together in some one central division or section. With such work as the use of hand type, the u^e of addressing machines, photostats, etc., brought together into one general service section, it becomes possible to utilize the tim.e of the employees engaged in such work to better advantage than if work of this class is scattered among different divisions. Moreover, the printing work of the kind now done in the Eegimental Eecords Division should not be assigned to a $1,400 clerk. It is recommended that the work of printing, by use of hand type, formes, envelopes, and mail jackets, be transferred to the Administra- tion Division; that the $1,400 clerk be assigned to more important work, and that this printing work be assigned to a lower-salaried employee, $720 per annum being as high a salary as this class of work justifies. This recommendation will effect an annual saving of $1,400 in the Eegimental Eecords Division and a net saving for the whole office of $680. 276 EEPORTS OF COMMISSION ON ECONOMY AND EFFICIENCY. KECORDING COMMUNICATIONS. The adoption of the commission's recommendation which is made in another portion of this report for the discontinuance of re- cording correspondence will affect the Regimental Records Division in so far as that division is now entering information on the record card. The great majority of communications handled in this division are of such a nature that printed forms can be used in connection therewith for the preparation of the reply. In these cases no diffi- culty will be experienced through the elimination of the record card. In other cases where a printed form of reply can not be used, it will be necessary for The Adjutant General's Office to devise a form of work sheet or record sheet to accompany the communications and on which the searchers will enter such information as is necessary for the handling of the case. This work sheet should be of the standard letter size, 8 by 10^ inches. If there are papers in the case to be filed in the correspondence file, this work sheet will be filed with them; otherwise it will be destroyed. PERSONNEL. At the time of the preparation of the descriptive report this divi- sion had 26 employees and a salary roll of $36,600. The recommenda- tions here made will reduce the number of employees required to produce the quantity of work heretofore performed in this division. But the transfer to the Regimental Records Division of work now performed in other divisions will necessarily increase the force needed in this division, although effecting net saving for the office as a whole. It is accordingly recommended that the present force in the Regimental Records Division be retained and that the pro- posed saving in clerical services be utilized in performing some of the increased volume of work resulting from the recommended trans- fers to this division. SAVINGS. The most important saving to be effected in this division is in the matter of space occupied for filing old military records. The trans- fer of these records to a less expensive building will effect an indi- rect mone}'^ saving and permit the valuable space in the State, War, and Navy Building to be utilized for more important work. Ex- tensive savings in the cost of work now done in the Tenth Street branch, the Medical Division, and Correspondence and Examining Division will be effected by recommendations made jointly in this report and in the reports for those divisions. The amount of these savings is stated in the latter reports. Additional savings will be effected by consolidating the file of personal papers with the file of BUSINESS METHODS OF OFFICE OF THE ADJUTANT GENERAL. 277 military record cards and by assigning the work of printing forms, etc., by use of rubber type, to an employee in the Administration Di- vision receiving not to exceed $720. For the Regimental Records Division a saving in salaries of $1,400 is effected. Archives Division, summary of recommendations. It is recommended : 1. That the division and files in its custody be transferred from the State, War, and Navy Building to a fireproof file building. 2. That the files of Confederate prisoner-of-war records be con- solidated. 3. That the use of printed forms in preparing statements of mili- tary histories be extended. 4. That the present organization of the division into sections be abandoned. With the adoption of the foregoing recommendations the present force of employees can be reduced to 17 clerks, with a total annual salary expense of $24,400, thereby saving $3,400 per annum. 1. It is Tecomtnended that the division and the files in its custody he transferred from the State^ War, and Navy Building to a fire- proof file huilding. The files in the custody of this division, as has been pointed out in the descriptive report, contain original records of discontinued mili- tary commands and other old records, none of which pertain to current military affairs. Records such as are filed in the Archives Division should not be placed in rooms having such a desirable loca- tion as those on the fourth and fifth floors of the State, War, and Navy Building. This space is altogether too valuable to be used for filing original records which are, comparatively speaking, used but little. It is recommended that this division be transferred from the State, War, and Navy Building to a fireproof building where the cost of storage would be less than in the State, War, and Navy Building. The transfer of this section from the State, War, and Navy Building will release 26 rooms and portions of 6 other rooms ; 12 of the former and 1 of the latter are suitable for office or clerical purposes. More detailed recommendations for the location of the files in The Adju- tant General's Office are presented elsewhere in this report. Not only is a large part of the files of the Archives Division located in rooms which should be utilized for more important pur- poses, but the files are also widely separated and are in part located in 278 EEPOKTS OF COMMISSION ON ECONOMY AND EFFICIENCY. rooms containing" files of other divisions. Ten rooms in the State, War, and Navy Building are occupied in part by the Archives Divi- sion and in part by other divisions of The Adjutant General's Office. Such a division of room space is illogical and tends to loss of time and confusion of work whenever the records located in these rooms are consulted. The practice of leaving military records in unopened packing cases is unbusinesslike and open to criticism. These cases should be opened as soon as received, an inventory taken of their contents, and the records properly sorted, labeled, and filed. One reason ad- vanced for the failure to unpack and file these records is the lack of filing space in the State, War, and Navy Building. This obstacle will be removed if the recommendation of the commission for the transfer of all military records in the Archives Division to a file building is adopted. 2. It is recommended that a consolidation of files of Confederate prisoner-of-war records he made. With respect to the Confederate prisoner-of-war records, it is recommended that all of these records should be filed in one building instead of at present, being filed partly in the State, War, and Navy Building and partly in the building occupied by the Seventeenth Street branch. The consolidation of these files should be made re- gardless of whether the commission's general recommendations for rearrangement of all files is adopted or not. At the present time it becomes necessary for Mr. Thompson, the $1,800 clerk in charge of the prisoner-of-war records in the State, War, and Navy Building, to visit at least once a day and frequently more often the files in the Seventeenth Street branch. This not only involves a loss of Mr. Thompson's time but it also means that while he is away from his post in the State, War, and Navy Building, some one of the " general utility" men must be assigned to Mr. Thompson's desk. With the files of the prisoner-of-war records located in one place, it would be unnecessary to utilize the services of a " general utility " man at this desk. Such a change would effect a saving of $300 or $400 annually. 3. It is recommended that printed forms he used in preparing miM- tary histot'ies of officers and men. The Archives Division furnishes information from the records in its custody in answer to requests which are first handled in some other division of The Adjutant General's office. The information furnished by the Archives Division is entered upon the correspond- ence record card accompanying each case. Of the cases handled BUSII^ESS METHODS OP OFFICE OF THE ADJUTANT GENEEAL, 279 annually in this divisiom, approximately 4,000 are classified as "statement of service cases" and 14,000 as regular correspondence cases. Approximately three- fourths of the latter cases request infor- mation concerning the militar}^ histories of officers and men. The subject matter of these cases therefore is the same as the subject matter of the statement of service cases. As has been stated in other portions of this report, it is unneces- sary to prepare record cards for any communications requesting information concerning military histories. The use of the record card in connection with these cases not only involves unnecessary expense in the Mail and Record Division in connection with the preparation of the record card, but further unnecessary expense is incurred in entering information on the record cards and subse- quently copying this information from the record card onto a letterhead which is to be sent out as the reply. The Archives Divi- sion, as well as other divisons furnishing this information, should enter its information concerning military history directly onto a printed form which will constitute the reply to the incoming request. It is accordingly recommended that printed forms be used in con- nection with all cases involving military histories wJiether now recorded as statement of service cases or as regular correspondence cases. This recommendation will make but slight changes in the work of the Archives Division, but will eliminate a large amount of work now performed by the Correspondence and Examining Division and other divisions in copymg information entered on the record card by the Archives Division. 4. It is recommended that the organization of the division into sec- tions he abandoned. The Archives Division is organized into the following subdivi- sions : 1. Office of chief of division. 2. Discontinued commands section. 3. Enrollment section. 4. Prisoner-of-war records section. 5. Confederate archives section. Communications are received by each of these sections directly from other divisions of The Adjutant General's Office which may find it necessary to forward cases to the Archives Division. As the amount of work in progress in the several sections may vary greatly in quantity, it has been found desirable to designate four employees as " general utility " men who may be assigned to any section, the work of which is unusually heavy. The assistant to the chief of the division acts as a general utility man and the other three men so used are members of the discontinued commands section. 280 REPOKTS OF COMMISSION ON ECONOMY AND EFFICIENCY. In view of the small amount of work per capita performed in this division, and in view of the hirge labor cost involved in handling cases in this division, it is evident that the present organization and administrative polic}?^ are unsatisfactory. The representatives of this commission were convinced from their observations in this di- vision that a large amount of time was lost as a result of waiting for cases to be received for action. This division has been furnished with sufficient men to dispose of the work promptly and with no ac- cumulation even during the exceptional periods when the work is unusually heavy. Furthermore, the organization is not sufficiently elastic to meet successfully and without loss of time the varying quantities of work to be performed in each of the several sections. In order to utilize the time and services of the trained employees of this division to the best advantage, it is necessary to have a more elastic organization which can be more readily adapted to the varying needs of the division. Another factor which tends to increase the unit cost of work per- formed in this division is the present plan of assigning clerks of class 4 to act as chiefs of the discontinued commands section and the Confederate archives section. The former section has nine employees, including the chief of the section, and the latter section has six em- ployees, including the chief. In view of the fact that these are small sections and that only a small number of cases are received daily for action, it appears to be a faulty scheme of organization to iissign high-priced men to have supervision over such small work units. As stated in the descriptive report, this division handled approximately 18,000 communications annually, or a daily average of only 60 cases for the division as a whole, or a daily average of between 3 and 4 cases for each employee of the division. One of the reasons for the present organization and present prac- tice of recei'^'ing cases directly in the section which is to take action thereon is to save time in completing action on cases. The prime consideration which has determined organization and work methods is the desire to complete action on cases in the shortest possible time. This is particularly true of congressional cases. Other important factors have been disregarded in the effort to complete a case promptly. In view of the facts here stated, it is recommended that the pres- ent organization of the Archives Division into distinct sections be abandoned, and that the positions of clerks in charge of sections be eliminated. In place of the present organization it is proposed that the chief of division and his assistant directly supervise and assign the work of the employees in this division. In view of the fact that this division contains a very large number of original records which vary greatly in character and arrangement, it is considered desirable BUSINESS METHODS OP OFFICE OF THE ADJUTANT GENEEAL. 281 to continue in part the present practice of assigning certain men to particular portions of the file, in order that these men may become specialists. This specialization of the work, however, should not be carried out to the degree to which it now exists. The number of men assigned to the records of discontinued commands could safely be reduced from nine to five, or possibly less, while the number of men who are regularly assigned to the Confederate archives could be safely reduced from six to three. The general-utility men will be avail- able to assist on work connected with either of these two classes of records or on work connected with the enrollment records, as occa- sion may require. The work on the other classes of records is so small as to seldom, if ever, require the assistance of the general- utility men. With respect to the method of assigning cases for search, it is recommended that all cases be received in the office of the chief of the division and by him assigned to the men who are to search the records. This will enable the chief of the division to supervise and control the amount of work to be performed by each man, thus insuring the dis- tribution of work to the best advantage. It will also enable him to so divide the work that there will be little or no loss of time on the part of the searchers, since each man can be given a number of cases at one time. This method will not increase the number of times the case is handled, but will transfer the assigning of cases from £he chief of a section to the chief of the division. With the elimination of the section chiefs and the increase in number of general utility men, the organization will become much more elastic and able to produce a large quantity of work with a decided decrease in cost. This proposed method will save at least the time of the two clerks acting as chiefs of the discontinued com- mands section and the Confederate archives section. SAVINGS. There are now 19 employees in this division, with salaries aggre- gating $27,800 per annum. With the adoption of our recommenda- tions this force can be reduced to — 1 chief of division $2, 000 2 clerlvs, class 4 3.600 4 clerlvS, class 3 6,400 4 clerks, class 2 5, 600 4 clerks, class 1 4,800 2 clerks, at $1,000 2, 000 17 emplos^ees. at a total annual salary expense of 24, 400 a reduction in force of 2 persons and in salary cost of $3,400 per annum. 282 KEPOETS OP COMMISSION ON ECONOMY AND EPPIOIENCY. The transfer of this division to a fireproof file building will re- lease 26 rooms and portions of 6 other rooms, 13 of which are suitable for office or clerical purposes. Tenth Street Branch, summary of recommendations. It is recommended : 1. That the old Ford Theater Building and annex be vacated on account of being unsafe and ill adapted to the needs of the office. 2. That the Tenth Street branch be discontinued as a separate organization. 3. That the printing section be discontinued and that all printing for The Adjutant General's Office be performed at the Government Printing Office. 4. That the identity section be transferred to the State, War, and Navy Building. 5. That the finger-print records of men with good records and of men with bad records be filed in separate sections of the file, and that only the latter records be searched in cases of reenlistment. 6. That the identity section discontinue recording assignments to military organizations on the identity records. 7. That the present method of advertising deserters from the Army be discontinued and that a printed form having the description of the deserter inserted thereon be sent to a restricted and selected list of persons and places. 8. That the review of the reports of the identity section by the Administration Division be discontinued. 9. That all military record cards and personal papers be trans- ferred to the Regimental Records Division. 10. That the military record cards for Civil War volunteers be transferred to Regimental Records Division and consolidated with the file of similar cards in that division. 11. That printed forms be used, as far as practicable, in furnishing information from military card records for men in the Confederate Armies. 12. That a temporary division be organized for the completion of the carding of Confederate Army records. With the adoption of the foregoing recommendations the present force of 124 employees, with salaries aggregating $153,000 per an- num, can be reduced to 96 employees, with an aggregate annual salary expense of $118,800, thereby saving $34,200 per annum in between the reduction in salary expense for printing, $11,600, and the between the reduction in salary expense for printing, $11,600 and the estimated net saving, considering all elements of costs, of $10,000. BUSINESS METHODS OF OFFICE OF THE ADJUTANT GENEEAL. 283 The saving in printing, supplies, etc.. to he effected on the adoption of our recommendation regarding the descriptive circulars of de- serters will be $26,800 for The Adjutant General's Office and $15,000 for the Surgeon General's Office, making a total saving in this branch for The Adjutant General's Office of $59,400 and for the War De- partment of $74,400 per annum. 1. It is recommended that the old Ford Theater Building and a7inex he vacated on account of being unsafe and ill adapted to the needs of the office. This recommendation is based on a consideration of adaptability of the building to its present use and its condition with respect to fire risks, electric wiring, general sanitary condition, plumbing, and lighting. Each of these subjects is discussed in detail in the follow- ing pages. No estimate of the saving to be effected by the adoption of this recommendation is made, since the expense of operating and main- taining this building is considered as an offsetting item to the expense of operating the proposed new file building. Location. — The Tenth Street branch occupies the old Ford Theater Building and an adjoining building located at 509 Tenth Street NW. This branch is far removed from the State, War, and Navy Building, which contains the offices with which the business of the Tenth Street branch is principally conducted. The Tenth Street buildings are used for housing several separate branches of work which, with the exception of the printing work, are not related to each other, but are closely connected with work being conducted at the State, War, and Navy Building. One result of this housing plan is a very heavy clerical cost, caused by the rehandling of cases and by their movement between the branch and the main building. The buildings are poorly suited to their present use, not being strong enough for files and being unsafe and unfit from a sanitary standpoint for occupancy by clerks. In fact, no reason has been advanced in support of the present use of the Ford Theater Building other than the fact that the building is owned by the Government. The building is of historic interest on account of being located on the site of the old theater building in which President Lincoln was assassinated. The whole of the present structure, with the exception of a portion of the front wall, has been rebuilt since the time of President Lincoln's assassination. Fire risks. — At the request of the commission the District Com- missioners detailed Mr. P. W. Nicholson, fire marshal, to make an inspection and report on the Ford Theater Building and annex as to the condition of the building from the standpoint of fire risks. 284 EEPOETS OF COMMISSIOlSr ON ECONOMY AND EPPICIBNCY. In view of the opinion of the fire marshal that the building in its present condition is unsafe for occupancy by clerks and for storing the records at the present time stored in this building, which are of great value to the Government and some of which could not be duplicated, it is recommended that this building be abandoned and the records moved to a modern fireproof structure or that steps be taken at once to remodel and newly equip this building with a view to protecting the clerks and records from fire. The report of the fire marshal is as follows : October 9. 1912. Frank J. Wagner, Chief Engineer District of Columhia Fire Department. Sir : In compliance with tiie request of Mr. M. O. Chance, secretary to the President's Commission on Economy and Efficiency, I visited and made an examination of the old Ford's Theater Building and annex, located on Tenth between E and F Streets NW., and occupied by the Tenth Street branch of The Adjutant General's office, to ascertain what protection is alforded the occupants in case of fire. I have the honor to state that this branch of The Adjutant General's office occupies premises 511 Tenth Street, which is the main building ; also an annex, No. 509 Tenth Street. Both buildings are three-story brick structures. The annex is simply an old dwelling house now being used for office pur- poses; the first floor is used as a printing office, the second floor for clerical purposes, and the third floor photo work. This building is built of combustible material, with only one wood stairway. The main building is an old brick building with concrete arches on the two upper floors, but has large openings in floor between the two upper floors. The first floor is taken up entirely with wood file cases, filled with office records, all of which is highly combustible material. There is a small printing estab- lishment in an adjoining room of first floor. The second and third floors are occupied by the clerical force. There is quite a number of wood file cases filled with combustible records on these two floors, especially on the third floor. In these file cases in every record there is a celluloid film photograph which is kept in connection with the records. These films are highly inflammable and readily ignite. The use of the first floor for the storage of such a large amount of combustible material and the placing of the clerical force on the upper floors I deem improper, for the reason that in case of fire on the first floor it would be difficult for the clerical force to escape, especially so when quite a number of them are past the middle age of life. A separate building or compartment, built of fireproof material, should be provided for the storage of the file cases and their records. On each fioor of main building there is a small room, used principally as toilets. There is' a standpipe with about 50 feet of 2i-inch unlined linen hose, and in the annex on third floor is a stand- pipe with about 100 feet of unlined linen hose. Upon testing this hose I found the valves leaking and the hose in what I deem poor condition ; being unlined, the water oozed through the pores of the hose, thus retarding the pressure of water. The streams of water were fair, but not sufficient to reach from one end of the building to the other. The hose where they were lapped in the racks were almost worn through, and did leak in some places, and showed plainly that they have not been taken from the racks in a long time. This hose should be rubber lined and proper care taken to prevent dry rot and mildew- BUSI^STESS METHODS OF OFFICE OF THE ADJUTANT GENEKAL. 285 ing. The electric wiring through the buildings is bad and liable to cause a fire at any time, and should be replaced with piped wiring. Hand grenades were found in the buildings, but, in my estimation, of little value in case of fire. The doorways or openings between the two buildings should be provided with metal-lined self-closing doors. A few coats of paint would prevent the two fire escapes on east wall from decay. There is an iron stairway in the main building, but in an open hallway, and should be inclosed in fireproof walls. In fact, these two buildings are very old and. in my opinion, unfit and unsafe for its present use, and should be torn down and a modern fireproof building provided. The attic is constructed of wood, and in case of a fire would quickly spread all through these buildings. The windows leading to the fire escapes are so high that it is with difficulty that a person could get to the escape, radiators in front of windows blocking egress to fire escape. These obstructions should be removed and stationary steps provided. I have the honor to further recommend that a suitable number of fire extin- guishers be provided for each fioor, the 3-gallon dump kind preferred. In case of fire in any part of the buildings these extinguishers can easily be carried to the scene of the fire. In the present case the hose provides protection a cer- tain distance, but if not handled by an experienced person would be useless. Very respectfully, (Signed) P. W. Nicholson, Fire Marshal. Electric wiring. — At the request of the commission, the assistant electrical engineer of the District was detailed to make an inspec- tion of the electric wiring and equipment of the Ford Theater Build- ing. His report is as follows : In response to your request, the assistant electrical engineer made an in- spection of the electrical equipment in the old Ford Theater Building on Tenth Street, this city, in company with members of your commission. The defects therein are too numerous to mention in detail, but the general conditions may be summed up as follows : There is a large amount of open wiring, there are wires run in wooden molding, long and dangerous cord extensions, open fuse devices, bare wires, circuits very much overloaded and overfused, and many other defects. It is the opinion of this department that the building should be immediately rewired with rigid conduit in the basement, and rigid conduit, flexible con- duit, or metal molding for all wires in floors above the basement where not concealed. All the existing fittings should be replaced with fittings of an approved design, and all circuits should be reduced to 660 watts or 12 outlets, properly fused and controlled with approved switches. Were such conditions as exist in this building found in any private building in the District of Columbia, the entire installation would be condemned as de- fective and 'dangerous. General sanitary conditions. — At the request of this commission, an inspector detailed by the health officer of the District of Columbia made an inspection of the Tenth Street branch. The inspector's re- port states that the walls, ceilings, stairways, and landings were unclean and dusty; that foul conditions were found in some of the toilets ; that the building is inadequately ventilated ; that the natural light is insufficient; and that five employees are regularly working 286 KEPOETS OF COMMISSION ON ECONOMY AND EFFICIENCY. in a large toilet room, containing three water-closets, fovir wash-^ bowls, and a slop sink. The full report is as follows : Dr. Wm. C Woodward, Healih Officer, District of Golumhia. Sir : I have the honor to present the following special report relative to the inspection of the Ford Building, 509-515 Tenth Street NW., commonly known as the " Old Ford's Theater " : This is a three-story brick building; with attic and basement, of old-style architecture and construction. Basement. — The basement contains an engine room, furnace room, and machine room. It is provided with three doors and two windows, all opening on diminutive areaways covered by iron gratings, by which fairly good lighting and ventilation are had. No appreciable dampness is noticeable in the basement, except in a small areaway between this building and the one adjoining on the north, the result of the absence of sunlight and free circula- tion of air. The basement room contains one sink and water-closet, both of which are in fairly good condition. There is a narrow stairway leading from the basement to the first floor, through which a considerable quantity of heated air and dust passes to the floors above, being quite noticeable even on the third floor. This is evidently due to the draft occasioned by the light court which extends to the top of the building. The dust is quite in evidence upon the files and type cases on the first floor, and also upon the walls and ceiling. First floor. — The floor dimensions of the room on the first floor are approxi- mately 104 feet by 65 feet, and the ceiling height is 13 feet 4 inches. The room is provided with one door 5 feet 7 inches by 11 feet, with a transom, which is not used, and one door 7 feet by 3 feet, without a transom ; also four weighted windows, 5 feet by 8 feet 10 inches, and four windows 5 feet 6 inches by 8 feet 10 inches each, the tops of which can be opened. This is used as a file room, and eight men are employed in it. In the toilet room adjoining, five men are employed on printing presses. This room is provided with three windows and one door, but is very dark and contains the following fixtures : Three water- closets, automatically fiushed, four washbowls with combined trap, and one slop sink. The floor around the closet bowls is covered with sheet iron, which, at the time of inspection, was in a foul condition. The entire first fioor is continually lighted during working hours by artificial means. Second floor. — The floor dimensions of the large room on the second floor are 103 feet 10 inches by 65 feet. The ceiling height is 16 feet. There are 11 weighted windows 3 feet 4 inches by 8 feet and 1 door 10 feet by 3 feet 8 inches, with a transom that is not used. Fifty male and four female employees perform their clerical duties in this room. I found two rows of file cases placed in front of the south windows, the clerical force being placed in the middle of the room, behind the same. Notwithstanding the fact that at the time of my inspection the sun shone brightly, this entire floor, with the exception of the west row of desks, was necessarily artificially lighted. The walls and ceiling of the room were unclean, and that portion of the wall where the coats, hats, etc., belonging to the female employees are hung was temporarily covered with paper in order that a clean surface might be had. The desks in use are of old style, cloth covered, and not in good repair. The drinking water is contained in wooden (metal lined) coolers, the waste running through a copper-lined funnel into a bucket inclosed within a wooden cabinet. These buckets are, apparently, emptied at irregular intervals, and the fioors around the same are generally damp and unclean. Adjoining this room, leading through a vestibuled entrance, is the BUSINESS METHODS OF OFFICE OF THE ADJUTANT GENERAL. 287 toilet room, used also as a cloakroom by the male employees. This room is provided with 4 windows, 2 not weighted and 2 which open lengthwise. There are 8 stationary washstands and 3 urinals in the room, all provided with a combined trap. The urinal slates are foul. There are also in this room seven automatically flushed water-closets and one slop sink, all in fairly good sani- tary condition. One of the water-closet compartments is used for storing char supplies and appliances. (Note: The female employees on this floor are pro- vided with a toilet in the annex to the building, 509 Tenth Street. The fixtures therein are good, but there is not proper ventilation.) Third floor. — The third-floor office room is 103 feet 10 inches long by 65 feet wide, with an average ceiling height of approximately 18 feet. There are 11 windows, size 3 feet 4 inches by 8 feet; also a skylight. Sixty persons are employed in this room, and it is artificially lighted. The walls and ceiling are unclean. The same conditions exist regarding the supply of drinking water as are noted above under remarks concerning the second floor. There is a vestibule leading from this room to the toilet room, which is provided with three windows that are not weighted. There are 8 washstands and 1 urinal, all connected with a combined trap. At the time of inspection the urinal slate was foul. There are 7 water-closets in the room, and each has an iron cover, the enamel on wh'ch is scaling. The closet bowls were not wholly clean. There is also one slop sink, which was unclean. Attic floor. — The attic floor is covered with dust and old paper. There is one louver in the east gable and one small circular window in the west gable. The heated air from the furnace room in the basement was quite noticeable in the attic as well as on the third floor. The skylights are so constructed that they can not be used for ventilation purposes. Heating and ventilation. — This building is heated by a steam plant located in the basement. Ventilation is only such as is provided by the windows and doors. Building as a ivliole. — The stairways and landings were unclean and dusty. The heating plant was not in use, and I was unable at the time of my inspec- tion to determine the adequacy of it. The structural condition of this building is not good, and it is maintained in an unclean condition. In my judgment the building is inadequately ventilated and is not supplied with sufficient natural light. I again call attention to the fact that men are employed at printing presses located in a toilet room, and that without proper ventilation. Annex. — The annex to this building (509 Tenth Street NW.) is of the ordi- nary house type, and though the walls are unclean and in need of repair, yet the building is fairly well fitted for the purpose for which it is used. Respectfully, (Signed) J. Frank Butts, Inspector. The commission requested the Bureau of Chemistry to make a bac- teriological examination of the drinldng water in the Ford Theater Building and annex. The report is as follows : I am sending you herewith the results of the bacteriological examination of water samples collected from water coolers from the Ford Theater offices of the War Department. The results of the examination show the water coolers in the chief clerk's office and the rear cooler on the second floor to be badly contaminated from filth. The cooler in the photographic room is also of a suspicious nature. All of the waste cans show decided filth. In no case do any of the coolers show as good results as did either the hydrant water or the ice used in the coolers. Perhaps some of the large numbers of organisms may be 288 KEPOETS OP COMMISSION ON ECONOMY AND EFFICIENCY. attributed to the cans used for filling the coolers, as the wash water from these cans showed a high bacterial content, but this count can not be wholly depended upon because the cans had been exposed without cover for some time. Results of the bacteriological exa-mination of water samples collected from water coolers in Ford Theater Building {War Department). [Carleton Bates, Analyst.] Number of bacteria per cubic centimeter after 48 hours' incubation at— Presumptive B . coli present in bile fermenta- tion. Source of sample. 25° C. .37° C. 4 10 1,100 1,700,000 300 151,000 400 70 80 420,000 20 107, 000 70 211,000 400 17 2,200 2 4 50 1,500,000 150 122, 000 100 -10 11 57,000 20 92,000 40 119,000 140 20 2,900 None in 10 c. c do Ice used in coolers. Hydrant water used. Cooler, chief clerk's office. Waste can, chief clerk's office. Cooler, second floor front. Waste can, second floor front. Cooler, second floor rear. Cooler, photo room. Cooler, third floor front. Waste can, third floor front. Cooler, third floor rear. Waste, third floor rear. Cooler, type set room. Waste can, type set room. Cooler, boiler room. Water from filter. Wash water in can used for filling coolers. 1 c. c 0.001c. c None in 10 c. e 1 c. c do 5 e. c None in 10 c. c 5 c. c None in 10 c. c 1 c. c None in 10 c. c 0.01 e. c None in 10 c. c do .... do October 7, 1912. Attention is invited to the fact that the employees of this build- ing are absent on sick leave a larger percentage of their time than are the employees in the State, War, and Navy Building. The Adju- tant General's Office was requested to furnish a statement showing the percentage of time employees of The Adjutant General's Office in the Tenth Street building and those in the State, War, and Navy Building were absent on sick leave during the past three years. This report shows that in 1909 the percentage of time absent on sick leave m the Tenth Street branch was 2.8 as against 2.2 in the State, War, and Navy Building; in 1910, 3 as against 2.1; and 1911, 3 as against 2.1. Plumbing. — The commission requested the Commissioners of the District of Columbia to detail an inspector of plumbing to cooperate with representatives from this commission in inspecting the plumb- ing of the Tenth Street branch. It was the opinion of the plumbing inspector, as will be seen from his report, which is here quoted in full, that if this building was the property of an individual or private BUSINESS METHODS OF OFFICE OF THE ADJUTANT GENERAL. 289 corporation and a complaint was made to the District authorities they would require a complete remodeling and replacing oi plumbing- fixtures in this building. He further stated that the Avooden floors and wooden closet inclosures in this building should not be allowed iji a public building where so many persons are employed. j.Memorandum of inspection of plumbing at Ford's Theater, Oct. 1, 1912. Inspection requested by telephone same date.] MAIN BUILDING. First floor {printing office). — Battery of tliree straight hopper water-ciosets all connected on a single air-loclj trap of the general latrine type with air release. Cast-iron tank for automatic flushing of closets. This water-closet inclosure opens directly into the printing office, where people are employed, instead of being in a separate toilet room with exterior light and ventilation. The urinal in this room is not in use, and I am informed that the outlet has been plugged with cement, which is not gas tight. Battery of four wash basins without individual traps or vents, but connected into the general water-closet trap. The lead waste exceeds 20 feet in length and is all fouling surface. Cast-iron slop sink without visible trap or vent, possibly connected into the general water-closet trap ; if so, it is 4-inch waste line with fouling surface ex- ceeding 20 feet in length. This whole line is apparently airbound, and water backs up in slop sink every time water-closet is flushed. Second floor (toilet and cloaJc room). — Seven water-closets and eight lava- tories, same as in first floor printing oflice mentioned above. Slate urinal not in best of condition and with low vent. Third floor (toilet). — Seven straight hopper water-closets flushed by single chain-pull tanks. Closets are individually trapped, but not vented. Eight wash basins without either trap or vent allowing sewer air to enter this room freely. Third floor (flremen's locker room). — Sink and bathtub not tropped or vented, but the waste is connected to cesspool in center of floor. Water-closet in this room has dwarf partition and with no outside light and ventilation. SOUTH ANNEX, Toji floor (photographer's room). — Sink in dark room trapped and vented, but waste discharges over cesspool in first-floor area instead of being directly connected with sewer. Second floor (ladies' toilet). — One water-closet not vented. The other water- closet, no vent necessary, as it is within short distance of center of stack. First floor (printing room). — Sink, not trapped or vented, discharges into waste line from dark-room sink. First floor (toiiet room). — Obsolete type of horn-vented wash-out water- closets; urinals and slop-sink traps probably not vented (connections could not be traced out). GENERAL. On account of several openings directly between the soil lines and the interior of the building a peppermint or smoke test would be of little value. These openings permit sewer air to enter the building freely at all times, and inasmuch as evidence indicates that the main soil stack is partially obstructed at the foot, it is believed more or less sewer air is forced into the various rooms every time 72734°— H. Doc. 1252, 62-3 19 290 REPORTS OF COMMISSION ON ECONOMY AND EFFICIENCY. a large fixture is discharged. The long runs of waste pipe between the fixtures and the traps have large fouling surfaces and can not be considered sanitary. Straight hopper closets or wash-out closets, the latrine method of connecting up batteries of closets, horn-vented fixtures, the discharging of fixture waste over a cesspool trap, etc., are not considered sanitary, and would not be allowed by the District of Columbia regulations. If this building was the property of an individual and complaint was made to the District authorities, notice would be served upon the owner requiring a more or less complete remodeling and the replacing of these obsolete fixtures with fixtures of approved type. The toilet rooms in this building have wood floors and wooden water-closet inclosures, which should not be allowed in a public building where many persons are em- ployed. The number of fixtures is ample for the number of employees. Lighting. — ^A report on the lighting system was prepared for the commission by an expert detailed for this purpose. The report shows that the condition of the electric wiring is, in several respects, in violation of the regulations of the District of Columbia and of insurance underwriters; that the artificial light in some portions of the building is wholly inadequate to the needs ; that the natural light is obstructed by the arrangement of the file cases; that a large num- ber of lights are burning unnecessarily ; and that the cost of generat- ing current is over 60 per cent greater than the cost of current fur- nished by the local electric-light company. The full report on the lighting conditions is as follows : Plant. — This building is lighted by a plant maintained by The Adjutant Gen- eral's Office. The equipment consists of two high-pressure, hand-stoked boilers; one 2-wire, 110-115-volt, 30-liilowatt, direct-connected Ball engine and generator ; and one obsolete type of belt-driven unit. The switchboard is equipped with both modern and obsolete instruments, which, ?o far as can be determined, have not been calibrated for years and are not given correct read- ings. The ammeter at 150 amperes showed excessive heat, and its dial is dis- colored and charred. The connections between the generator and the switch- board are in wooden moldings. Wiring. — Conduits in both open work and moldings are run throughout the buildings and were installed about 20 years ago. Each floor is fed directly from the switchboard by one set of feeders connected to an exposed panel board and then distributed by several switches to fixtures on supporting pillars, with fuse cut-outs in canopies. This arrangement is disallowed by the District of Colum- bia regulations and by underwriters' rules. Branch circuits are also extended from panel circuits, with obsolete cut-outs, to fixtures, which are in most in- stances broken, leaving the contact point exposed. The panel boards are in a deplorable condition, switches loose, and fused beyond the capacity of the circuit. The feeders are loosely connected to the panel board on the second floor, and the insulation of the wires leading from the panel board to the point at the end of the circuit has been removed. This condition is forbidden by the Dis- trict regulations and by underwriters' rules. First floor. — On the first floor a recent installation has been made on the file cases, consisting of 40-watt tungsten lamps, equipped with reflectors not suitable for proper distribution of the light. No provision has been made for turning ofl: these lights, which are therefore burning constantly and entailing unneces- sary expense. BUSINESS METHODS OF OFFICE OF THE ADJUTANT GENEKAL. 291 In tlie printing section the illumination is not sufficient, and where extensions to the lighting system have been made they have not met the requirements. The part of the printing section in the larger building, vphich is installed in the same room vs^ith the toilet, has presses operated by a steam engine. This section has practically no light. One end of the room is used as a toilet for those employed on the first floor. Second floor (Ford Theater- Building). — The fixtures consist of brass chande- lirs, with four arms secured to them, and are equipped with 16 and 32 candle- power lamps, about 9 feet from the floor. The lamps are all of an old style. A majority of them are very old and give insufficient light. There are about 79,081 watts of this character of illumination on this floor, and on very dark days the voltage is increased to brighten the lamps. The voltage reading on the day of inspection was 114. The toilet on this floor is also used as a cloak- room and is very poorly lighted. Second floor {Annex Building). — In the room occupied by the clerk in charge an old gas flxture has been remodeled with a glass reflector and three 32- candlepower lamps ; 360 watts are used. This gives a very poor light. In the communicating room a similar condition exists, except that 480 watts are used against 360 watts. One 250-watt tungsten lamp with the proper reflector would more than be sufficient for either of these rooms. Third floor {Ford Theater Building). — There are 16 gas fixtures on this floor about 5 feet apart, 8 on each side. They have been remodeled and have been equipped with two o2-candlepower lamps. In addition to this equipment, drop lights and desk lamps are used. Third floor {Annex Building). — This is used as a photostat room. The cir- cuit is taken ofl: of the lighting from the top of the chandeliers and bare wire is in close contact with the gas fixture. Drop lights in different parts of the building were found in bad condition and some were tied around gas fixtures, bare conductors being exposed in some cases. Arrangement of flUng cases. — The first floor of the Ford Theater Building is given almost entirely to flling, and the filing cases are arranged as well as they could be with a view to space. Those on the second floor are located on the south side of the building, shutting off the best natural light that enters the room. If the restrictions for weight did not prevent a proper arrangement of the files, these cases should be removed to the north side of the room in the place of the open shelves in which are stored envelopes, blanks, and other sup- plies, and these supplies should be arranged in the center of the room around the railing protecting the wall, the shelving not to be higher than the protecting rail. The clerical force should be located in the space occupied by the filing cases, thus further reducing the necessity of artificial light. The open shelves mentioned above are the receptacles for unnecessary articles and are dirty and dusty. The envelopes stored on these shelves are not well arranged, causing much waste of space ; some of them are apparently of a character that are not now in use, and doubtless if only the necessary envelopes were kept, a much smaller space would be required to store them. Owing to the insufficient sup- ports, the engineers will not allow the weight to be distributed as suggested, which further emphasizes the fact that this building is neither suited for clerical occupancy nor for the storage of files. Present cost. — At the present time 300 tons of chestnut coal are consumed yearly, and during seasons when the heating plant is in operation no live steam is used. The cost of the coal is $6.95 a ton. The average load is about 150 amperes, and based on a seven-hour-day run will total 117 kilowatt hours. The force necessary to operate the plant is one engineer and one fireman. The en- 292 EEPOETS OF COMMISSION ON ECONOMY AND EFFICIENCY. gineer, in addition to tlie work connected with the plant, performs work of a different character, and in computing the cost of operation $2 is allowed for engineer service and $2 for fireman service per day. Oil and other incidentals have not been included. The cost for generating current is between 9 and 10 cents per kilowatt hour. The cost per kilowatt hour of current from the city service is 6 cents. Method of turning ojf lights. — According to the statement of the engineer and electrician, the manner of turning oft the light has been to turn off the engine, paying no attention whatever to cut-off switches on the several boards on the two floors. This deprives the lighting system of a daily inspection that is es- sential to its proper upkeep and protection from deterioration. There are many unused lights constantly burning in different portions of the building. It was observed on one floor that as many as 16 lights burn con- stantly in a section occupied by coat and hat racks, which are only visited three times a day — in the morning, at noon, and the hour of departure. On all floors occupied by file cases there are a number of lights constantly burning which should be switched off when searches are not being made in the files. Experiment with new lights. — The commission's representatives made a care- ful investigation of lighting conditions in the location where old Confederate records are consulted. A 250-watt lamp was placed »in the center of each of four rectangular spaces, 13i by 11 J feet, taking the place of the thirty- two 60- watt, 16-candlepower carbon lamps (nineteen 20 watts, 512 candlepower). This resulted in a reduction of 920 watts and in an increase of 400 candlepower. By a similar installation in the rest of this floor of 250 and 150 watt lamps and by equipping the flling cases with individual lamps, a corresponding saving can be made throughout the room. This also is true on the third floor. Conclusions. — If this building is to be occupied it is recommended that the use of the present lighting plant be discontinued and that arrangemen's be made for the purchase of current from the local company. It is also urged that the use of gas be discontinued altogether. If current from the local com- pany were used in these buildings, it would be unnecessary at any time to use gas, as current would always be available. At the present time, however, the dyn.')mos are closed down at 4.30 and the watchmen and any clerks who may have overtime woi'k are compelled to use gas. The switchboard should be equipped with modern type of recording instruments. On each floor panel boards should be installed on improved metal cabinets ; all wiring should be run in metal conduits and installed in accordance with the regulations of the District of Columbia. Each filing section should be equipped with a 25-watt tungsten lamp and metal reflector, provided wiih means for turning off each light. In space not used for filing, 150-watt lamps with prismatic fixtures should be placed in the center of the structural arch. In the toilets 250-watt lamps should be installed, so that the rooms will be sufficiently lighted for proper cleaning. In the photo- graphic section, suitable outlets for the current used for operating equipment should be installed. 2. It is recommsTided that the Tenth Street branch he discontinued as a separate organization. As stated in the discussion of office quarters for the Tenth Street branch, this organization is merely a group of unrelated work sec- tions, and is not based on a logical or efficient system of organiza- tion. The work of the several sections is not related, with the excep- BUSINESS METHODS OF OFFICE OF THE ADJUTANT GENEEAL. 293 tion of the printing and carding sections, of which the former should be abolished for reasons subsequently stated. A large part of the work of this branch is, however, closely connected with that per- formed at the State, War, and Navy Building, and the identity sec- tion should be located in that building. The present Tenth Street branch exists as an organization unit merely as the result of attempting to utilize an old building which had been assigned to The Adjutant General's Office. With the adoption of the recommendations for the proper housing and consolidation of the sections of this branch, it will be abolished as a distinct organization, and thus enable the office to assign to other work the employees now acting as the administrative officials of this branch. The saving to be effected by abolishing this branch as a separate organization consists of the salari€s of the clerk in charge, his assistant, and the record clerk, the first two receiving $1,800 each and the last $1,400, a total annual saving of $5,000. The maintenance of the Tenth Street branch has resulted in the employment of a larger messenger force than would be necessary for the organization plan suggested in this report. The reduction which msLj be made in the messenger force is discussed in the report on the Administration Division, in connection with similar reductions which may be made in the messenger force of other divisions. The salary of $1,650 paid to the man acting as engineer and super- intendent of building is larger than the salaries paid to men acting in similar capacities in other and larger Government buildings. It is suggested that the engineer be paid a salary of $1,400 and that he, the assistant engineer, the fireman, and watchman be employed in the proposed new file building. The proposed reduction in the engineer's salary is included with the other savings shown for the nonclerical force in the report for the Administration Division. 3. It is recommended that the printing section he discontinued and. that all printing for The Adjutant GeneraVs Office he per- formed at the Government Printing Office. Location. — The printing section occupies three rooms on the first floor of the Tenth Street branch. Two of the rooms are used a?^ pressrooms and one as a composing or typesetting room. Equipment. — The composing room contains the necessary stands, cabinets, and type used in the work. It contains also a paper cutter, power operated, used in cutting paper stock, cards, etc. The pressrooms have six printing presses, two engines, and a numbering machine. Two of the presses are cylinder presses and four are platen presses. In size and style they are as follows: One 294 KEPOETS OF COMMISSION ON ECONOMY AND EFFICIENCY. Hoe rotary, 16 by 23 inches ; one Hoe rotary, 26 J by 40^ inches ; two Universals, super royal; one Universal, half medium; and one Gordon, quarter medium. Condition of equifment. — The equipment of the composing room is much worn. No new type has been added for many years, and of the hundred and odd type fonts in the room many are practically useless because they are incomplete. The pressroom equipment is old. Some, if not all, of the presses were second-hand when purchased for the printing section, and they are known to have been in use for 20 or 30 years. Personnel. — Ten clerks were employed during the fiscal year 1912 on the work of the printing section. Their salaries were: One clerk at $1,600, four at $1,400 each, three at $1,200 each, and two at $1,000. The percentages of their whole time given to the work of the printing section were as follows: One clerk, 100 per cent; three clerks, 90 per cent each; two clerks, 80 per cent each; and four clerks, 50 per cent each. Based on the salaries and percentages, the wage cost of the printing section for the fiscal year 1912 was $9,600. Purfose. — The section is maintained for the purpose of printing the various cards, blanks, checks, envelopes, and other miscellaneous matter used in the work of The Adjutant General's Office. Control. — As it is a part of The Adjutant General's Office, the printing section is under the jurisdiction of the Secretary of War. When the act of January 12, 1895, governing the public printing and binding was passed, placing various departmental printing offices under the control of the Public Printer and making them in effect branches of the Government Printing Office, the following proviso was inserted in the act : Provided, That the terms of this act shall not apply to * * * so much of the printing as is necessary to expedite the work of the Record and Pension Division of the War Department. * * * According to a statement contained in a memorandum prepared in The Military Secretary's Office — this exception to the law by which all printing offices in the departments were to be considered as part of the Government Printing Office and under control of the Government Printer was made after a thorough investigation of the subject by a special joint committee of both Houses of Congress under concur- rent resolution of February 9, 1891. The printing section is therefore free of any control outside of the War Department, and the employees engaged in the work of print- ing are classified as clerks and assigned to the printing section in such numbers and at such times as the exigencies of the office demand. While occasionally the Government Printing Office may be called upon to furnish a few minor articles, such as a roller for a press or an electrotype plate for printing, the service is rendered as an BUSINESS METHODS OF OFFICE OF THE ADJUTANT GENEEAL. 295 accommodation, and there is no official connection between the two establishments. Character of xoork. — The printing produced in the section may be classed as small job work, requiring generally only a small amount of typesetting and, in the case of single jobs, being usually contained on cards or sheets ranging in size from 3^ by 8 inches to 8^ \)^ 11 inches. Taken as a whole, the work might properly be divided into two classes, the first to contain what are known in The Adjutant General's Office as " index " and " record " cards, and the second to comprise any other printed matter not properly belonging to the first, such as envelopes, penalty cards, time checks, slips, circulars, or other miscellaneous matter. Index and record cards defined. — These cards are simply what their names suggest. In size they are 3^ by 8 inches, and are printed on a fair quality of writing paper, so that certain blank spaces may be filled in with pen and ink. The " record-index " cards give the mili- tary history of the men who took part in the different wars in which this country engaged, and the " general-index " cards contain infor- mation relating to various matters connected with these wars and are used as guides to the whol^ subject. Variety of cards used. — The " record-index " cards are prepared from the old regimental rolls. A typical card contains, in reference to an individual, such information as the name of regiment and com- pany, with blank spaces for the entry of such particulars as date of enlistment, place of enlistment, by whom enlisted, period for which enlisted, when last paid, by whom paid, and to what time. Space is provided for the entry of necessary remarks. A short printed para- graph near bottom of card gives a brief history of the company, by whom commanded, and various facts of interest concerning it. Though a variety of cards is required to cover the different regi- ments, there is substantial uniformity in the main features, and the difference between the printed matter on one card or form and the matter on another card is merely the difference in the regimental or company number and in the wording of the paragraph giving the history of the organization. Including the index and record cards and the miscellaneous printing of all kinds, it is estimated that 500 different blank forms are handled in the printing section. Printing during fiscal year. — ^During the fiscal year 1912 the fol- lowing blanks, etc.. were printed: Miscellaneous printed forms 1, 924, 275 Index cards 331,250 Record cards, slips, etc 1,054,240 Envelopes, jackets, etc 1, 427, 890 Letterheads 202, 880 Total 4, 940, 535 296 EEPOETS OF COMMISSIOlSr ox ECONOMy AND EPFICIENCY. General conditions. — Without going into too many details, it may be said that the general conditions surrounding the production of printed matter in this section are such as Avork against economy and efficiency. The condition of the type used is such that much labor is wasted in producing results that are not creditable from a mechanical point of view, and the general methods pursued in turning out printed matter are such as to increase, in some instances by more than 100 per cent, the cost of mechanical processes. For instance, the printing section is so organized that certain operations cost twice as much as the same operations performed for the same department in another office, but under different conditions. The War Depart- ment, therefore, is paying two prices for the same kind of service, one price being twice as much as the other. Necessity for change. — In the interests of economj'- and efficiency in an important division of Government work the printing section of the Tenth Street branch of The Adjutant General's Office should be discontinued and the work transferred to the Government Print- ing Office. Without extending the illustrations already used to show the unnecessary and excessive cost in connection with the work as at present performed, it may be said that these unnecessary expenses would be wiped out because of the better facilities, methods, and organization of the Government Printing Office. To this saving should be added the rental value of the space now used to accommo- date the Tenth Street printing section. While the change would be followed by instant economy in cost, needed improvement in char- acter of work produced, reduction or elimination of pay roll in the printing section of the Tenth Street branch, it would add compara- tively nothing to the expense of operating the Government Printing Office, but would be automatically cared for by the existing organiza- tion of that establishment. Change tvithout inconvenience. — ^Under the heading " Printing during fiscal 5^ear " it was shown that 4,940,535 copies of various forms were printed during 1912. An examination of 201 samples, covering 1,924,275 copies, brought out the fact that they are of such character that it is unnecessary to maintain a plant for their production. Of these 201 forms, none were printed monthly; 55 forms (about one-half of 1 per cent) were printed every second month; 1^ per cent every third month; 6| per cent every fourth month; 27^ per cent every sixth month, and 128 forms (or 64 per cent) every twelfth month. As these forms are mostly blanks, slips, circulars, or other miscellaneous printing, it is apparent that there is nothing in their character or in the frequency of their printing that would justify the maintenance of the printing section so far as they are concerned. Considered as separate orders, these forms average less than one for each day of the working year, and they are easily BUSINESS METHODS OF OFFICE OF THE ADJUTANT GENEEAL. 297 within the average daily capacity of a single press. Their transfer to the Government Printing Office would promote economy without interfering in the least degree with anything necessar}' to expedite the Avork of The Adjutant General's Office. Preventable expense. — Included in the work of the printing sec- tion for the past fiscal year were ^ penalty envelopes, military card jackets, manila envelopes for general orders, and circulars " to the number of 1,427,890, and letterheads to the number of 202,880. Even under the most favorable conditions possible in the printing section of the Tenth Street branch the printing of penalty and manila envelopes can not be economical. In the Government Print- ing Office such work would be done at low cost by an automatic press, working rapidlj^ In the Tenth Street branch the work is done by high-priced labor, employing methods which are, by com- parison, extremely slow. Because of its nature this work also could be transferred without causing embarrassment to the office of The Adjutant General; so that, of the entire work of the printing section, omitting all mention of the record and index cards, it is easily possible to transfer almost 72 per cent, secure economy, and cause no inconvenience in the administration of the office. Most important work. — It is generally understood that the most important printing performed in the Tenth Street branch is the index and record cards already mentioned, and it may be said that the production of these cards constitutes the main reason for the existence of the section, despite the fact that they represent only 28 per cent of the printing done there in the course of a year. A careful study of these cards, the method of their preparation and printing, and other facts connected with their production shows that there is no good reason for maintaining a printing office in connection with them. The existence of this separate plant in no way hastens the work in which the cards are used, and the transfer of the printing to the Government Printing Office could not pos- sibly retard that work. Even if printed singly their daily average would reach only about 4,600 copies. As the Government Printing Office would print 8 or even 16 at a time, the job would represent perhaps 30 minutes daily on a single press. From the mechanical standpoint there is need of a change. These cards are now being- printed from type that is long past use, and it is difficult to see how it can be much longer employed for its present purpose. Valuable time is spent in trying to make a readable print. The character of the work would not justify the purchase of new type, even if that were thought desirable. Though the typesetting, or composition, of these cards is of the simplest character, it is, owing to the limitations of the Tenth Street printing section, done entirely 298 EEPOETS OF COMMISSION ON ECONOMY AND EFFICIENCY. by hand at a cost approximately three times larger than in the Government Printing Office, where the composition would be done largely on typesetting machines. But the disadvantages and the lack of economy in the present sys- tem might be overlooked if the transfer recommended would result in delaying the work of the office. This, however, can not be. The cards are usually prepared and printed from one to six days in ad- vance of the time when actually used. Therefore it would be a sim- ple matter to order them in advance and to have the proper number on hand when needed. So the transfer to the Government Printing Office would cause no change in present practice of ordering cards and could result in no delay. Savings illustrated. — In addition to the sum of $9,600 expended for salaries in the printing section of the Tenth Street branch there was an outlay for paper stock, envelopes, card jackets, etc. As no cost records are kept for the printing section full information regarding this outlay could not be obtained. But among the known expendi- tures were $1,458.46 for paper, $2,017.94 for t-nvelopes, $721.64 for card jackets, and $352 for various items, a total of $4,550.04. For the purpose of comparison, the sum covering paper stock, enve- lopes, and jackets must be discarded, for, although 1,427,890 enve- lopes and jackets were printed, the sum spent on them purchased only 723,000, or a little more than half, and the paper purchased rep- resents only a portion of that actually used. To arrive at an ap- proximately correct figure it would be necessary to almost double the sum given above for envelopes and jackets and increase propor tionately the sum covering paper. Therefore, omitting doubtful figures and using only quantities that are known, we have the follow- ing comparison, showing cost of labor, repairs, etc., at the Tenth Street branch and cost of same items at Government Printing Office ; Item, Tenth Street branch. Govern- ment Print- ing OflQce. Saving. Per cent saved. Labor, 1912 $9,600 352 %2, 216. 81 $7,383.19 352.00 76.9 100 Total 9,952 2,216.81 7,735.19 1 Included in cost of printing. But an additional saving may be shown, because the $2,216.81 here given for the Government Printing Office contains an initial expense of about $400, which would not be repeated after the first printing. If the reported expenditure for envelopes and jackets is considered and the sum increased proportionately so as to cover the full number printed, applying the same principle of proportionate increase to the BUSINESS METHODS OF OFFICE OF THE ADJUTANT GENEEAL. 299 cost of paper, the following table would illustrate the relative costs, the items marked with an asterisk being based on reported expendi- tures during 1912: Item. Labor, 1912 Paper Supplies and repairs for engines, presses, etc. Envelopes and jackets Total Tenth Street branch. Govern- ment Print- ing Offlce. $9, 600. 00 * 1, 983. 24 352. 00 * 5, 194. 28 17,129.52 S2, 210. 81 1,790.35 * 4, 259. 31 8,266.47 Saving. 7,383.19 192. 89 352. 00 934. 97 8,863.05 Per cent saved. 76. C 9.7 100.0 17.9 1 Included in cost of printing. Effect on some items. — Eegarding the penalty envelopes, card jackets, etc., as approximately 28 per cent of the total printed matter and charging them with 28 per cent of the salaries paid in the print- ing section, their cost in labor alone would be $2,688, as against ap- proximately $582.70 in the Government Printing Office, a saving of $2,105.30, or about 78 per cent. Considering the record and index cards, slips, etc., in the same way, the cost would be $202.77 in the Government Printing Office, as against $2,688 in the Tenth Street branch, a difference of $2,485.23, or over 92 per cent in labor cost. In fact the record and index cards could be reproduced complete, including composition, presswork, stock, etc., for about one-half the estimated cost of labor alone on these cards in the Tenth Street branch. Proviso in the printing act. — Mention has been made of the pro- viso which excepts from the printing act of 1895 " so much of the printing as is necessary to expedite the work of the Record and Pension Division of the War Department." As the defining of such printing must be largely a matter ©f executive judgment, and as it has been shown that the work of The Adjutant General's Office could not be adversely affected by the transfer of the printing, there would seem to be no important obstacle in the way of such transfer. Net saving. — Having regard to all the existing conditions and making reasonable allowance for a number of economies that would necessarily follow the transfer of the printing to the Government Printing Office, it is evident that, using figures that are believed to be conservative, there would be a net saving of at least $10,000 in the present cost of printing, with improved quality of product and with- out inconvenience to the service. The net saving of $10,000 is based upon an annual labor cost of $9,600, as previously stated. This amount was reported to the com- mission's representative as the labor cost for the fiscal year 1912. It 300 REPORTS OF COMMISSION" OX ECONOMY AND EFFICIENCY. vas found, however, that in August, 1912, when the descriptive report for the whole Tenth Street branch was prepared, there were nine men, with salaries aggregating $11,600, devoting their entire time to print- ing, and one man at $1,400 devoting part time to printing. With the labor cost at the larger figure, the net saving would haA^e been greater than that stated, but it is the intention to make conservative estimates of possible savings, and therefore the figure is given as $10,000. In considering the number of employees available for transfer from the printing section, account is taken of those men who were reported as devoting their full time to that section in August, 1912, I'.amely : 1 clerk, class 3 $1,600 3 clerks, class 2 , 4,200 4 clerks, class 1 . 4, 800 1 clerk nt .$1.000 1,000 9 clerks, with salaries aggregating 11,600 The gross saving in salaries is thus stated as $11,600, of which it is assumed that $1,600 (the difference between the salary roll of $11,600 and the net saving of $10,000) is an offsetting item resulting from the proposed method of purchasing all printing. In other words, it is assumed that in the future the printing bills will be increased to the extent of $1,600 of the present salary roll plus the former expenditures for printing stock, supplies, and repairs. This computation leaves $10,000 of the present salary roll as the net saving. IDENTITY SECTION. 4. It is recom/mended that the identity section he transferred to the State^ War, and Navy Building. As has been stated in the descriptive report, the identity section is engaged in classifying, filing, and searching the identification records of enlisted men in the Regular Army. This work pertains to the administration of current military affairs, and provision must, therefore, be made for its prompt and efficient conduct. It is highly important that work connected with current military administration should be concentrated, so far as possible, at War Department head- quarters in the State, War, and Navy Building, and that such work should be conducted in office quarters suitable for the prompt and proper dispatch of business. The identity section is located in the rear of the third floor of the old Ford Theater Building, in wholly inadequate quarters, which are difficult of access. There is no telephone service provided for the chief of this section, so that when he finds it necessary to telephone BUSINESS METHODS OP OFFICE OF THE ADJUTANT GENERAL. 301 to the headquarters of The Adjutant General's Office in the State, War, and Navy Building or whenever the latter office wishes to tele- phone to him it is necessary for him to walk the length of the build- ing and down a flight of stairs into the office of the clerk in clrarge of the branch. In connection with the work of this section approximately 15,000.- 000 circulars and hundreds of thousands of envelopes are used an- nually. In the present location of this section it is necessary for this large quantity of supplies to be hoisted by block and taclde from the ground floor of the Tenth Street branch to the third floor and then to be lowered for shipment. Such a crude method of handling sup- plies would be unnecessary in a modern building. A further disad- vantage of the location is found in the fact that it is necessary for a considerable number of communications to be sent daily between the State, War, and Navy Building and the identity section. This involves a loss of time in handling current Army business. It is recommended that this section, with its files, be transferred to the State, War, and Navy Building and assigned to rooms where the work of this section can be conducted advantageously. The sug- gested recommendation of the commission for the transfer from the State, War, and Navy Building of the files of old military records will make available a large number of rooms, some of which ma}^ be set apart for the identity section. The location of this section in the State, War, and Navy Building and in rooms adapted for its needs would save considerable amount of the time of the chief of this section, of his assistant, and of several employees, who now work to disadvantage in being so far removed from the central office and without telephone or elevator service. The work of the laborers who now hoist the supplies to the indentity section by means of a block and tackle would be largelj^ done away with if the recom- mendations herewith made were adopted. 5. It is recommended that the finger-print records of men with good records and of men with had records he filed in separate sec- tions of the file, and that only the latter records he searched in cases of reenlistment. One of the most important classes of work of the identity section is searching finger-print records to ascertain whether a newly en- listed man has performed prior military service. The searching of the records consumes on an average the full time of two employees. The finger-print records are now arranged in the file according to Henry's standard classification. The file, however, is divided into several sections, the records of white men being filed separately from those of colored men, and the records of honorably discharged sol- diers being filed separately from those for other men. The records of 302 REPORTS OP COMMISSION OK ECONOMY AND EFFICIENCY. white men exclusive of those honorably discharged form the largest section of the file and constitute the great majority of all finger-print records in the office. The present method of filing the records pro- duces subdivisions some of which contain a large number of records, the average number being 150 records to each subdivision. Whenever a search of the file is made, it is necessary to examine all finger-print records in the subdivision which is being searched. It is evident that further subdivision of the files would enable the searchers to perform their work much more quickly, since each search would require the examination of a smaller number of records. It is therefore recommended that the file of finger-print records be divided into two additional sections, one for the records of those men who have not been found guilty of being deserters, criminals, or de- linquents, and the other section for the records of those men who have been found guilty of desertion, crime, or some delinquency. Such a division of the file would, in the opinion of the chief of the identity section, greatly facilitate the search of the finger-print records. With the file thus divided, the searcher would first examine the finger-print records of men who had been charged with desertion or found guilty of some other delinquency and would avoid the necessity of examin- ing the records of all those men who had not been charged with any delinquency. Inasmuch as the file of records of "bad" men would contain about one-fifteenth of the total finger-print records, it is ob- vious that much time would be saved in ascertaining whether the man whose record is under consideration has had any previous record of delinquency. If no finger-print record of the recruit is , found among the file of soldiers with a record of delinquency, the recruit's record would then be placed in the file for men having good records. When filing this case, the records of the " good " men could be ex- amined to ascertain if by chance the new recruit had had previous service in the Army and had never been found guilty of any delin- quency. If such a search were made, every contingency would be provided for under the suggested method as fully as under the pres- ent method. The advantages to be gained by dividing the file into two parts are that it would enable the identity section to quickly dis- cover whether a recruit or any other man under investigation had had a former military service with a record of delinquency. This would enable The Adjutant General's Office to advise the recruiting or proper ofiicer of such fact in much less time than is possible under the present method. It is, however, questionable whether it is necessary or desirable to search the records of " good men," when filing the finger-print records of a newly enlisted man for whom there is no record in the file for " bad men." No fact of importance would be ascertained from the search of the records of " good men " and the utility of BUSINESS METHODS OF OFFICE OF THE ADJUTANT GENERAL. 303 such a search is not evident. Moreover, the present method of search- ing finger-print records develops a comparatively small number of cases where a record is found on file for the man whose case is being investigated. During the fiscal year 1911 there were only 326 cases of " discovered identities," or between 1 and 2 per cent of the total number of searches made. It is therefore recommended that as a general rule no search of the finger-print records of " good men " be made in the case of original enlistments. The principal part of the work of the searchers is searching the records in connection with each original enlistment. During the fiscal year 1911 there were 22,444 original enlistments, for each of which a search of the finger-print records was made. The searches of the finger-print file made in connection with other business, such as requests from the Navy and from civil authorities, would not exceed 2,500 per annum, or about 10 per cent of the total. In connection ■ ith searches made on account of enlistments, it has been pointed out that the separation of " good men " from the " bad men " would reduce the work of the searcher so that he would find it necessary to examine approximately one-fifteenth of the number of cards which he is now forced to examine. It is the opinion of the officials with whom this matter was dis- cussed that the recommended reduction in work would result in the saving of three-fourths of the time which is now spent in searching the files. This would represent the saving of approximately $1,800 per annum without detracting from the efficiency of the work as now performed. At the time of the preparation of the report for the identity section, one employee at a salary of $1,200 was spending his full time in making searches of finger-print records, and part of the time of four other employees was also spent upon this work. The time spent by the four men last mentioned in searching finger- print records varies greatly, but the total of the time so spent by them is the equivalent of the full time of one man. 6. It is recommended that the identity section discontinue recording assignments to inilitary organizations on the identity records. At the present time the telegram or letter received in The Adjutant General's Office announcing a desertion always states the name of the deserter, time and place of desertion, the military organization to which the man belonged, and the time of enlistment. In all cases the time and place of enlistment are shown on the records of the identity section. The name of the military organization is entered on the jacket containing the photograph and negative of the enlisted man and on the finger-print record. For the work of the identity section it is desirable that the place, as well as the time, of enlistment be given in reporting desertions, since the identity records show 304 EEPOKTS OF COMMISSION ON ECONOMY AND EEFICIENCY. the place and time of enlistment. The name of the military organi- zation from which the man deserted would then be of no value to the identity section, since their records are not filed by military organi- zations. The only use now made of the name of the military organi- zation in the identity section is to enable them to determine which of several men bearing the same name is the one who has been re- ported as a deserter. If the place as well as time of enlistment were given, these facts would enable the identity section to determine, in all cases, the man reported upon. It is recommended that officers reporting desertions be required to state the place of enlistment, and that the identity section discon- tinue recording assignments to military organizations. These changes would result in the saving of the time of one man in the identity section who is now engaged in entering military assign- ments on the negative jackets and identity records. The man en- gaged upon this work receives a salary of $1,200. Unless the name of the military organization to which a deserter belongs is needed in the rolls or some other division of The Adju- tant General's Office, it is recommended that the name of the military organization be omitted from telegrams advising The Adjutant General's Office of desertions. The record of delinquencies or of any other facts pertinent to the work of the identity section which is now made on the "nega- tive" jacket should be made a matter of record in the file of finger prints. This change will be necessary if the recommendation for the discontinuance of the descriptive circulars and of the photo- graphs is adopted. 7. It is recommended that the fresent method of circularieing de- serters from the Army he discontinued and that a printed form having the description of the deserter inserted thereon he sent to a restricted list of persot%s and places. At the present time it is the practice of the Army to make an out- line figure card with front and rear view ; two photographs, profile and full face; and take the finger prints of each recruit enlisting in the Army. These records and photographs are sent to The Adjutant General's Office for filing. If an enlisted man of the Army deserts, after a period of 10 days has elapsed he is circularized throughout the United States by The Adjutant General's Office. This is done by issuing a circular 8 hy 12 inches with a halftone cut of the photo- graph of the deserter. The circular offers a reward of $50 for the arrest and delivery of the deserter and gives a full description of him, with place of enlistment, residence at time of enlistment, and the name and address of the soldier's beneficiary. BUSINESS METHODS OF OFFICE OF THE ADJUTANT GENEEAL. 305 The Adjutant General's Office novr has a mailing list of over 1,100 addresses to which all circulars are mailed. This list contains the names of military posts, departments, divisions, etc., and the names of United States marshals, the chiefs of police in the principal cities, a large number of private detectives, officials of the Department of Justice and of the Secret Ser^dce Division of the Treasury Depart- ment, and county officers of the counties bounding the home of the deserter. In the past three years 36,756,100 of these circulars have been sent broadcast over the United States. The practice of issuing descriptive circulars of desertion was inaugurated in 1908. Purpose of descriftive circulars. — It is claimed by The Adjutant General's Office that the issue of circulars has been one cause for the reduction in the number of men deserting and also has been a very important factor in causing the apprehension of deserters. There is no question as to the fact that the number and percentage of deserters, have been materially decreased in the past eight years and that the percentage of men regained has increased. The percentage of de- sertions to the enlisted strength of the Arni}^ has decreased from 6.8 per cent in 1905 to 2.2 per cent in 1911 and to 3 per cent in 1912. The percentage of deserters regained within the year of desertion has increased from 14 per cent in 1905 to approximately 28 per cent in 1912. Effect of circulars on desertions. — It is difficult to ascertain accu- rately the factors which have been responsible for the decrease in the number of desertions. It is apparent that Army officers have in recent years had a clearer realization of the importance of adopt- ing every possible measure for reducing the number of desertions. The practice of issuing descriptive circulars is but one of the meas- ures taken for reducing desertions and for attempting to apprehend a larger number of deserters. A corresponding decrease in the number of deserters has also been effected in the Navy during the past eight years. Here, again, it is impossible to determine accurately just what factors are most largely responsible for the improvement. The Navy, however, has never, made use of descriptive circulars, so that the improvement in this branch of the service is in no way traceable to the use of circulars. The percentage of desertions in the Navy has decreased from 7.8 per cent in 1905 to 3.5 per cent in 1912. The reduction in the Navy during this period is fully as great as that in the Army. (The Army and Navy figures are computed on somewhat different bases, so that they can be utilized only for showing the relative decrease in desertion in each branch of the service.) These facts show that the reduction in the number of desertions in the Army can not be traceable to the practice of issuing descriptive circulars. 72734°— H. Doc. 1252, 62-3 20 306 EEPOKTS OP COMMISSION ON ECONOMY AND EFFICIENCY. As has been stated, the explanation of the reduction in the number of desertions can not be stated with certainty. The number and percentage of desertions fluctuates from year to year. The per- centage of desertions from the Army during the year 1911 was 2.2 of the total enlisted strength, but the percentage increased slightly in 1912 to 3 per cent, and it is highly probable that in 1913 the percentage will be considerably higher. It has been ascertained that during one day in August, 1912, there were 77 desertions from the Army, and the total number of desertions for that month indi- cates that the aggregate for the fiscal year 1913 will be considerably larger than for the several preceding years. It is thus seen that whatever efficacy may be claimed for the descriptive circular in the way of reducing desertions is temporarily at least inactive. Effect of circulars on apprehension of deserters. — The increase dur- ing the years from 1905 to 1912 in the percentage of deserters re- gained has been stated. This increase was most marked from 1908 to 1909, the percentage for the former year being 17 per cent, and for the latter year 26 per cent. This gain was probably due in part to the issue of the despriptive circulars. As has been stated, these circulars were first issued in the latter part of the year 1908, It is doubtless true that during the first year of their issue the circulars proved of assistance to the local authorities and other persons who make arrests of deserters, but after the circulars have been issued in large quantities for several years the files containing circulars for those men who have not been regained become so bulky that it is no longer possible to make use of the circulars. Since the issue of cii'- culars was commenced over 15,000 men have deserted from the Army. Of these it is estimated that nearly 10,000 have not been apprehended or have not surrendered themselves. For each of these deserters now at large a descriptive circular is on file in such of the 1,100 offices on the mailing list as have considered that the circulars are worth filing. In the offices which have kept files of descriptive circulars it is evident that the papers can not be so arranged as to be utilized in the work of attempting to apprehend deserters. It is believed that a number of offices to which circulars are regu- larly sent do not consider them of sufficient importance to maintain a file. In one instance, which came to the attention of the commis- sion's representatives, circulars were returned unopened after having been thrown into a lot adjoining the place addressed. It was de- veloped upon investigation that requests have been received for the discontinuance of these circulars on the ground that they entail con- siderable work and that no benefit had been derived from them. It is understood that some officers of the Army believe that the issuance of these circulars is not justified by the results secured. BUSINESS METHODS OF OFFICE OF THE ADJUTANT GENEEAL. 307 In the Navy the percentage of deserters regained is smaller than in the Army, and the percentages show greater fluctuations during the past eight years. The figures for the two branches of the service are, however, not comparable, as the Army allows only 10 days of absence without leave before entering a charge of desertion and the Navy allows 3 months. Moreover, allowance should be made for the fact that the majority of all deserters from the Navy occur among the stokers. It is the opinion of several prominent police officials that the cir- cular is not a desirable method to be followed in apprehending de- serters. One police official stated that the principle was wrong and that the method of attempting to put this principle into effect was useless. It was his opinion that the great number of deserter cir- culars, which are daily sent out, has had the effect of rendering them entirely useless, and cited one instance in which his office had re- ceived more than TO circulars of deserters in one day. He stated that his files were becoming burdensome and that he could not remember ever identifying a deserter by one of these circulars. It was the opinion of this official that if a small percentage of the money that v,^as yearly expended for these circulars was used for the purpose of increasing rewards the number of apprehensions would be con- siderably larger. Mailing list. — The present mailing list, which is used in distribut- ing circulars is a matter of as much importance for consideration as is any subject connected with the practice of issuing the circulars. At the present time there is a regular mailing list containing between 1,100 and 1,200 names to each of which a copy of each circular or, in the case of some offices, a large number of copies of each circular are sent. In addition to this regular mailing list a special mailing list is prepared for each desertion. The special mailing list includes the names of the county officials in the counties near the locality in which the deserter formerly lived, or in which the person whom he named as his beneficiary lives. This special list also contains the names of any places which it is thought might be visited by the man who is being circularized. In other words, the special mailing list is pre- pared with special reference to those localities in which the deserter is most apt to be apprehended. Such benefits as are now obtained from the issue of descriptive circulars come without question from those mailed to the places on the special mailing list. The practice of sending copies of a circular for each of the 3,000 or 4,000 men who may desert within a year to each of 1,100 offices is clearly a waste of money. Recommendations. — In view of the fact that the decrease in the percentage of desertions can not be attributed in any material extent to the issue of descriptive circulars, and in view of the further fact 308 EEPOETS OF COMMISSIOX ON ECONOMY AND EFFICIENCY. that the circulars have accumulated to such an extent that they are of very little or no assistance to officers who may apprehend deserters, it is recommended that the issue of them to a large number of offices be discontinued. In place of the present practice, it is recommended that a carefully selected list of persons be prepared, to whom a personal description of each deserter shall be sent. Every advantage now gained by the issue of descriptive circulars of deserters would be retained by substituting therefor a. printed form in which would be entered a personal description of the de- serter, place of desertion, and other pertinent data. These forms should be sent to a restricted and selected list of persons and places, including such as are now entered on the " special " mailing lists, together with the names of other persons who might be reasonably certain of being able to use the information. Among the latter are those detective agencies which make a specialty of apprehending deserters. The advantages to be gained by substituting this method for the present circular method are (a) the avoidance of filling up the files of Army posts, city detective offices, and other offices with thousands of circulars which are of no value to them; (6) securing greatly in- creased attention for such descriptions as are sent out, since they will be sent only to those persons who are concerned with the cases; and (c) effecting a large saving. Savings. — The preparation and distribution of the present circu- lars require the full services of eight employees and part of the time of two employees of the identity section, and the services of several employees detailed to this section from other sections of the Tenth Street branch. The time of the detailed employees is equivalent to the full time of five men. The direct cost to The Adjutant General's Office of preparing and issuing the circulars is estimated as follows : (1) 1 clerk, class 2, full time $1,400 3 clerks, class 1, full time 3, 600 4 clerks at $1,000, full time 4, 000 5 detailed clerks, full time 5, 400 14, 400 (2) Half tones for pictures of deserters 2,500 (8) Printing descriptive circulars (cost for 1911) 25,103 (4) Envelopes (estimated at lower price for purchase in bulk, $1,856.77, plus estimated cost of printing at Tenth Street branch) 2,200 , Total 44,203 In addition to this total the annual cost of the photographs, in- cluding the supplies and materials, is estimated at $15,000. This BUSINESS METHODS OF OFFICE OF THE ADJUTANT GENERAL. 309 item of cost is paid from the appropriation for the Surgeon Gen- eral's Office, which furnished the estimate here used. The cost of preparing and issuing the descriptions of deserters here recommended would include a small part of the clerical services now employed on work connected with descriptive circulars and a small amount for supplies. This is evident when it is considered that between 4,000 and 5,000 circulars are now sent out for each desertion, and that only a small fraction of this number of descriptions should be distributed. The clerical work connected with . the preparation of the material, the mailing lists, etc., for the personal descriptions of deserters would require approximately the full time of one clerk of class 2, one of class 1, and two at $1,000, making an aggregate salary cost of $4,600. The cost of supplies would depend upon the number of names wdiich should be included on the mailing list and the number of circulars necessary to send to each address. The esti- mated cost of the supplies should include the cost of printing or mul- tigraphing copies of such circulars as it may be found necessary to issue in considerable quantities. It is believed that $3,000, or some- what over one-tenth the present cost of printing and supplies, would be a sufficient allowance to make for this item. The proposed method will be fully as effective as the present one, and will effect an annual saving in The Adjutant General's Office of $9,800 in salaries and of $26,800 in printing, half tones, and sup- plies, together with an annual saving in the Surgeon General's Office of $15,000 in photographic supplies and material, a total direct sav- ing for the War Department of approximately $51^600. The total saving to the department would be much larger than this because of the indirect elements of cost which can not be definitely measured, such as the handling by laborers, messengers, mail clerks, recording clerks, index clerks, file clerks, and officers of thousands of commu- nications annually. The saving to the Post Office Department in the handling of from 12,000,000 to 15,000,000 circulars put up into approximately 2,000,000 pieces of mail would be a large element of saving in addition to that noted for the War Department. 8. It is recoTYhinended that the review of the reports of the identity section hy the Administration Division he discontinued. The reports prepared by the identity section on men who are re- ported as deserters and on other cases are sent to the Administration Division, where they are reviewed before being dispatched from the office. As stated in the critical report on the Administration Divi- sion, this review of the work of the identity section seems wholly unnecessary, and that section should be held responsible for its work, just as divisions are generally held responsible for the work per- 310 EEPOETS OF COMMISSION ON ECONOMY AND EFFICIENCY. formed by them. In order to insure the proper performance of the M'^ork of the identity section, it is not necessary that its work be reviewed in the Administration Division. The recommendation made in the critical report of the Administration Division that this review work be eliminated, is repeated here. The elimina- tion of the Administration Division's review of the identity sec- tion's work will simplify and lessen the work of that section. Upon the adoption of this recommendation, it will no longer be necessary for the identity section to prepare duplicate copies of the special mailing list, prepared in connection with each case of deser- tion, and of other records. It is estimated that the preparation of the duplicate mailing list and other special lists for the Administra- tion Division, consumes on an average of more than one hour each day for one clerk in the identity section. Furthermore, upon the adoption of the commission's recommenda- tion for the discontinuance of the record card, it will be unnecessary for the identity section to prepare the special form of record card now made out in the case of each desertion. It is not possible to definitely state the amount to be saved by eliminating the Administration Division's review and by arranging for the identity section to deal directly with the rolls and other divi- sions with which it must cooperate in the preparation of reports on deserters. The present methods, however, involve a considerable amount of unnecessary handling of cases, and there would be a saving in cost and in the time required for the preparation of reports. Savings in identity section. — The present force in the identity sec- tion consists of 20 employees, receiving salaries aggregating $23,600. The recommendations for a new arrangement of the finger-print records, for discontinuing the recording of the names of military organizations, for the adoption of new methods of circularizing de- serters, and for the discontinuance of the review of the identity sec- tion's work by the Administration Division will effect sufficient sav- ings in clerical work to enable the identity section to perform its work with the following force: 1 clerk class 3 $1, 600 2 clerks class 2 2, 800 8 clerks class 1 9,600 2 clerks at $1,000 2,000 13 clerks, with salaries aggregating 16, 000 Thus, a saving of seven clerks with total salaries of $7,600 will be effected in the identity section. An additional saving of $5,400 in salaries and of five men will be effected in the carding sections as the result of the reduction in work in the identity section, thus making BUSINESS METHODS OF OFFICE OF THE ADJUTAISTT GENEKAL. 311 it no longer necessary for clerks to be detailed from those sections to the identity section. This is a total reduction in force of 12 men and in salaries of $13,000. A further saving to be noted in connection with the identity sec- tion is $26,800, on account of decreased requirements for supplies, printing, etc., making an aggregate saving to be here recorded of $39,800. The proposed saving of $15,000 in photographic supplies should be taken into consideration in making estimates for appropriations for the Surgeon General's Office. 9. It is recoinTnended that all military record cards and personal papers he transferred to the Regimental Records Division. There are now filed in the Tenth Street branch all military and medical record cards and personal papers for men in the War of 1812, Spanish- American War, Philippine insurrection, and in the Confed- erate Army, together with a small part of the military record cards for volunteers in the Union Army during the Civil War. The corre- sponding records for the Revolutionary War, Indian wars, War with Mexico, and, in large part, for the Civil War, are filed in the Regi- mental Records Division. All such records logically belong in that division, both from the standpoint of consultation of records and from the standpoint of subject matter. Material savings in the time and expense required for furnishing information will be effected by placing all record cards of volunteer troops in the Regimental Records Division. The largest saving will be effected through the transfer and consolidation of the record cards for the Civil War Volunteers, which subject is discussed in detail in the following section. The space occupied by the files to be transferred to the Regimental Records Division is stated in Section III, where a recommendation is made for the placing of all old military records in a new file building to be rented for that purpose. 10. It is recommjended that the military -record cards for Givil War volunteers he transferred to Regimental Records Division andj consolidated with the file of similar cards in that division. As stated in the descriptive report of this branch, information was furnished during the fiscal year 1912 from the records in answer to approximately 45,000 requests for information. The records of the Tenth Street branch show that over 26,000 of these requests are " statement of service " cases requesting information concerning vol- unteers who served in the Federal Armies of the Civil War and of men who served in the Spanish-American War. 312 REPOETS OF COMMISSION OX ECONOMY AND EFFICIENCY. From information furnished by the Eegimental Eecords Division and verified by the officials of the Tenth Street branch, it is learned that at least nine-tenths of the 26,000 statement of service cases are cases relating to men who served in the Civil War and are referred from the Regimental Records Division to the Tenth Street branch. This practice is now necessary because of the fact that the military- record cards for volunteers in the Civil War are filed in part in the Regimental Records Division, in the State, War, and Navy Building, and in part in the Tenth Street branch. The present practice is to send the cards from the Tenth Street branch to the Regimental Rec- ords Division whenever the latter division makes a call upon the for- mer for information. Such cards as are sent under this practice to the Regimental Records Division are permanently filed there. The illogical division of the file of military-record cards results in a large amount of unnecessary handling of approximately 25,000 cases per annum. The military-record cards for Federal troops in the Civil War now in the Tenth Street branch should be transferred to and filed in the Regimental Records Division at once. Sufficient space in the files of the Regimental Records Division for filing these cards can be procured by adopting the commission's recommendation with respect to the cross-reference jackets now used. Moreover, the consolidation can be easily effected, as the files in the Regimental Rec- ords Division and Tenth Street branch are arranged in exactly the same manner. Such a transfer and consolidation of the files of mil- itary-record cards would enable the office to furnish the requested in- formation from one file, in place of searching the two files as at pres- ent. The additional work thrown upon the searchers in the Regi- mental Records Division would be very slight and would consist only of handling a few additional cards for those men whose military-rec- ord cards are now filed at the Tenth Street branch. This additional work would not make necessary any increase in the force of the Regi- mental Records Division. The transfer of the military record cards of the Civil Y/ar to the Regimental Records Division would eliminate at least one-half of the work now performed by those employees of the Tenth Street branch who are engaged in furnishing the statements of service from military card records. Eight men were reported as devoting their full time to the work of searching, and five as devoting part time. It is estimated that this is the equivalent of the full time of 9 men, as follows : 1 clerk, class 3, full time $1,600 5 clerks, class 1, full time 6, 000 3 clerks, class 1, full time 3,000 9 clerks, with salaries aggregating 10. 600 BUSINESS METHODS OF OFFICE OF THE ADJUTANT GEITEEAL. 313 Tlie consolidation of the files of cards for Civil Vfar volunteers will effect an annual saving in the salaries of employees searching the files of approximately $4,600, and a reduction in force of four men. In addition to this direct saving there would be a large indirect saving as the result of the elimination of unnecessary handling of approximately 25,000 cases yearly. The extent to which these cases are now unnecessarily handled is evident from the follov>^ing list, showing the steps now taken in the handling of cases referred from the Eegimental Records Division to the Tenth Street branch, but all of which would be eliminated upon the consolidation of these files : 1. Searcher in Regimental Records Division malves an entry upon the green record card, as follows : " Tenth Street branch please furnish cards of case." 2. Searcher folds up the communication and inserts it with the green record card in mail jacket. 8. The messenger on the five-minute messenger service collects case and de- livers it to the proper place for forwarding to the Tenth Street branch. 4. Communication is carried by mail wagon, which leaves the State, War, and Navy Building at specified times each day, to the Tenth Street branch. 5. The case is opened, examined, and assigned to the clerk in charge of the military card records at the Tenth Street branch. 6. The case is recorded by the clerk in charge in a record containing the fol- lowing facts : (a) Date of receipt. (6) The serial number of the case. (c) Initials of the searcher to whom the case is assigned. (Note: It has been the custom in the past to also record the name of the soldier concerning whom the information is requested and the military organization in which he served. It is now proposed to omit this information from the record.) (d) The case is assigned to the searcher, who will procure the requested information from the record. 7. The searcher in procuring the requested information performs a number of different kinds of work, as follows : (a) Opens the case. (6) Reads it to ascertain what is called for. (c) Goes to the proper section of the files and withdraws therefrom the record bearing upon the case. (d) Returns to his desk with the record card. (e) Enters on the statement of service-record card the fact that " The cards furnished herewith." (/) Folds up the communications and the accompanying cards, fas- tening them together with an elastic band for forwarding to the examiner. 8. The case is reviewed by the examiner to insure that the requests appear to be properly complied with. 9. The examiner folds up the case for transmission to the clerk in charge of searching work. 314 EEPOETS OF COMMISSIOISr ON ECONOMY AND EFFICIENCY. 10. (a) Clerk in charge unfolds and opens up the case. {!)) Records in his record the date on which it is sent out from the Tenth Street branch, (c) Folds up the case again for forwarding to the Regimental Records Division. 11. The case is carried by the mail wagon to the State, War, and Navy Building. 12. The case is delivered by the five-minute messenger service to the searcher who originally handled the case in the Regimental Records Division. 13. The searcher in the Regimental Records Division removes the case from the mail jacket and opens it up. 14. Searcher in Regimental Records Division — (a) Examines case. (&) Places the cards forwarded from the Tenth Street branch in the proper place in the Files and Regimental Records Division. It is impossible to estimate the cost of all of these unnecessary steps which are now taken in the handling of approximately 25,000 com- munications each year. It is evident, however, that considerable saving would result from the elimination of this unnecessary work. 11. It is recommended that printed forms he used^ as far as practi- cable, in furnishing information from military card records for men in the Confederate Armies. Requests for information concerning men who served in the Con- federate Armies formed the second largest class of communications requesting information from records in the custody of the Tenth Street branch. These requests form the larger part of the 16,000 "correspondence file" cases requiring a search of the files at the Tenth Street branch. These cases are received from the Corre- spondence and Examining Division, which enters on the white record card accompanying the cases a request on the Tenth Street branch to furnish information as called for in the communication accompany- ing the record card. The Tenth Street branch enters such informa- tion as it has on the case upon the record card. If the action at this branch completes the case, it is then forwarded to the Correspondence and Examining Division for the preparation of a reply, which is based upon the statements made by the Tenth Street branch on the record card. If additional information must be furnished by some other division, the Tenth Street branch forwards the case to that division for entering on the record card such information as is con- tained in its file. The second division handling the case will also enter its information upon the record card and forward the case to the Correspondence and Examining Division for the preparation of the reply. This method of work makes it necessary for the information con- tained in the reply to be written twice, first upon the record card, and then recast and written by the Correspondence and Examining BUSINESS METHODS OF OFFICE OF THE ADJUTAN'T GENERAL. 315 Division in the form of the final reply. An examination of a number of these requests for information concerning the service of men in the Confederate Armies disclosed the possibility of using a printed form for reporting such facts as are a matter of record in the division having custody of the files. In cases where the Tenth Street branch furnishes all information concerning the military service, no diffi- culty would arise in entering the information upon a printed form. In the opinion of the officials of the Tenth Street branch a difficulty would be encountered, however, in indorsing information on a printed form when it was necessary for two or more divisions of The Ad- jutant General's Office to supply the information necessary for a complete reply. It is believed that this objection applies only to requests concerning men who served in military organizations for which the record cards have not yet been prepared. Inasmuch as the military record cards have been prepared for all Confederate troops excepting those furnished by Virginia, it is evident that only a small fraction of the total requests would fall into this class of cases. It is recommended that a printed form be prepared for use in fur- nishing information from the records concerning the military service of men in the Confederate Armies. This recommendation is in line with the practice long ago adopted by The Adjutant General's Office for furnishing information to the Pension Office and the Auditor for the War Department concerning military service of men in the Fed- eral Armies. In any cases which must be handled by two or more divisions, each division could enter such information as it had on the printed form and if it was found that the information entered was not in proper form for sending out, a new statement could then be prepared from the form. This would not entail any work in addi- tion to such as is now performed in entering the information on the record card. In this connection, it should be noted that a recom- mendation in another part of this report will, if adopted, eliminate the record cards for communications of this class. SAVINGS IN CONNECTION WITH OLD MILITARY KECOEDS. With the adoption of these recommendations, it will be possible to perform all work connected with these records with the following force : 1 clerk, class 3 — $1, 600 2 clerks, class 1 2,400 2 clerks, at $1,000 2,000 5 clerks with salaries aggregating 6, 000 This is a saving of $4,600 in salaries and a reduction in force of four men. 316 REPOETS OF COMMISSION OX ECONOMY AND EFFICIENCY. 12. It is recormnended that a temporary division he organized for the completion of the carding of Confederate Army records. Record cards showing the military and medical history of men in the Confederate Army are being prepared in Sections I, II, IV, and V of the Tenth Street branch. This work has been in progress for several years and, with the force emjoloyed during the past year, it is estimated that two years will be required for the completion of the work. As stated in Section III of this report, the total salary of employees reported as devoting the whole or part of their time to carding work is $103,400. This includes, however, $6,600 paid to clerks for work performed in connection with the descriptive circulars and with searching and reporting from records. The carding sections derive no benefits from these salaries, and accordingly only that part of the force which is regularly employed on carding work is here con- sidered. That part of the force which is regularly detailed is con- sidered in connection with the work to which detailed. The force regularly employed on carding includes the following: 3 clerks, class 4 $5,400 8 clerks, class 3 12,800 10 clerks, class 2 14,000 88 clerks, class 1 45,600 19 clerks, at $1,000 19,000 78 clerks with salaries aggregating 96, 800 Since the work to be performed by this force is wholly distinct from that of other divisions, it is recommended that this force be organized as a separate division. Recapitulation of savings for the entire Tenth Street branch. Abolishment of branch as a separate organization $5, 000 Transfer of printing work 10, 000 Changes in identity section 13, 000 Changes in methods of furnishing information from mili- tary records 4,600 Total savings in salary expense 32, 600 Printing descriptive circulars 26, 800 Total savings for The Adjutant General's Office 59, 400 Materials for descriptive circulars furnished by the Sur- geon General's Office 15,000 Total savings for the War Department 74, 400 BUSINESS METHODS OP OFFICE OF THE ADJUTANT GENERAL. 317 Seventeenth Steeet Branch, summary of recommendations. It is recommended : 1. That the building occupied by the Seventeenth Street branch, situated at 610 Seventeenth Street NW., be vacated at the expiration of present lease. 2. That the branch be discontinued as a distinct organization. 3. That the Confederate prisoner-of-war records be transferred to the Archives Division. 4. That the duplicate military records be placed in the custody of the Archives Division. 5. That the work of repairing mutilated documents and records be transferred to the Archives Division. 6. That the rebinding of book records be transferred to the Gov^ ernment Printing Office. 7. That the manufacture of " box-index cards " and " double mail jackets " be performed at the Government Printing Office. 8. That the carpenter shop be abolished. With the adoption of the foregoing recommendations, the present force of employees can be reduced to two clerks, with a total annual salary expense of $2,200, thereby saving in salary expense $4,640. The estimated expense for bookbinding, carpenter work, box-inde^c cards, and mail jackets will be approximately $1,550, making a net monetary saving of $3,090 per annum. The approximate saving in housing cost will be $1,000, which will be available for meeting a part of the expense of the new file building. 1. It is recommended that the building occupied by this branch be vacated. The building occupied by the Seventeenth Street branch is situ- ated at 610 Seventeenth Street NW., and is a five-story brick struc- ture of old construction. It is not suitable for clerical or office purposes, nor is it strong enough to be used to advantage for filing purposes. The rent for this building is $1,500 a year, and the cost of opera- tion is comparatively high. On an average, 30 tons of coal, cost- ing approximately $210, are used annually, and the electric-light and gas bills average approximately $50 per annum. Additional expense is incurred for a watchman and messengers. It is recommended that this building be vacated at the expiration of the present lease. The adoption of this recommendation, together with those for the transfer of the files and of the work of this branch will effect a 318 KEPOETS OF COMMISSION" OlST ECONOMY AND EFFICIENCY. saving in housing cost of approximately $1,000 per year. This saving will result in part from doing away with the Seventeenth Street branch as a separate organization, thus making it unneces- sary to utilize space for the office of a clerk in charge ; in part from the transfer of the- work of binding to the Government Printing Office; in part from the transfer of carpenter repair work to the War Department carpenter shop, and the discontinuance of the con- struction of office equipment. A part of the saving in housing cost would also be due to the fact that a considerable portion of the Seventeenth Street building is not fully utilized. With regard to the failure of The Adjutant General's Office to fully utilize the building, it is estimated that the second, third, and fourth floors of this building would accommodate with safety, and without interfering with the performance of work now carried on, at least 55 additional file cases. Furthermore, the basement is only utilized in part and that part is used merely for the collection of rubbish and old equipment and for drying out a small quantity of lumber to be used in the carpenter shop. This basement is dry, has a concrete floor, and could be used for filing purposes. It is esti- mated that 60 file cases could be stored in the basement. There is a brick wall separating that portion of the basement which is here suggested for filing purposes from that portion which is used for furnace purposes, thus insuring a proper protection from dust and dirt. Fire risks. — In compliance with the request of the commission, the Commissioners of the District of Columbia detailed Mr. P. W. Nicholson, fire marshal, to inspect the premises at 610 Seventeenth Street NW. He reported that the use of gas between the rows of file cases is dangerous; that the stairway should be of fireproof construction; that there should be at least two 3-gallon fire ex- tinguishers provided for each floor; and that a standard platform fire escape should be erected on the east or west wall for the pro- tection of the occupants. His report on this building is appended hereto. October 11, 1912. Frank J. Wagnee, Chief Engineer District of ColiimMa Fire Department. Sir : I have the honor to report that in accordance with the order of the Commissioners of the District of Columbia, and upon the request of Mr. M. O. Chance, secretary of the President's Commission on Economy and Efficiency, accompanied by Mr. W. H. Fowle, a representative of the commission, I visited and made an examination of premises 610 Seventeenth Street NW., occupied by the Seventeenth Street branch of The Adjutant General's Office, for the purpose of ascertaining what protection is afforded the occupants, the building, and contents in case of fire. The building is a five-story brick structure; the basement is used for the storage of lumber and records; the heating plant is located in the hallway of BUSINESS METHODS OF OFFICE OF THE ADJUTANT GENEEAL. 319 basement; the first floor is used as a carpenter shop; electric light is used on the first floor and in basement. The second floor is used for the clerical force, the custodian of department, and the storage of wood file cases and paper records. Third floor is used for the clerical force with four employees, wood file cases, and paper records. Fourth floor, nine employees ; wood file cases and paper records are stored. Fifth floor is used for the storage of wood filing cases, with paper records only, and extend from ceiling to floor and cover the entire length of building; there is no heat or light provided for this floor. Gas is used on the third and fourth floors; the use of gas between the rows of file cases I consider dangerous, for the reason that on cloudy days it would be necessary to light the gas to find or replace records ; electric light of modern construction should be provided throughout the entire building. The storage of these file cases with their records are considered highly com- bustible; the floors are of wood laid on brick arches, but the stairway is of wood construction in an open hallway; this stairway should be of fireproof construction and built on inside of fireproof walls or inclosure. From the crowded condition of these file cases on each floor, I consider the building poorly lighted and ventilated ; there is a fire-alarm box. No. 367, on first fioor in hall- way, but no other protection to guard against fire ; there should be at least two 3-gallon fire extinguishers provided on each floor or a storage chemical tank with outlets and hose on each floor provided ; a standard platform fire escape should be erected on the east or west wall for the protection of the occupants, the stairway being of wood, and the amount of other combustible material stored on the different floors. I do not deem this building at all suitable for office purposes ; a fireproof building should be provided for the clerical force and a separate building erected for the storage of the filing cases and their records. Very respectfully, P. W. Nicholson, Fire Marshal. Electric wiring. — In compliance with the request of the commis- sion, the office of the engineer commissioner of the District of Co- lumbia detailed an inspector to make a report on the electric wiring and equipment in the building at 610 Seventeenth Street NW. His report is quoted in full as follows : [Adjutant General's Office, 610 Seventeenth Street NW.] 1. Reenforced cord should be used for the extension light over the planer. 2. Wires run in conduit should be substituted for the cord extension for the light over the buzz saw. Reenforced cord should be used for the drop-light at this point. 3. Motors should be inclosed with substantially constructed iron boxes made of one-sixteenth inch iron instead of unlined wooden boxes. 4. Motors should be set in drip pans constructed of one-sixteenth inch iron and of such size that they will span the motor bearings. 5. The motor rheostats should be inclosed with approved iron boxes and mounted on slate at least seven-eighths inch thick and thoroughly insulated. 6. The wooden floor under the motor boxes should be thoroughly painted to prevent the absorption of oil. 7. Conduit for motors should enter and be properly fastened to the switch and rheostat boxes. 8. The 5-horsepower motor should be protected with an approved circuit breaker inclosed with an iron box. 320 EEPOETS OF COMMISSION ON ECONOMY AND EFFICIENCY. 9. Motors should be protected by approved cartridge fuses placed in iron boxes with hinged covers, in place of the existing link and cartridge fuses. 10. The switch box for the S-horsepower motor should be of such size that the door of same will close when the switch is fully open. 11. All conduit in switch, outlet, and junction boxes should be provided with terminal bushings and lock nuts. 12. The snap switch on the basement stairway should be placed on or in an approved switch box or fitting. 13. The cord extension for the light at the foot of the basement stairway should be removed and wires rerun in an approved manner in conduit or leaded armored cable substituted. 14. The circuit for the lights should be protected by an approved fuse block placed in a metal box having a hinged cover. 15. The conduit for the lights should be continuous from the junction box in which the wires are connected to the various outlets. 16. The receptacle for the light at the furnace should be placed on or in an approved outlet box or fitting. 17. The meter loop should be constructed in an approved manner by means of an outlet box, the cover of which should contain a porcelain bushing for the meter-loop wires. The conduit for the feeder wires at this point should enter the meter-loop outlet box. 18. The conduit system should be grounded to a water pipe in an approved manner. It is recommended that the owners of this property be required to comply with the recommendations of the inspector if the building is to be occupied hj the Government. /Sanitary condition.- — -The commission requested the Commissioners of the District of Columbia to detail a sanitary inspector to inspect this building. The sanitary inspector reports the general sanitary condition to be fair. He criticizes, however, the condition of the water coolers and of the floor in one of the toilets. The report of the sanitary officer on this building is as follows : October 11, 1912. William C. Woodward, M. D., Health Officer, District of Columbia. Sir: I have the honor to present the following special report relative to the inspection of the Seventeenth Street branch of The Adjutant General's Otiice, located at 610 Seventeenth Street NW. This is a five-story and basement brick building of old style architecture and construction. The dimensions are approximately 70 feet long and 28 feet wide, and has high ceilings with the exception of the fifth floor. Lighting, heating, and ventilation. — ^Ample natural light is had by a sufficient number of windows at every point where persons are regularly employed, except in the hallway on the fourth floor. The building is heated by a furnace and apparently is adequate. Sufficient ventilation facilities are provided by means of doors and weighted windows. The toilet rooms, however, on the first and second floors ventilate directly into the hallway. There are 11 males and 2 females employed in the building, and no overcrowd- ing of employees exists. BUSINESS METHODS OF OFFICE OF THE ADJUTANT GENEKAL. 321 Separate and sufficient toilet facilities are provided for the male and female employees. The plumbing fixtures throughout the building are generally not good, and some are of the very old type. The iron tops to the water-closets on the first floor have become dilapidated and rusty, the bowls are discolored and foul, also the floor is unclean. The urinal in toilet room on the second floor is foul. The toilet room on the third floor, for the use of the female employees, is kept in fair amitary condi- tion, but one of the water-closets in this room is apparently not used, hence the danger of the water evaporating in the trap. The basement is free from dampness, and is used for storage purposes. The yard drainage is fairly good. The presence of dust is quite noticeable on the file cases and records in some parts of the building, and as a whole the mainte- nance is not of the best. Dates of inspection : October 10 and 14, 1912. J. F. Butts, Sanitary Inspector. Plumhing. — The commission requested the Commissioners of the District of Columbia to detail a plumbing inspector to inspect this building. His report states that the plumbing equipment is in bad condition, with the result that the toilet rooms are in an insanitary condition. He recommends that the plumbing be entirely remodeled. The full report is as follows : [Memorandum of inspection of plumbing at the Seventeenth Street branch, Adjutant Generars Office, 610 Seventeenth Street NW.] Third floor — Ladies' toilet : Two straight hopper closets. Marble wash basin with reverse vent. It is probable that closet traps are vented, but there was nothing to indi- cate it. Second floor — Men's toilet : Two combined hopper and trap closets, one of which is badly cracked. Double marble basin on a single trap. Trap is deformed and leaks slightly. Urinal trapped, but not vented. The bowl is badly cracked and is set against a wooden wainscoting, which is saturated with urine. Dirty lead pan under slat floor. Main vent offset at this floor line and probably obstructed. First floor — Men's toilet: Same plumbing as third floor except that the wash basin is low vented,, but not reverse vented, as on the top floor. Basement : Unvented trap under sink in front. This fixture is also loose. Unused straight hopper closet covered by wooden box. General : All of these toilet rooms are open to main hallway, so that odors can ascend and enter the various rooms, and the first floor toilet room has no outside light and ventilation except through a door to the rear. A peppermint test showed an odor of peppermint in the third-floor toilet, which could not be located, as it was from a point under the floor, and a very bad leak at the base of the soil stack. The plumbing work in this building should be entirely remodeled, unused fixtures done away with, and modern fixtures installed in a tight and workmanlike manner. 72734°— H. Doc. 1252, 62-3 21 322 REPORTS OF COMMISSION ON ECONOMY AND EFFICIENCY. 2. It is recomiiiended that the hranch he discontinued as a distinct organisation. This branch consists of a number of sections and work units en- gaged upon wholly unrelated work. Mr. Claude K. Zappone, salary $1,600, is designated as the clerk in charge of this branch, and is also the custodian of the files located here. The files logically belong in the Archives Division, and the work being performed at this branch properly belong in other divisions, or is work of such a nature that it can not be performed to advantage by The Adjutant General's Office. There is no reason why such an organization unit as the Seventeenth Street branch should exist, and it is therefore recommended that this branch be discontinued as a distinct organi- zation. The adoption of this recommendation, together with those for the transfer of the files and of the several classes of work now performed at the Seventeenth Street branch, will enable The Adju- tant General's Office to utilize Mr. Zappone's services on other branches of work, thus effecting an annual saving in salary of $1,600. 3. It is recoiThmended that the Confederate prisoner of war records he transferred to the Archives Division. A part of the records of the Confederate prisoners of war is located in the Seventeenth Street branch and the balance in the Archives Division of the State, War, and Nav}^ Building. The result of the division of this file is that whenever it is necessary to consult these records the clerk in the Archives Division, Mr. Thomp- son, salary $1,800, must leave his desk and visit the files in the Seventeenth Street branch. This causes a large waste of Mr. Thomp- son's time, since he must travel from the fourth floor of the State, War, and Navy Building to the third floor of the Seventeenth Street branch at least once a day. Whenever he visits the Seventeenth Street building a substitute must be assigned to his desk in the Archives Division. The transfer of these files to the Archives Divi- sion, where they properly belong, would effect a saving in clerical services, as has been pointed out in the constructive report for that division. There are only 17 file cases of these records, so that very small expense and difficulty would be encountered in transferring them. 4. It is recommended that the duplicate military records he placed in storage in the custody of the Archives Division. The military records in the Seventeenth Street branch are dupli- cates of records in the Archives Division of The Adjutant General's Office, and logically should be in the custody of that division. The clerk in charge of the Seventeenth Street branch explained that these files are considered a part of the Archives Division files, but are not BUSINESS METHODS OF OFFICE OF THE ADJUTANT GENERAL. 323 in the custody of that division for lack of space in the State, War, and Navy Building. These files are very seldom consulted, since they contahi merely duplicates of records filed in the State, War, and Navy Building. These duplicate records should be transferred to the custody of the Archives Division and placed in storage where it would be unneces- sary to have any custodian in charge of them, 5. It is recoinTYhended that the work of repairing maitilated docu- ments and records he transferred to the Archives Division. A clerk at $1,200 and a clerk at $1,000 are employed in repairing mutilated documents and old records which need to be repaired, but do not need to be bound. Since most of the documents and records to be repaired are filed in the State, "War, and Navy Building, there are unnecessary expense and work involved in carrying the documents and records to the Seventeenth Street branch. The repair of torn documents and records is but one type of work connected with the care and custody of the old military records. It is recommended that the men who are employed in repairing mutilated documents and records be transferred to the Archives Di- vision, which has the custody of a large part of the old records. Other divisions having documents or records requiring repair could send them to the Archives Division more readily than they are now sent to the Seventeenth Street branch. 6. It is recommended that the rehinding of hook records he trans- ferred to the Government Printing Office. The section engaged in rebincling book records occupies somewhat more than half of the third floor of the Seventeenth Street branch. The clerk in charge of this work, salary $1,200, is an employee of The Adjutant General's Office, while the other three employees en- gaged on the rebinding work are detailed from the Government Printing Office and make daily reports to that office. Such equip- ment as is now used by the binding section is owned by the Govern- ment Printing Office and is loaned to The Adjutant General's Office. This section has limited facilities for binding records as compared with the Government Printing Office, thus making it necessary to work to disadvantage with resulting high costs and small output. A material reduction in cost could be effected by transferring the work to the Government Printing Office, as well as a great reduction in the time needed for completing the work. It is of great importance that the rebinding should be done as soon as possible so as to gain the advantages thereof, these advan- tages being a material gain in filing space through the elimination 324 REPOETS OF COMMISSION ON ECONOMY AND EFFICIENCY. of blank pages from old records and the placing of the records in better condition for consultation and preservation. With respect to the gain in filing space, it is estimated that the records of the Ar- chives Division, which are now being rebound, are reduced in size b,y about one-third in the course of rebinding. It is stated that the rebinding work which has been performed in the past has resulted in the saving of the equivalent of the space of three rooms. In discussing the factors involved in this work of rebinding, some of the officials of The Adjutant General's Office have stated that it was very important to have the records rebound in The Adjutant General's Office so as to have them available for reference if any occasion arose to consult these records while they were in the hands of the binder. It has also been argued that since these records are very valuable they should not be allowed to go out of the jurisdiction of The Adjutant General's Office. In answer to the first objection, as to having the binding done out- side of The Adjutant General's Office, it may be stated that such information as might be needed from these records during the process of rebinding could be furnished by the clerk in charge of the work. This could be effected very readily if Mr. Britt, who now has charge of the rebinding and who was formerly an employee of the Govern- ment Printing Office, was either transferred to the Government Printing Office or detailed from The Adjutant General's Office to the Printing Office to have charge of the rebinding of these records. It may be added with respect to this point that there is no real rea- son why it should be necessary to consult these original records during the short space of time required for them to be rebound in the Government Printing Office. An arrangement could be made with the Public Printer whereby old records could be sent to the Government Printing Office twice each week, the first lot of records being returned at the same time that the second batch of records is sent to the Printing Office. With respect to the second objection to having the binding done outside The Adjutant General's Office, namely, that of permitting the records to go outside of the jurisdiction of that office, it is only necessary to state that the Government Printing Office is constantly handling documents and matters of even greater importance than these valuable war records. In view of the facts stated in this report, it is recommended that the binding work be transferred to the Government Printing Office. Such a transfer of work will not endanger the records nor interfere Avith the proper dispatch of business, but will (1) reduce the labor cost of the work, (2) effect a saving in housing cost, and (3) result in the completion of the work in a much shorter time than is possible under the present arrangement. BUSINESS METHODS OF OFFICE OF THE ADJUTANT GENERAL. 325 7. It is recommended that the manufacture of ^^ hox index cards'"^ and '-' double mail jackets^' be jjerf armed at the Gdverjiment Printing Office. The production of 10.000 box index cards and 8,000 double mail jackets by hand in the bindery of The Adjutant General's Office in- volves unnecessary expense. These cards and jackets are made by hand by Mr. Britt, the $1,200 clerk in charge of the binding section. Each card must be cut out according to a model, and it requires a number of distinct operations in order to produce a single card. The production of the mail jacket is more involved and requires a much larger number of separate motions. At the Government Printing Office both the cards and the jackets could be stamped out by machinery at a very small cost compared with that at which they are now produced at The Adjutant General's Office. The production of these cards and jackets requires one- fourth of the time of Mr. Britt, thus meaning that the labor cost in- volved in the production of these supplies is $300 per j^ear. The labor cost at the Government Printing Office of producing 10,000 of the index cards would be $5 and the labor cost of producing 8,000 mail jackets would be $51, a total of $56. The manufacture of these supplies at the Government Printing Office would thus effect an annual saving in salaries of $244. It is recommended that the work of making the box index cards and the mail jackets be performed at the Government Printing Office during such time as these supplies may be needed in The Adjutant General's Office. The adoption of the commission's rec- ommendation for the flat filing of correspondence will eventually render the use of these supplies unnecessary. 8. It is recommended that the cary enter rejyair worh l>e joer formed in the War Department carpenter shop and that new eqidpme7it be purchased. The work performed in the carpenter and blacksmith shop is largely the construction of new filing equipment and other office equipment and to a smaller extent the repair of furniture and other equipment. An examination of the work done by this shop shows that it is of a high grade and finished character, the mechanic in charge being a skillful workman. The cost of constructing new equipment is, however, very high when consideration is given to all elements of cost, including the rental value of space occupied by the carpenter shop, the high cost of hand methods as compared with machine methods, and the rela- tively high prices which The Adjutant General's Office must pay for materials and supplies purchased in small quantities. 326 REPORTS OP COMMISSION ON ECONOMY AND EFFICIENCY. It is recommended that the repair work now performed in this carpenter shop be performed in the carpenter shop maintained by the War Department. It is further recommended that when new equipment is needed it be purchased in place of being constructed in The Adjutant General's Office. It is evident that a material saving can be eifected through the release of the first floor of this building for other purposes, through the consolidation of all repair work in one shop for the War Department as a whole, and through the pur- chase of equipment from dealers. SAVINGS. There are now six employees in this division, four clerical and two nonclerical, with salaries aggregating $6,840. With the adoption of our recommendations this force can be reduced to two clerks, at a total annual salary expense of $2,200, a reduction in force of four persons and in salary cost of $4,640 per annum.* The approximate saving in housing cost by the vacation of the present building will be $1,000 per annum, but this is considered as an offset to the expense of operating the proposed new file building. In order to compute the net saving to be gained it is necessary to deduct from the saving in salary cost of $4,640 certain offsetting items, as follows: 1. The cost of box index cards and mail jackets, if purchased from the Government Printing Office. 2. The estimated cost of such repair work and new equipment as are now produced in the carpenter shop. These items are estimated at $1,500. Deducting this amount from the gross saving leaves a net annual saving of $3,140. The expense to be incurred by the transfer of the bookbinding work to the Government Printing Office will be offset by the saving in salary expense of the bookbinder and the two book sewers now detailed from the Government Printing Office. APPENDIXES. A detailed description of the general functions and work of The Adjutant General's Office is contained in Appendix I. Descriptive statements of the location, work, methods, and organi- zation of each division of the office are contained in Appendix II. A brief on the legal aspect of the carbon copy as compared with the press copy is attached to this report as Appendix III. Respectfully submitted. Feedekigk a. Cleveland, Walter W. Warwick, Merritt O. Chance, G omonissioners . Appendix I. FUNCTIONS AND WORK OF THE ADJUTANT GENERAL'S OFFICE. General. The functions aud work of The Adjutant General's Department are pre- scribed in part by statute, in part by Army Regulations, and in part hy "War Department general orders. The Army Regulations describe The Adjutant General's Department as " the department of records, orders, and correspond- ence of the Army and the militia." The Adjutant General's Department includes the central " office " in Wash- ington and such officers and men in the military organizations as may be de- tailed for duty to The Adjutant General's Department. This report is limited to the consideration of the " office " in Washington. The work of this office consists principally of the handling and filing of cor- respondence, including Army reports on personnel and movements of troops, aud of furnishing information from the records in its custody. The work falls into two main classes, (a) that connected with present military personnel and operations, and (&) that connected with the records of former officers and men and of former military organizations. Incidental to these two main classes of work The Adjutant General's Office conducts printing, binding, aud carpenter shop work. WORK CONNECTED WITH PRESENT MILITARY PERSONNEL AND OPERATIONS. This work, as stated above, consists principally of the handling of the corre- spondence, orders, and records of the Army. The work may be divided into the following groups : 1. Recording, authenticating, and communicating to troops and individ- uals in the military service all orders, instructions, and regulations issued by the Secretary of War through the Chief of Staff. This includes printing and distributing approximately 17,650,000 Army orders and circulars. 2. Preparing and distributing commissions. 3. Compiling and issuing the Army Register and the Army List and Directory. 4. Examining, recording, and consolidating the general returns of the Army, which include the (a) bimonthly muster rolls, (6) monthly "Army returns" of services of officers, (c) recruiting reports, (d) enlistment contracts, and (e) miscellaneous reports. 5. Arranging and preserving the reports of officers detailed to visit en- campments of militia. 6. Preparing the annual returns of the militia required by law to be submitted to Congress. 7. Managing the recruiting service. 327 328 EEPOETS or COMMISSIOISr ON ECONOMY AND EFFICIENCY. 8. Eecorcliug and issuing orders from tlie War Department remitting or mitigating sentences of military convicts wlio have been discharged from the military service. 9. Maintaining the personal identification system. 10. Furnishing information from the records concerning the personnel and operations of the j.-resent Military Establishment. 11. Forwarding personal mail to officers and enlisted men. The number of communications received annually by The Adjutant General's Office in connection with the business of the present military organization is given in the War Department's report on " Handling and filing of corre- spondence " under date of February 15, 1911, as follows : Orders issued by Army commanders 159. 000 Current Army reports and returns 189,000 Letters from the staff departments and the Army at large_ 140, 000 Letters from miscellaneous sources ST, 000 Total 575. 000 In addition to these incoming communications, 70,000 private letters for officers and enlisted men were received in The Ad.1utant General's Office and forwarded to them. The number of outgoing communications was not reported in any detail, so it is impossible to state separately the number of communications sent out in connection with the business of the present military organization, and the number sent out in connection with the work on the records of former military orgaizations. The total number of outgoing communicatins of the two classes was reported as " about 356,000. This number does not include approximately 17,650,000 printed Army orders and circulars issued from this office annually." The methods followed in handling and filing correspondence are described in Section IT of this report. WORK CONNECTED WITH RECORDS OF FORMER ORGANIZATIONS. The Adjutant General is vested with the custody of the military and hospital records of the volunteer armies and of the permanent military establishment. Upon the muster out or discharge of volunteers or militia from the service of the United States, and upon the disbandment of any organization in the perma- nent military establishment, all the records that pertain to them and that have not been filed in The Adjutant General's Office are transferred to and filed in that office. The archives of The Adjutant General's Office include the following: 1. All military records of the Revolutionary War. 2. liecords of all organizations, officers, and enlisted men that have been in the military service of the United States since the Revolutionary War. 3. Records of the movements and operations of troops. 4. Medical and hospital records of the Army. 5. Reports of physical examinations of recruits. 6. Identification cards. 7. Records of the Provost Marshal General's Bureau. 8. Records of the Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen. and Abandoned Lands. 9. Confederate records, including those pertaining to the legislative, ex- ecutive, and judicial branches of the Confederate Government. The Adjutant General takes any necmessary steps to complete and correct the records in his custody. APPENDIX I. 329 At the present time about 30 employees are employed in preparing record cards showing the military services of the men who served in the Confederate Army during the Civil War. This work was begun in 1902. and it is estimated that with the present force the work will be completed in two or three years. Record cards showing the military service of the men in the Union Army have been prepared. These record cards are used for furnishing information re- quested in connection with the settlement of pension claims and other cases involving military histories. The Adjutant General's Office answers all inquiries for information contained in the archives in its custody, provided these inquiries do not require adminis- trative action by any other bureaus of the War Department. The information furnished from the documents and records include that concerning pension, pay, bounty, and other business pertaining to or based upon the military or medical histories of former officers and enlisted men in both the volunteer and the permanent military organizations. The War Department's report on the handling and fliing of correspondence states that about 135,000 letters requesting statements of military service of individuals are received annually. These requests are received from the Pen- sion Office, Auditor for the War Department, General Land Office, and other Federal departments and offices, from the adjutants general of the several States, the Grand Army of the Republic and other associations, and from indi- viduals. Another function performed by The Adjutant General's Office is the compila- tion of historical data on former military organizations. At present the " pub- lication branch " is compiling record cards showing the military history of the companies and other military organizations in the Federal Army during the Civil War. It is the expectation that this compilation will eventually be pub- lished. The distribution of the voluminous report on the Official Records of the Rebellion is handled by The Adjutant General's Office in accordance with an act of Congress approved March 3, 1903. ORGANIZATION. The Adjutant General's Department includes («) the central •"office" in Washington, (&) the officers and enlisted men in the several commands detailed to perform the work of The Adjutant General's Department, and (c) the re- cruiting stations. This report is restricted to the consideration of the " office " in Washington. The personnel in The Adjutant General's Office consists of officers detailed for such duty and of the civilian force authorized by Congress in appropriation acts. In addition to The Adjutant General, who is the head of the department, five officers are usually detailed to the "office" in Washington and are desig- nated as "adjutants general." For the fiscal year 1913 Congress authorized the employment of 638 civilian employeesinTheAdjutant General's Office, as follows : Chief clerk, at $2,000 1 Chief of division, at $2,000 10 Clerks of class 4 4S Clerks of class 3 64 Clerks of class 2 9i Clerks of class 1 232 Clerks, at $1,000 SS Engineer, at $1,400 1 Assistant engineer, at $900 1 330 REPORTS OF COMMISSION OlST ECONOMY AND EFFICIENCY. Firemen, at $720 2 Skilled mechanic, at $1,000 1 Messengers, at $840 10 Assistant messengers, at $720 ^ 58 Messenger boy, at $360 1 Watchmen, at $720 8 Superintendent of building, at $250 1 Laborers, at $660 18 Total 638 Salary roll $781,950 The appropriation act stipulated that " all employees provided for by this paragraph for The Adjutant General's Office of the War Department shall be exclusively engaged on the work of this office for the fiscal year nineteen hun- dred and twelve." The divisions into which The Adjutant General's Office is divided, together with the titles of the employees in charge, are as follows : 1. Administration : Chief of division. 2. Orders: Clerk, class 4. 3. Distribution : Clerk, class 4. 4. Mail and Record : Clerk, class 4. 5. Correspondence and Examining : Clerk, class 4. 6. Miscellaneous: Chief of division. 7. Appointments, Commission, and Personnel : Chief of division. 8. Military Academy: Chief of division. 9. Returns : Clerk, class 4. 10. Enlisted Men's Division : Chief of division. 11. Rolls division : Chief of division. 12. Recruiting Division : Chief of division. 13. Regimental Records : Clerk, class 4. 14. Tenth Street: Clerk, class 4. 15. Medical Records : Clerk, class 4. 16. Archives: Chief of division. ■«» 17. Seventeenth Street: Clerk, class 3. IS. Publication : Clerk, class 4. PEESENT METHODS OF HANDLING AND FILING COERESPONDENCE. The methods of handling and filing correspondence in The Adjutant Gen- eral's Office are described in War Department orders of May 15, 1894, and in General Orders. No. 92, under date of May 5, 1909. The latter orders were issued for the purpose of directing the headquarters of military divisions and departments and of specific posts to adopt the same methods which were in use in The Adjutant General's Office. The methods differ for each of the more important classes of communica- tions handled in The Adjutant General's Office and will be separately described for each of the following classes : (o) Letters from the staff departments and the Army at large and from miscellaneous sources. (6) Current Army reports and returns. (g) Orders issued by Army commanders. {(I) Personal mail for officers and enlisted men. (e) Letters requesting statements of military service. Letters from the staff departments and the Arm/y at large and from m.iscel- laneous sources. — This is the largest of the five classes of communications, APPE^S'DIX I. 331 approximately 227,000 letters of this class being received annually, according to the report made by the War Department to the commission. Some of these letters are very important and some are trivial, but all are handled in the same manner, so far as the principal processes of briefing, recording, indexing, preparing, and filing are concerned. Such letters as those requesting the ad- dress of an officer or requesting copies of blank forms, or letters belonging to another department and erroneously received in The Adjutant General's Office, are passed through the same processes as letters of great importance to the War Department. It has been stated to members of the committee that for- merly letters having no record value, as requests for addresses, were not re- corded and filed, but the requested information was simply written on the request, which was then returned to the writer. An outline has been prepared showing in some detail the processes and sub- processes followed in handling letters from the staff departments and the Army at large and from miscellaneous sources. This detailed outline is presented herewith, since this is the largest class of communications and the procedure of handling these letters is much more involved than that for handling other classes. Moreover, the cost of handling this class of letters is very high. The sequence in which the processes are performed varies according as the letter is classified as a " new case," an " additional," or a " received back." The order presented in the following outline is that used in handling a "new case" received from a staff department, the Army at large, or a miscellaneoua source. Outline of processes followed in The Adjutant GeneraVs Office in handling and filing correspondence with staff departments, the Army at large, and miscel- laneous correspondence. A. INCOMING COBEESPONDENCE. 1. Receiving and opening (Mail and Record Division) : (a) All mail addressed to The Adjutant General's Office is received in the Mail and Record Division from the War Department post office.. (&) Mail removed from envelopes by messengers and sent to "receiving clerks." 2. Stamping and classifying for distribution (Mail and Record Division, receiv- ing clerks) : (a) Stamp mail with date of receipt and name of office. (&) Record the number of communications of each class, (o) Classify and arrange for distribution to division or section to which the communication pertains, (f?) Attach the blank record and index cards. (e) Forward to "briefing section." 3. Briefing, recording, and indexing (Mail and Record Division, briefing section) : (a) Brief all important communications on the back of the first fold. (6) Prepare record cards. (c) Prepare general index cards and " duplicate general index cards." {d) Prepare, whenever necessary, cross-reference cards. (e) Indicate by red-ink check mark on record cards all subjects, names,. and titles for which index cards are prepared. (/) Forward communications and record and index cards to numbering clerks. 4. Numbering (Mail and Record Division, briefing section) : (a) Serial number placed on communication and all accompanying papers. (6) Communications with cards forwarded to index files. 332 EEPOKTS OF COMMISSIOjN" OX ECONOMY AND EFFICIENCY. 5. Searching index for previous communications in tlie case (index file) : (a) File number (which is the number of the lowest numbered, i. e., oldest paper in the case) placed on document, record, and index cards. (6) Duplicate general index card and cross-reference cards placed in files, (c) Original general index card sent to tally clerk, who holds it until disposition of the case is finally made. (d) Communication with new record card attached sent to record-card files. 6. Withdrawing and examining record cards of previous papers in the case (record-card files) : (a) Withdraw earlier record cards. (&) Determine whether the new communication is to be filed with or merely cited to the earlier communications; and, if filed with the earlier communications, determine whether it shall be made a " new case " or an '• additional " to an older case. (c) Make cross references on the new communication and its record card if the new communication is connected with earlier ones. (d) File slips are placed in the numerical places of any new record cards filed with earlier ones. (e) Fox-ward the communication, with its record card and any pertinent earlier record cards, to tlie relevant division. B. OUTGOING CORRESPONDENCE. T. Preparing and recording outgoing communications (Correspondence Divi- sion or any one of several other di^'isions) : (a) Correspondence clerk prepares first draft of letter on cards measur- ing 34 bj^ 8 inches. Whenever he considers it necessary, the cor- respondence clerk couHults laws, regulations, or precedents before preparing his first draft. Unusually important cases are submit- ted to a superior officer for instructions before the correspond- ence clerk prepares the first draft. (6) The first draft is reviewed, any necessary corrections being made in ink. This corrected card becomes the office record of outgoing communications. (c) The "fair copy" is prepared from the corrected copy of the first draft. (d) The "fair copy" is compared with the first draft. (e) A brief is made by the correspondence clerk of letters prepared in The Adjutant General's office and addressed to 'the Secretary of War. (/) Any papers in the case which are to be filed in the office are sent to the document files. (g) The communication, with record card attached, is sent to proper official for signature. 8. Indexing: (Note. — The index of incoming correspondence serves ''as the index of outgoing correspondence, except when the reply contains new subjects and when the outgoing correspondence is the first communication in a case. In these two latter cases index cards of outgoing correspond- ence are prepared. See No. 13.) APPEXDIX I. » .333 9. Press copying (chief clerk's office) : (a) Upon receipt of the communication from the signing officer a loose- leaf press copy is made, which is sent to the document files, where it is filed with the communication to which it applies. (6) The communication is forwarded to the dispatch clerk. 10. Dispatching (Mail and Record Division, dispatch clerks) : (a) The dispatch clerk addresses the envelope, inserts the communica- tion in the envelope, and places it in a mail pouch. (6) Stamps the name of the signing officer and the date of disposition of the case on the record card and turns the card over to the tally clerk. 11. Tally clerk's record (Mail and Record Division) : (a) The general-index card is received by the tally clerk from the index clerk, as stated above in 5 (c). This constitutes an advice that a case is under consideration, and the general-index card is held by the tallj' clerk until the case is disposed of. (&) The record card is received by the tally clerk from the dispatch clerk, as stated in 10 (&). This constitutes an advice that the case has been disposed of. (c) After the receipt of the record card the tallj^ clerk stamps on the general-index card the date on which the case is disposed of. (d) The general-index and record carjls are forwarded to the files. 12. Review of briefing (Mail and Record Division) : (a) The briefing of incoming correspondence as made on the record cards is reviewed by clerks in the record-card file section. If unr satisfactory, the work is returned to the briefing division for cor'r rection or explanation. 13. Preparation of additional index cards (Judex card file section). (a) Upon its receipt in the files the record card is examined in order to determine whether any additional cross-reference index cards are needed. (6) The record card and any new cross-reference index cards are filed, C. FILING. 14. Record card file : (a) The cards are filed in boxes measuring (inside dimensions) 8| inches high, 3f inches wide, and 11 inches long. The card is filed undej the number corresponding to the serial number given to the com- munication, except in cases described in (&) and (c). (6) When a communication is received which is to be classified as a continuation of or " additional " to a case on file, the record of the letter is made on the card containing the record of the earlier communications in the case or upon " extension slips " attached to this card. (c) Where there have accumulated three or more record cards in inti- mately connected cases on the same subject, the cards are brought together in a jacket which is filed under the lowest number borne by any of the cards. On the jacket is entered the number under which the cards are filed, the subject to which they pertain, and the numbers of all cards contained in tlie jacket. 15. Index card file : (a) General index cards for all communications are filed by subjects. The index card file box is the same size as the record card file box. (6) Cross-reference index cards are filed by names of persons concerned in all " necessary " cases. S34 EEPOETS OF COMMISSIOjST OISJ" ECOISrOMY AND EFFICIEISrCY. 16. Document file : (a) Documents are folded and filed in bcxes measuring (inside dimen- sions) 9| inches liigb, 4i inches wide, 11^ inches long. An excep- tion is made when documents are exceptionally large or bulky, , when they are filed in large boxes and reference slips are placed in the regular file. (&) Documents are filed under serial numbers corresponding to the numbers under which the record cards are filed. Whenever rec- ord cards are brought together and filed under one number, as described under 14 (c), the corresponding documents are brought together in the document file. The time at which each communication reaches a division is entered on its index or record card by the clerk handling the letter, so that responsibility for any delay may be located. Furthermore, the initials of each person taking action on a communication are entered on the record card for the same purpose of placing responsibility. Current Army reports and returns. — This class of communications consists of tiurrent reports regularly submitted on prescribed forms. The number of these reports is givea by the War Department as approximately 189,000 per annum. The procedure for handling these reports is simpler than that outlined above for letters and consists of the following principal processes : 1. Receiving and opening. 2. Stamping and classifying for distribution to division or section to which the communication pertains. 3. Recording receipt on a check list or record sheet. 4. Examining for completeness and correctness. 5. Preparing letters regarding any defects in reports. 6. Recording and tabulating data contained in specified classes of re- ports, as the "Army Returns " of services of officers. 7. Forwarding report to any other division concerned therewith. 8. Filing. • Orders issued hy Army commanders. — The War Department reports that approximately 159,000 of these communications are received annually. The procedure followed involves onlj' a few principal processes, as follows : 1. Receiving and opening. 2. Stamping and classifying for distribution to divisions concerned. 3. Examining to ascertain whether the order affects any other division, and, if so, preparing and forwarding a copy to such division. 4. Filing the orders by serial number under the command from which issued. Personal mail for officers and enlisted men. — Approximately 70,000 letters are Received annually in The Adjutant General's Ofiice for forwarding to officers and enlisted men. The procedure taken is as follows : 1. Receiving. 2. Distributing to division having address of officer or enlisted man. 3. Writing address on mail. 4. Dispatching. Letters requesting statements of military service. — These requests are re- ceived principally from the Pension Office, Auditor for the War Department, General Land Office, and other Federal offices or bureaus. A smaller number is received from associations and individuals. The total number of requests for statements of military service is reported as about 135,000 per annum. APPENDIX I. 335 The procedure followed in handling tliis class of communications is as follows; 1. Receiving and opening. 2. Stamping and distributing to division handling such communications. 3. Preparing record and index cards. Special forms of record and index cards are used for this class of communications and these cards are filed in special files whollj^ distinct from the record and index card files described for all preceding classes of correspondence. 4. Searching record files for information requested. 5. Entering data for reply on the record card. (This process corre- sponds to the preparation of " first draft " in other classes of com- munications. ) In some cases, the information must be furnished by several divisions. The first division handling the letter enters on the record cards such facts as it can supply and forwards the letter with its record card to the second division, which makes additional entries on the record card. 6. Entering on file jacket abbreviations indicating the nature of infor- mation requested. 7. Preparing reply by filling in blanks on printed forms or by writing letter. 8. Examining reply for completeness and correctness. 9. Affixing signature. 10. Dispatching. 11. Filing incoming requests and record and index cards. The record cards prepared for requests of statements of military service are not used in answering subsequent communications, as is done in the case of the record cards described for preceding classes of communications. The record cards of statements of military service simply serve the purpose of indicating the number and source of, and the action taken on, these communications. COST OF HANDLING AND FILING CORBESPONDENCE. The aggregate cost of handling and filing correspondence in The Adjutant General's Office has not been ascertained, but the following items of expense have been reported to the commission : 1. Briefing (this requires 15 per cent of the time of 46 clerks, whose salaries range from $1,000 to $1,800) ___ $8,700 2. Recording and indexing incoming correspondence (this requires the remaining 85 per cent of the time of the 46 clerks engaged on briefing) 49,300 3. Distributing (this requires 2 per cent of the time of 13 clerks, whose salaries range from $1,000 to $1,800)— 1, 216 4. Preparing correspondence (this requires from 25 to 100 per cent of the time of 185 employees, whose salaries range from $1,000 to $2,000) 204,940 5. Recording and indexing outgoing correspondence (this requires 2 per cent of the time of 1 clerk at $1,600 and of 2 clerks at $1,400) 88 6. Press copying (this requires 50 per cent of the time of 1 clerk at $1,400) 700 7. Dispatching (this requires the full time of 1 clerk at $1,800 and of 1 at $1,200) 3,000 336 REPOETS OF COMMISSION ON ECONOMY AND EFFICIENCY. S. Filing correspondence (this requires from 20 to 95 per cent of the time of 10 clerlis, whose salaries range from $1,200 to $1,800) $7,650 Total reported cost 275, 594 The total appropriation for salaries of civilian employees in the Adjutant General's Office for the fiscal year 1913 was $781,950. The amount expended during the fiscal year 1911 for the same object was reported to the commission as $759,918.10. In view of the fact that the work of The Adjutant General's Office is principally that of handling and filing correspondence, it is evident that further items of cost must be added in order to show the total cost of this work. Appendix II. DESCRIPTIVE STATEMENTS OF THE LOCATION, WORK, METHODS, AND ORGANIZATION OF EACH DIVISION OF THE OFFICE. A. STATEMENT OF THE LOCATION, WORK, AND METHODS, AND THE ORGANIZA- TION OF THE ADMINISTRATIVE DIVISION OF THE ADJUTANT GENERAL'S OFFICE. I. Location. This division and the files in its custody occupy three rooms and parts of two other rooms in the State, War, and Navy Building. The rooms wholly occupied {ire Nos. 254, 256, and 2.57 on the second floor, and the rooms partly occu- pied are storerooms Nos. 401 (fourth floor) and 559 (fifth floor). The num- ber of employees in each room is as follows : 254, 5 ; 256, 1 ; 257, 4 ; total, 10. One clerk, assigned to duty in this division as precedent file clerk, is in room 360, being also engaged on work of the Correspondence and Examining Division. II. Functions. In general, the functions of this division consist in a supervision of all mat- ters connected with the administration and general conduct of business of The Adjutant General's Office. It exercises this supervision with regard to the efficient, prompt, and economical performance of the work of the office, either by suggesting the reassignment of employees or by formulating such methods as seem best adapted to the conditions and needs of the office. Specifically, the functions relate to : I. In regard to the personnel of the office — A. The changes, such as appointments. promotio7is, transfers, resigna- tions, deaths, and discharge. B. Questions of discipline and instruction. C. Keeping time records of employees. D. Preparation of the office pay rolls. E. Assignment and supervision of messengers. II. Eequisi lions for office supplies and printing. III. Conduct of correspondence regarding — A. Inquiries of a general, historical, and statistical nature. B. System of personal identification of enlisted men of the Army. C. Copying of official records of organizations to complete the collec- tion of records in the custody of States. IV. The recording of precedents. V. Supervising the preparation and issue of Army deserters' descriptive cir- culars and preparation of The Adjutant General's annual report. VI. Answering personal and telephonic inquiries from outside sources regard- ing matters connected with the office; finally reviewing some of the office correspondence and handling special cases requiring extraor- dinary investigation or report. VII. The prompt performance of the correspondence work of the office. 72734°— H. Doc. 1252, 62-3 22 337 338 REPORTS OF COMMISSIOISr ON i;CONOMY AND EFFICIENCY. I-A. THE CHANGES, SUCH AS APPOINTMENTS, PROMOTIONS, TEANSFEES, BESIGNA- TIONS, DEATHS, AND DISCHARGES, AFFECTING THE PERSONNEL OF THE ADJUTANT general's OFFICE, Appoint meuts of employees are made by selection from a list of eligibles furnislied by the Civil Service Commission upon request, and are probationary for a period of six montbs for the purpose of ascertaining the appointee's adaptability and qualifications for the work to which he is to be assigned. The selection of appointees from the list of eligibles submitted is usually based upon the requirements of particular positions vacant, which therefore govern their assignments to divisions in the office, while their subsequent reassignments are governed by the needs of the several divisions of the office and by the adaptability of employees for their present work and their con- sequent efficiency in performing it. On the expiration of the probationary period, if the employee's work has been satisfactory the appointment is made permanent, as of the original date of entry into service. All appointments are made to the lowest grade in the class of work to which appointment is made, this causing the higher grades to be filled by promotion only. Appoint- ments and promotions are made when vacancies occur through transfer, resigna- tion, discharge, or death of employees, and the promotions are determined by the semiannual efficiency ratings prepared by the efficiency board. The board is composed of four chiefs of office divisions and four members of the Adminis- tration Division, including the chief clerk of the office as chairman. The ratings as fixed by this board are based on the semiannual reports of chiefs of the several divisions of the office and such other information as has come to the attention of members of the board. Employees are not transferred to other bureaus and departments, except at their own specific request, and only on evidence submitted to show that detri- ment to the work of the office will not result thereby. Applications for trans- fers and tenders of resignations are submitted to the Secretary of War, with such recommendations of The Adjutant General as seem for the best interests of the office. In each case the employee makes a written request through the chief of his division who forwards it to the chief clerk with such remarks as will enable The Adjutant General to intelligently consider the request. Recommendations for the discharge of employees occur rarely and are usually [based on their alleged misconduct or inefficiency. In such cases a memorandum ijS; prepared and sent to the Secretary of War, recommending that steps be taken wttli a view to discharging the said employee for misconduct or inefficiency. This memorandum sets forth the facts and circumstances upon which the charges of misconduct or inefficiency are based. A copy of the recommendation is included in a letter of notification to the employee, stating that he will be allowed three days in which to answer in writing the charges as contained in the said recommendation, the employee being required to address and forward his answer to the office of The Adjutant General. His answer is then forwarded to the Secretary of War with such remarks as may seem advisable. The em- ployee is notified by The Adjutant General of the decision of the Secretary of War. The ratings fixed by the efficiency board and all appointments, assignments, and promotions, transfers, resignations, and discharges must be approved by The Adjutant General before final action is taken. Appointments, promotions, transfers to positions outside the office of The Adjutant General, resignations, and discharges are effected on the recommendations of The Adjutant General and the approval of the Secretary of War. APPENDIX II. 339 I-B. QUESTIONS OF DISCIPLINE AND INSTRUCTION OF EMPLOYEES. Employees are directly under the supervision of their respective chiefs, and aU instructions of a detailed nature are given by such chiefs. General instruc- tions are issued by the chief clerk of the office. Breaches of discipline are reported by the chiefs of divisions to the chief clerk, either orally or in writipg, and such corrective measures are taken as the chief clerk or The Adjutant General may deem for the best interests of the office. When uiateriiil errors occur in the work, the cleric making the error is re- quired to write an explanation stating "(«) the cause of the apparent error; or, if the cause is not known, (.l)) the probable cause, or, (c) a theory as to the cause." The purpose of investigating errors is to learn their specific cause or causes, with the view of adopting measures to reduce the possibility of their ■occurrence, or to entirely prevent them, according as such remedy may be found feasible. Having this end in view, the clerk is also requested to "(rf) suggest a remedy for or guard against or means of prevention of this kind of error." The request (Form A. G. O. 215) for explanation may be sent to an employee by the chief of a division or by the chief clerk of the office. Each case is in- vestigated minutely. Detailed instructions have been issued as to the manner in which such explanatory reports should be prepared. Copies of these instruc- tions and of a memorandum bearing upon the subject are shown in another part of this report. I-C. THE KEEPING OF TIME KECORDS OF EMPLOYEES. The clerical force of The Adjutant General's Office is presumed to be present •daily unless reported absent by the various chiefs of divisions. When leave of absence is granted for periods longer than one day, the time clerk makes an entry on the time-record card of the employee under the heading "Application for leave," showing the number of days granted and giving the inclusive dates. Hed-ink marks are made on the reverse side of the time-record cards, a dot indicating date from which leave of absence has been granted, and a dash date to which it has been granted. . Each day duriiig the period of absence of the em- ployee the chief of his division reports him as absent on leave, and each day the time clerk makes an entry on the employee's time-record card in tlie proper space, thus, " IL." If the employee is granted five days' leave and only takes three, surrendering the other two, red-ink dots are placed in the space corre- f^ponding to the dates surrendered and a notation made on the face of the card to the effect that two days were surrendered. This notation is made under " Remarks " opposite the entry of the amount of leave granted. Employees requesting leaves of absence use a blank and submit the same to their respective chiefs of divisions who forward them with recommendations to the chief clerk for action. If leave of absence is granted for one day or less the time clerk makes no note of it, but charges employees with such absences as are reported by the chiefs of divisions in their daily time reports. When leave for more than one day is granted the time clerk fills out a card which is given the employee through the chief of his division. l-D. PREPARATION OF OFFICE PAY ROLLS. The mid-month and end-month pay rolls are prepared on forms printed once each month. Two copies, used for the mid-month pay roll with the names of employees in strict alphabetical order and numbered consecutively according to their alphabetical position, are printed, with the amount of pay omitted. The individual amounts are then written in, the mid-month pay being considered 340 REPOETS OP COMMISSION ON ECONOMY AND EFFICIENCY. only as an advance on the monthly salaries and serving as a memorandum account only. Three copies are used for the end-month pay roll with the names of the employees arranged alphabetically by grades, and numbered consecu- tively regardless of grades, the full amount of the monthly salaries being printed opposite each name. The original of this roll is used by the disbursing clerk as his voucher. All changes caused by the addition or loss in the number of employees are made monthly only. Employees do not sign the pay-roll sheets, but are provided w^ith individual receipts to sign. These are filled out by the" pay-roll clerk by showing the number of the employee on the pay roll, the amount he is to receive according to the pay roll is printed in and the date rubber stamped. The name of the clerk is written in pencil at the left-band end of the mid-month receipt. The receipts are distributed among the employees by the pay-roll clerk. Receipts for the end-month pay roll are accompanied by slips bearing the name and the end-month pay-roll number of the employee showing the amount of the advance on the mid-month pay roll and the amount due. The slips are printed for each month of the year and are initialed by the pay-roll clerk as also are the receipts. A sheet showing the estimate of funds required for each pay roll is prepared and is an exhibit of the quantity of each denominatioii of money required for the pay of each clerk. One of its purposes is to aid in lurnishing the disbursing clerk data for determining the quantities necessary for each pay day. It is the practice of the disbursing clerk for the War Department to require all employees thereof to draw their pay at his oSice between the hours of 10 and 2 of each pay day. (A. G. O. comment : Employees on duty in the Tenth Street branch and the Army Medical Museum Building are paid by the disbursing clerk at these places between 1 and 3 p. m.) I-E. THE MESSENGER SERVICE OF THE ADJUTANT GENERAL'^ OFFICE, WAR DEPARTMENT. A. Tlte flre-iibinutc 'messenger mail service. — In a memorandum from The Adjutant General's Office, dated June 4, 1912, this service was described as follows : " The method of transporting cases from one desk or division to another is by a five-minute mail service, instituted 22 years ago. The system is operated as follows: On each of the desks of clerks who have frequent occasion to obtain information from certain other desks in cases there is placed a mail box meas- uring 15 inches in length, 5 in width, and 4| in height, divided into three equal compartments ; the middle one being designed for mail received at the desk and the two end ones for outgoing mail ; one for up and the other for down the route. There are at least 125 such mail-box desks. Some rooms have only 1, others have as many as 12 — one for every clerk in the room. Twelve messen- gers serve this route, each going from the first box of the route — on the base- ment floor — to the second, and so on, until he reaches the farthest one on the fourth floor, and then returning by the same route to the first box. The mes- sengers collect and deliver as they go from box to box according as they find mail. " Each clerk is supplied with mail .jackets (.an average of about 80 to each clerk) conspicuously addressed to the desks with which he has occasion to com- municate daily. When he wishes to obtain information in a case from a cer- tain other desk in the building he writes his request on the record card of the case, and places the case in, or straps it to, the addressed jacket and stands it in the up or down compartment of his mail box according to the direction in which it is to go and, dismissing it from his mind, takes up his next case; APPENDIX II. 341 and within two and a half minutes, on an average, a route messenger will come to his desk, unobtrusively take that case and carry it to its destination, what- ever one of the other 125 desks that destination may be ; whether it be in the next room to the right or the left, or the next floor above or below. The fol- lowing is taken from the annual report of the officer in charge of the Record and Pension Division of the War Department for the year ending June 30, 1890 : " ' Quick messenger service is then all-important to carry this mail to and from all parts of the office until final action is had in each case. Fol* this purpose a regular 5-minute mail service has been established, and deserves a full description as it has proved a remarkable success, silently and promptly moving papers and packages in all directions every five minutes in the day, with automatic precision, accuracy, and dispatch, and without the necessity of calling or ringing for messengers, giving them any directions, or addressing communications or packages with pen or pencil, and without any addition to the messenger force employed in the office under the former system. ******* "'By means of clearly marked boxes and plainly addressed mail cards (or jackets) the messengers collect and deliver mail without halting in their steps. An actual count on an ordinary business day showed that they carried 9,020 mail cards (each conveying one or more cases). " ' In oucler to obtain the full benefit of this means of speedy communication every clerk is required to be diligent in his work and is not permitted to have jnore than one case under consideration at a time, and as soon as he has fin- ished his jiart of the work on this case, or finds that he needs information from the records in another branch of the division, he immedia'iely dispatches it to the proper desk or room. For this purpose he is provided with suitably ad- dressed mail cards (or jackets) placed in a convenient box, each set of cards? being clearly indicated by projecting tags so that he can pick out the desired card as readily as a typewriter can touch a particular key. He then draws his next case out of the receiving box on his desk or in his room. " ' One of the important advantages of this system of mail boxes is that all cases not actually undergoing action in any room or section of the office stand in full view in the receiving boxe?. * * * The fact that each clerk has only one case in hand at a time instead of from 10 to 50 as under the old system, and the ease and rapidity with which he can send for information from the records filed in the remotest portions of the office, enable him to give his work more careful consideration and to exhaust more thoroughly the records bearing •on ;i case than was possible under the former practice, wherein the ever-vexa- tious question to be answered in almost every complicated ca.^e was, Shall this case be subjected to a further delay of weeks or months in order to have a doubtful point cleared up? Under the present method of work he knows that every inquiry he addresses to any branch of the office whatever will be taken up within a few minutes after it leaves his hands and as promptly returned to him, and he feels a pleasure in causing every available source of information to be exhausted before allowing his work to finally leave his desk.' " To show the extent of the system it may be said that there are 125 mail boxes (stations) ; each station can communicate with any one of the other 124 by this system, making 125 by 124 communication combinations, making 15,500 combinations (regardless of time of day), no two of which combinations are alike; and as there are 84 five-minute periods in the day, there are on any one day 84 by 15,500 possible combinations, niaking 1,302,000 possible communica- tion combinations, no two of which are alike, and each consisting of three factors, viz, (1) calling at and taking a case from one stated desk (2) to another stated desk (3) at a stated five-minute period of the day. Every combi- 342 REPORTS OF COMMISSION ON ECONOMY AND EFFICIENCY. nation that the business of tlie office requires of these many combinations isf served automatically throughout each day by this system. "A messenger is likely to collect and deliver on an average over 100 sepa- rately addressed mail pieces in one round trip, and in some instances over 200, collecting and delivering as he goes along, having sometimes at any one instant as many as 30 mail pieces in his delivery box. The fact that the mail pieces^ are only about 8 inches long and 3i inches wide and that folded papers have a rigidity that large sheets do not have enables him to arrange them in stich order in his carrying box, as fast as he collects them, that he can always have in conspicuous view in the front of his box the address of that piece of mail which is next to be delivered. " The mail boxes and the addressed jacket boxes now on the desks of the clerks occupy all the available space of those desks. "The moving of unfolded papers of a large size has been excluded from the system, except from only 5 out of the 125 desks; and for these desks large mail jackets are provided. When a route messenger collects one of these he places it under his box, and has to charge his mind with the point where it is to be delivered, because he can not see the address on it while carrying it. " It is estimated that over 10,000 movements of separate mail pieces are being made in this office in one day ; some of these movements may be a distance of only 10 feet, while others move from one end of the building on one floor to another end of the building on another floor. Most cases require many move- ments before they are ready for final disposition." B. TTie special or room messenger service. — In addition to the regular five- minute messenger service, there is a corps of special messengers consisting of 31 employees, one or more of whom are stationed in nearly every division of The Adjutant General's Office. The main duty of these messengers is to carry correspondence cases from their respective divisions to The Adjutant General in charge for approval or signature or to carry special cases to other divisions for necessary data. In addition to strictly messenger service, these messengers are required to clean up the rooms, mop the floors, and straighten out the desks in their divisions. They are also charged with the cleaning of cuspidors,, emptying of waste baskets, and filling of ink wells and other miscellaneous matters in connection with the desk equipment of the department. The fol- lowing is a list of messengers, showing the rooms and divisions to which the messengers are assigned : Recruiting Division 1 Orders Division 2 Enlisted Men's Division 1 Distribution Division . 3 Rolls Division 3 Mail and Record Division T Appointment, Commission, and Personnel Divisions 1 Miscellaneous Division 1 Correspondence and Examining Division 2 Medical Division 1 Regimental Records Division 1 Archives Division 1 Publication branch, 1712 G Street 2 Seventeenth Street branch 3 Administrative Division 2 Tenth Street branch & 40 APPENDIX 11. 343 A mail Wcigou is used in hauling the "deserter" mail from branch printing office (1725 F Street NW.) to Tenth Street branch and from Tenth Street branch to city post office. This wagon is also used in transferring supplies and records. II. Requisitions for office supplies and stationery. — The several divisions of the office make out requisitions for supplies and stationery each month, which are consolidated in the Administration Division and sent to the Supply Divi- sion of the War Department to be filled. A separate requisition is required for stationery. Each form contains a column for the item number of each article desired, this number being entered by the division chiefs from the schedule supplied by the War Department. Requisitions for printing and binding are made out on forms supplied by the Government Printing Office. Each requisition must be approved by the chief clerk of tJie War Department and then sent to the Government Printing Office or to the War Department branch printing office. Property records are kept on cards, showing the number or quantity in each division and the additions and deductions during the year. Annual reports of the several divisions showing the property on hand June 30 are combined to show the quantity on hand in the office, and this forms the basis of a report to the War Department for the fiscal year. In addition to showing the quantity on hand at the end of the year, the amounts received and disposed of during the year and the amount on hand at the beginning of the year are shown. III-A. Inquiries of a general, historical, and statistical nature. — Because of the frequency of these inquiries, some of them caused by curiosity only, but most of them being of general interest or importance sometimes involving ex- tended searches or compilations to answer the inquiries, the work of answering them has been confined to this division to enable The Adjutant General to supervise it personally. The methods pursued in drafting a reply are the same as those used in the other divisions of the office. A search of the record cards is always made to learn if the information requested has been compiled. If many requests come in for the same information a printed circular is made and sent to the inquirer as a reply. III-B. System of personal identification of enlisted men of the Army. — Iden- tification records are received at the mail desk in the Mail and Record Divi- sion of the office without letter of transmittal and directly from the posts at which the records are made. The records are sent from the mail desk directly 1() the identity section of the Tenth Street branch, where they are examined and classified, and a search made of the finger-print records of former soldiers whose !. The searching of index files for record of any prior record cards. C. The filing and consolidation of index cards. D. The connecting of current and prior record cards for purpose of referring such cards to one another or their being filed together. 366 EEPOETS OF COMMISSION ON ECONOMY AND EFFICIENCY. E. The reviewing of record cards upon receipt or return for files for purpose of noting whether in order for files. F. Withdrawing and filing record cards. G. The keeping of a " suspended file " for purpose of abstracting certain record cards on certain stated days for desired action. The searching of index files for the obtaining of any previous record cards. The received communication, with its corresponding record card, general index card, duplicate general index card, and any cross-reference cards thereon comes from the recording and indexing section to one of the index clerks in the card-recoi'd file section, who thereupon reads over such received communi- cation for purpose of ascertaining what he is to search for, and then looks up index files. If he finds no record of previous record cards on this matter, he then makes such notation on current record card, files duplicate general index- card and any cross-reference cards in their proper arrangement in index boxes, then sends general index card to tally desk, also sending received communica- tion with its corresponding record card to proper correspondence division for action. If, upon searching index files, the clerk looking up a case finds record of prior record card pertaining to such case, he notes on general index card the office number of such prior record card, sends general index card to tally desk, files duplicate index card and any cross-reference index cards in their proper arrangement in index files, makes out a charge card for prior record card, and straps this charge card on outside of current record card and received communication, and turns these over to record card clerk in this section, who Avithdraws such prior record card from file and places charge card in its place in record cnrd file, then attaches prior record card to received communica- tion and current record card, which he sends to connecting clerk in this section. In some cases the received communication is sent to the index clerk from the mail clerk direct without any blank record card or index card, this being in instances where the purport of the received communication would lead the mail clerk to the presumption that a previous record card existed on this subject. The index clerk upon receipt of tliis received communication looks up index files and upon obtaining prior record card sends received communication with such prior record card to the recording and indexing section, after having made out a charge card for same which is filed in the proper arrangement of abstracted record card. In the event of the recording and indexing section further indexing this communication such index cards are sent direct to index clerk for filing. FILING INDEX CARDS. Index cards are filed under alphabetical designation of names or subjects in card file boxes, each containing approximately 1,500 cards, the size of the boxes being 11^ inches in depth, 9| inches in height, and 4 inches in width, which are arranged on file cases along the sides and cross sections of rooms 149, 151, and 153. Cards filed therein consist of general index cards, and cross-reference cards where a subject be indexed in more than one way. Upon receipt of gen- eral index cards from tally clerk such cards are filed in proper alphabetical arrangement and duplicate general index cards representing same are there- upon extracted from files. The files are alphabetically arranged and general index cards and cross-reference cards are filed therein under the same general alphabetical arrangement. Under the letter of the alphabet, subjects or .names are filed according to the alphabetical arrangement of second, third, or further letter of some subject or name, as the case may be — i. e., in dictionary order. APPENDIX II. 367 CONSOLIDATION OF INDEX CARDS. Tlie consolidation of index cards made by tlie consolidating clerks in this section is the mailing of one general index card in place of a large number of general index cards or cross-reference cards on the same subject, the purpose of such consolidation being the saving of space in files. Upon a consolidated index card, in addition to file number and subject, a brief purport of each index card is typewritten and such cards are sent to storeroom, where they are kept in the same alphabetical order as indexes, the consolidated card being filed in its proper arrangement in index files in place of the withdrawn index cards. CONNECTING RECORD CARDS. The connecting clerk examines the received communication in case and decides whether current record card should be connected or filed with prior record card that came to him with such case. This action of connecting or filing is as follows : If upon his examination it is found that the received communication relates closely to previous correspondence as shown by prior record card, the current record card is noted to be filed with the prior record card of case by writing in red ink near top of such card the number of the prior record card, at the same time making out " file with " card, on which he writes the numbers of the current case and the prior case, this card being filed in the place of the current record card for the purpose of showing that such current record card is filed under the number of the prior record card and a similar card is made out for the use of the document file section and sent to them. At the same time he writes on the current document the words " file with " followed by the number of the prior communication. From the connecting clerks record cards with accompanying communications are sent to divisions for action. REVIEWING RECORD CARDS UPON RETURN FOR FILING. Kecord cards after action has been taken come from the tally desk to the review clerks in this section, who review same to see whether proper action has been taken thereon ; and if so, are sent by them to record-card filing clerks for filing. FILING RECORD CARDS. Eecord cards are filed in serial numerical order in card-file boxes containing approximately 600 cards, these boxes being of the same character as index- card file boxes referred to herein. There prior record cards are returned and filed, the charge card previously made out and filed in its place is extracted, and after having been used four times is destroyed. Where there are two or more record cards on the same subject that have been filed together under the same serial number a jacket is made and such record cards inserted and a notation of file number, subject, and consolidated numbers is written thereon, the jacket being then filed under such file number. SUSPENDED FILE. When papers of any case are sent out of the office with the expectation that they will be returned, or where a reply to important inquiries, requests, or other communications is expected within a certain time, a suspended-file card, show- ing thereon the file number and any other numbers of the papers, their sub- 368 EEPOETS OF COMMISSION OjST ECONOMY AND EFFICIENCY. ject matter, and the date on which their return may be expected or reply re- ceived, comes to the reviewing clerks in this section duly filled out as above, attached to the record card to which relative, and this suspended-file card is gent by them to the suspended-file clerk, who makes charge cards for the suspended file, which are filed in boxes under dates designated for attention, and at such times he extracts suspended-file charge cards, withdraws corre- spondence-record card from record and card file, and sends such record cards to proper division for action, placing the suspended-file charge cards in files as a charge for such record cards withdrawn, in their numerical place, in record-card file. III. Organization and Salary Roll. This section has 36 employees of the following salary grades : 1 clerk of class 4 at $1, 800 2 clerks of class 3, salaries aggregating 3, 200 6 clerks of class 2 aggregating 8, 400 19 clerks of class 1 aggregating 22, 800 8 clerks at $1,000 8,000 Total salary expense 44, 200 The following is a list of employees engaged in tliis section, and shows the nature of the work upon which each is engaged and their salaries. The assign- ments shown below, howe^■er, are frequently changed on account of the exi- gencies of the work. Name. C. E. Gannon H. G. McLean W. A. Reuss F. Forsas J. M. Herrero M. R. Howland A. L. Husted R. I. Jamer Oliver Kinsel P. D.May W. J. R. Thonssen. W. F. Prentiss James Calderwood. F. E. Rodrigues R. L. Daily Walter Keeton C.E.Kelly M. G. Kennedy M. La Rocque...'. . L. H. Nimmo H. Brewster G. L. Collins C. E. Crews I.A.Holt ■.. F. C. Peck Nature of work upon which engaged. Clerk in charge of section , Searching index do do do ....do ....do ...do ...do ....do Connecting current cases with prior correspondence. ....do Filing index cards ...do Consolidating index cards ' ....do .do. .do. .do. .do. .do. .do. .do. -do. -do. Salary. SI, 800 1,400 1,400 1,200 1,200 1,200 1,200 1,200 1,200 1,200 1,400 1,200 1,200 1,200 1,200 1,200 1,200 1,200 1,200 1,200 1,000 1,000 1,000 1,000 1,000 The exigencies of the work require frequent changes in many of these assignments. APPENDIX II. 369 Name. Nature of work upon which engaged. Salary. R. A. Crenshaw. G. T. Prewitt... Eugene Leger... Reviewing record cards . do do D. M. Keeton ! do. D.H. Yount N. J.Malville L.M. Wilson W. H. Trathern H. P. Tillotsen. W. B. Douglas W. M. Stancell. Withdrawing record cards from file do do Filing record cards do Making file jackets for record cards and examining jackets of record cards returned to file. Suspended file - ^ $1, 600 1,600 1,400 1,200 1,400 1,000 1,000 1,200 1,000 1,400 1,200 ' The exigencies of the work require frequent changes in many of these assignments. DESCRIPTION OF THE WORK, METHODS, ORGANIZATION, AND EXPENSE OF THE . EXAMINING SECTION OF THE MAIL AND RECORD DIVISION OF THE ADJUTANT GENERAL'S OFFICE. I. Location. This section of the Mail and Record Division occupies one room and part of another room in the State, War, and Navy Building. One is located in the basement and is numbered 51 where all of the clerks are employed, and the other room is in the attic and is numbered 552. II. Functions and Work. The functions and work of this section of the Mail and Record Division are: (a) To examine all statements of military service which are recorded in the record-card file of statements of military service ("green and yellow file") as distinguished from the correspondence (or "vsrhite") file. (6) To sign the name of The Adjutant General to the indorsed reply or form containing the statement of service, (c) To act as custodians of the file of record cards, with accompanying index cards, containing the record of requests for statements for military service (green and yellow card file), (d) To prepare index cards of the beneficiaries of oflicers and enlisted men, and to supply the name of the beneficiary designation, and to furnish information therefrom upon request. EXAMINING STATEMENTS. The requests for these statements are received principaliy from the Commis- sioner of Pensions and Auditor for the War Department, and to less extent from the Land Ofiice, and private associations. The examining section reviews about 500 cases per day. Of this number from 50 to 60 cases are sent back for correction or modification to the division furnishing the information requested. It may be here stated that the number of requests received from the auditor's office will be reduced after January 1, 1913, as the result of an act of Congress requiring that Civil War claims must be presented prior to that date or they will not be accepted for consideration. FILES OF RECORD AND INDEX CARDS. The file of record cards was established on July 1, 1890. In room 51 there are 960 file boxes, of which 840 are used for index cards and 120 are used for 72734°— H. Doc. 1252, 62-3 24 B70 EEPOKTS OP COMMISSION" ON ECONOMY AND EFFICIENCY. record cards, and in room 552 there are 880 file boxes of index and record cards. Index cards for cases handled during the current month and for cer- tain old cases described in a subsequent paragraph are filed in room 51, and index cards for cases handled during the last two years are tied into bundles and stored in room 552. The record cards are filed in numerical order. TTie cards for cases handled during the past two years are filed in the room occupied by the examiners, where they are readily accessible, but all older record cards are filed in the attic (room No. 552). The record cards of statements of military service furnished during one year fill on an average 35 file boxes. Nearly all requests for the withdrawal of record cards from the files are made by the Regimental Records Division in connection with those cases in which prior requests for statements of military service have been received. The fact of an earlier request in a case is indicated by an entry on the jacket of the military service records in the Regimental Records Division. In about 400,000 old cases, however, no refer- ences to the requests have been entered on the jackets in the Regimental Records Division, but the record cards for these cases are on file in the examining section. These cases pertain to definitely known military organizations, and whenever a, ease pertaining to one of these organizations is received which can not be ade- quately answered without knowing whether and what statement has been previously furnished to the Commissioner of Pensions or the auditor, a search is made of the index cards. Such search is rarely made. Reference is made to tile record cards to ascertain the information contained therein. The index card shows the name and organization of each person whose mili- tary history has been requested, and is filed under the person's name. A sepa- rate file is kept of the index cards for those old cases references to which have not been entered on the jackets of military-service records in the Regimental Records Division. With the exception of the index cards referred to in the preceding sentence, index cards are transferred to the attic, room 552, after the expiration of a month, and are destroyed at the end of two years. Prac- tically the only purpose for which those temporary index cai'ds are used is an advice to the tally clerk that a case is under consideration. (A. G. O. comment : For descriptive statement of the tally system see accom- panying memorandum entitled " Correspondence Tally System of The A. G. O.") FILE OF BENEFICIARY EECOKD CARDS. The file of beneficiary cards comprises 141 file boxes, of which 41 boxes, or approximately 35,000 cards, are duplicates. Such duplication is caused mostly by preparing index record cards for beneficiary designation received from enlisted men. There are 191,436 beneficiary cards in this file, of which over 105,000 are use- less, as the men referred to on these cards are no longer in the service, owing to discharges, retirements, desertions, etc. Enlistments average about 3,500 per month and separations from service average about the same number. III. Methods. TIME AND WORK REPORTS. Each clerk makes a daily report of work performed. The clerk in charge of this section sends to the tally clerk in the Mail and Record Division a con- solidated daily report, showing : (a) The total number of cases reviewed. (6) Number of cases on hand, last report. APPENDIX II. 371 (c) Number of cases received during day. (d) Number of cases disposed of during day. (e) Number of cases on hand at close of day. (/) Number of clerks present for duty. (g) Number of clerkf; absent. The clerk in charge of the section also sends to the chief of the division a daily report of absentees. EXAMINING STATEMENTS. The statements of military history and military and medical history which have been prepared in the Regimental Records, Rolls, Medical, and Archives Divisions and in the Tenth Street branch are forwarded to the examining sec- tion of the Mail and Record Division for review. Requests for statements of military service received from the office of the Auditor for the War Department are made on especally prepared forms on which the replies are indorsed. The Adjutant General's Office uses a printed form for replying to requests from the Pension Office. In the Pension Office cases both the printed form used in making the request and that used in making the reply are sent to the Pension Office. Accompanying the form when received in the examining section are the record card of the current communication, together with the record cards of any earlier communications in the case, provided the cards for the earlier communications have been requested by the Regimental Records Division in connection with its search of the records. The examiner reviews the state- ment to determine whether it appears to be a correct, adequate, and proper reply to the request. Names, dates, and organization designations in the request and in the reply are carefully compared. If a duplicate request for a statement of service is received in The Adjutant General's Office it is answered by giving a reference to the date and, when possible, to the Pension Office claim number contained in the first request. It was stated that about six cases a day are received from the Pension Office and the Auditor for the War Depart- ment in which earlier calls have been made for information. One of the uses of the record card is to enable the office to give to the Pension Office and to the auditor's office references to these earlier requests and their answers. The officials of The Adjutant General's Office claim that it is important to give references to former requests for military statements, because by so doing the pension and auditor's offices may be protected from the danger of allowing a claim which has already been allowed or paid. This view is also held by the Military Claims Division of the auditor's office, as was ascer- tained by consulting the officials of that division. These officials stated that references to earlier requests were of value to them and had unquestionably prevented the payment of a claim a second time. Under the practices fol- lowed by the auditor's office during the past five or six years there is little or no danger of allowing a claim which has already been paid, but under the earlier practices in that office there was danger of double payment of claims. If any error or omission is discovered by the examiner, the statement is referred to the division which searched the records in order that the error may be corrected or the omission supplied. In referring a communication to another division for correction the examiner writes on the record card his query or criticism, the date, and his initials. The purpose in requiring each employee who takes action on a case to initial the record card is to produce a record which will enable the administrative officials to place responsibility. The purpose of entering on the record card the time when each division acts on a case is to show the place at which any delay occurred. 372 RBPOKTS OF COMMISSION ON ECONOMY AND EFFICIENCY. In tlie case of some calls from the auditor's office that are discovered to be duplicate, and in other classes of cases from any service involving some ques- tion which can not be satisfactorily settled from the records in The Adjutant General's Office, but easily from the records of the auditor's office, it is the practice for one of the examiners, Dr. Summy, to search the files and records in the auditor's office and to make such notes or to withdraw such papers as may be needed to dispose of the case. Permission has been granted The Adjutant General's Office to make such searches and for its representative to withdraw any papers from the files of the auditor's office, inserting therein a charge slip for the withdrawn papers. Upon the return of the papers to the auditor's files the charge slip is sent to The Adjutant General's Office as a receipt. In order to ascertain the nature of the entries made on the record cards in referring statement-of-service cases from one division to another, an examina- tion was made of the record cards in one file box. The calls upon the several divisions were tabulated so as to show the division upon which the call was made and the kind of information requested. The results of the tabulation are as follows : Divisions to which statement-of-service cases are referred for action, together with requests or instructions entered on record cards. Cards examined 1,250 Tenth Street branch 219 Please send (give, furnish, etc.) all cards 114 Please add (give, furnish, etc.) personal description 90 Please start case and return for completion 4 Special inquiries 11 To regimental records 27 (Most of the inquiries addressed to this division contain statement of fact from 15 to 30 words in length, to which was appended the query, " Does this relate to the man in question?") 24 Please make statement and return case to this division for completion 3 To Archives Division 15 (Statement of facts) please verify 2 Do you find trial (or record of trial) 5 Any record 1 For discharge order 1 Miscellaneous inquiries 6 To Sanitary Division of Surgeon General's Office 18 For medical record 18 To Medical Division 144 (Certain record cards as indicated passed to the Medical Division automatically.) They are as follows: Any physical defect at time of enlistment (stamp on fact) 101 (Inquiries) without stamp on face 33 (There are in the neighborhood of 10 inquiries made to the Medical Division by special inquiry.) To Mail and Record Division (these inquiries request the Mail and Record Division to " Please furnish all cards pertaining to this case") 5 APPENDIX II. 373 To Seventh Street branch 16 Clothing 3 Clothing drawn in hospital 1 Verify records (or cards), etc 2 Miscellaneous inquiries 10 To Returns Division 5 Can you show date of final discharge and card (grade) at that date 3 Special inquiries 2 In addition to the foregoing, there were a number of inquiries addressed to the different rooms by number. To 452^!V 21 Any P. P : 18 Any Per. Pr. as to 4 or 1 Reg 1 Any E. P. for this man 2 To 463 (special inquiries) 1 To 455 (special inquiries) 2 To 477 (special inquiries) 1 To 553 (please verify) 2 To 411 (can you complete this case by making service continuous) 1 To 367 8 No medical papers 3 Medical papers furnished herewith (to be a statement of action rather than an inquiry) 5 In the neighborhood of 50 cases were returned " negative," indicating that no statement had been made. The balance, viz., 715, or approximately 57 per cent of the cases examined, represent the cards for which statements were made within the Division of Regimental Records. SIGNING STATEMENTS OF SERVICE. When the examination of a statement of military service shows it to be satis- factory, an examiner designated for the work signs with pen and ink the name of The Adjutant General to the statement and forwards the same to the desk in the Mail and Record Division. The statement is then mailed. Its record card is turned over to the tally clerk, who has been holding the index card in the case as a record of the fact that the case is under consideration. The tally clerk then stamps the date of disposition of the case on the record and index cards and forwards them to the files in the examining section. PREPARING BENEFICIARY CARDS AND SUPPLYING INFORMATION THEREFROM. Beneficiary index-record cards are prepared in this section from beneficiary designations made on Form No. 380, A. G. O., and sent in from recruiting and other ofiicers to The Adjutant General's Office. The Mail and Record Division sends to the Paymaster General the original designation. It shows the name of the officer or enlisted man, his rank, organization, etc., and giving the name of the beneficiary. After the card is prepared from this beneficiary designation both are numbered in this section, the card being filed alphabetically, and the original designation is, as already stated, sent to the office of the Paymaster General. In cases of desertion, as soon as The Adjutant General's Office has been notified, a request is made on the examining section for the name, address, and relationship of the beneficiary. This request is made on a printed form (manila 374 KEPOETS OF COMMISSION ON ECONOMY AND EPEICIENCy. card), and the name of tlie beneficiary is indorsed thereon. The card is then sent to the Rolls Division to be used in desertion circular. Approximately 15 cases of desertion are reported daily. IV. Organization and Personnel. The names, salaries, and duties of the employees in this section are as follows : Name. Nature of work upon which engaged. Salary. J. L. Falbey Chief of section, also examiner.. $1 600 T?. W. RiiTmny Examines statement of service cases 1 600 Thos. E vers do .. 1,400 1,400 1 400 A. Angell do W. W. Edwards... . Signs the name of The Adjutant General to all cases examined . . . DESCRIPTION OF THE WORK, METHODS, ORGANIZATION, AND EXPENSE OF THE DOCUMENT FILE ROOMS IN THE MAIL AND RECORD DIVISION OF THE ADJU- TANT GENERAL'S OFFICE. I. Location. The document files occupy 10 rooms in the basement and 3 rooms and part of a fourth on the third floor of the State, War, and Navy Building. These rooms are Nos. 22, 24, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 34, 349, 351, 353, and part of room No. 350-2. The number of employees in each room is as follows : No. 22, ; 24, 1 ; 25, ; 26, 3 ; 28, 1 ; 29, ; 30, 1 ; 31, ; 32, 1 ; 34, ; 349, ; 351, ; 353, ; 350-2, 2. II. Functions and Work. The work of the document file room emploj^ees consists of — A. The examination of papers and documents received for or returned to files to see whether, in order for files, that certain proper action has been taken and that papers are complete. B. The filing in document files of all completed documents and papers ready for filing. C The furnishing of filed documents and papers upon requisition from the various divisions. D. The searching of books of record used prior to 1894 for data of record upon requisition for such information from various divisions. All documents and papers are filed by serial number in standard document files and come to the document rooms in " jackets," from which they are taken out and examined. Documents and papers when received by the document room are already noted with a serial filing number ready for filing, so that the actual operation of filing is very simple, as files are arranged in serial numerical order, so that no time need be lost in going straight to proper file with document for filing or reference. , Each document or paper has an individual serial number, showing place in files, but in a number of cases in addition to this serial number a prior serial number is shown, where such document or paper should be filed. In such a, case a " cross-reference " card is filed in the place of the current serial number, this cross-reference card showing the prior serial number where document or paper is filed. Where there is more than one document or paper filed in this way, and these documents are " additionals," a connecting alphabetical designa- tion is noted on each, such as A, B, C, etc., showing conne(!tion in filing. APPENDIX II. 375 The examiuation of documents and papers, to see whettier in order for filing and that papers returned for files are complete, is made either by Mr. Beck or Mr. O'Connor in the basement rooms and occupies approximately 50 per cent of their time. In the third-floor rooms that examination is made by either of the three clerks therein and occupies approximately 15 per cent of their time. The cases examined in this way amount to 153,310 annually, or daily average of 501, and the documents filed would be approximately the same, plus the filings of " cross reference " cards, which average approximately 238,010 an- nually, or a daily average of 776. The papers returned to various divisions because of the fact that they are not in order or complete for filing would not average over six a day. Documents sent out on requisition are sometimes found by examination on return to be incomplete, but such instances would not average one a day. In such event request is made for missing papers, and except in exceptional cases such papers are accounted for without delay. All requisitions for filed documents are entered by serial filing number in a daybook, and if not returned at the end of seven days the record card is looked up, usually by Mr. Beck or Mr. Dermody, and if not accounted for as being sent out of The Adjutant General's Office or otherwise a tracer (a printed form) is then sent out, calling attention to this fact. For documents taken out of files a charge card is made, showing to whom documents have been given, and filed in serial number of such documents until their return. The files used for holding documents are document file boxes made to hold documents of about the size 3i by 8 inches perpendicularly. The number of documents that can be placed in a file box is approximately 300, although this depends upon the folded size of documents. The size of these file boxes is 4i inches in width, height lOJ inches, and depth 12 inches. TTiese boxes are arranged perpendicularly in wooden file cases, each box bearing the first and last serial number of documents contained therein, and these boxes are arranged in consecutive order according to such numbers. In addition to these regular files, for documents too large to be contained by them, are supplemental boxes and cases, to which reference is given in regular files. The employees engaged in this work are as follows : Name. Nature of work upon which engaged. Salary. WinfredBeck , Jeremiah O'Connor. Wm. H. Roach Chas. L. Gurley Gustav A. Kolbe Martin O'Connor Herman G. Kiel Total. John J. Dermody. John Finn , J. H. Hilton Total. In charge of basement rooms . Examining Connecting, filing, searching.. do do do do In charge of third- floor rooms. Cormecting, filing, searching.. ....do SI, 600 1,200 1,200 1,200 1,200 1,200 1,200 1,809 1,400 1,200 13,200 376 REPORTS OP COMMISSION OlST ECOlSrOMY AND EPFICIENCY. THE COKKESPONDENCE TALLY SYSTEM OF THE ADJUTANT GENEEAL's OFFICE. The correspoudence tally system automatically makes early discovery of (1) the overlooliing (not seeing or forgetting), or (2) the mislaying, or (3) the losing, by any person, of a current recorded case, thus enabling one of the fol- lowing classes of early inquiry to be made : (1) Whether action on a certain re- ported current case has been avoidably delayed, and if so, to ascertain the cause; (2) whether an unreported case has been merely overlooked or has been mis- laid or has been lost, and to ascertain the cause. And it thus enables the office ill each of these events to take early steps to counteract the discovered cause of evil, if such steps are feasible. It thus automatically tends to secure (1) _cer- tainty and (2) promptness of action. By current recorded case is meant a case which bears a case number and in which some action required to be taken has not yet been taken, whether the case merely needs to be marked file, or whether a communication needs to be sent out of the office. Every current case while under action in the office is represented on the tally desk by an index card or tally card on which appears the office case number, date of receipt, and source and subject of the communication. These cards are arranged by classes in numerical order and are retained on the tally desk until the cases represented by them have been acted on. When a case becomes more than one day old the rules of the office require the division having the case under action to report the location and the case number to the tally desk at close of day — Form A. G. O. 258 is used ; the tally clerk checks these reports with the tally cards, and if a case is not reported, by inadvertance or because mislaid, the tally clerk sends out a tracer for the case, one blank properly filled out with the case number, date, and description of the case. This tracer is passed to the clerks who would be likely to handle such a case and finally returned with the result of search. When a case is completed it passes to the dispatch desk with its record card ; the record card is there withdrawn from it. and passed to the tally clerk who stamps on the record card the current date, this is called stamping the case out and indicates that the case is no longer represented on the tally desk, and at the same time lie withdraws the corresponding index card or tally card from the tally desk and stamps it out in the same manner as is done on the record card. The record card and index card are then sent to their corresponding mes. The index cards or tally cards remaining untallied at the close of a day show exactly what cases have not been completed, as each card remaining on the tally desk represents an uncompleted case. This furnishes at the close of each day practically instantaneous, positive, and defiuite information, including name, source, and nature of each case not disposed of at that time, and thus readily enables inquiry to be made into causes of delay, as each tally card shows its age; and should a case be mislaid the fact that the corresponding tally card is unchecked by reason of absence of repoit of its whereabouts enables immediate search to be made for it, so that the tally deck is a guard against the office being in ignorance of the fact that a case has been mislaid or lost. Many calls are made by various clerks each day upon the tally desk for information regarding whereabouts of cases undergoing action. ,- By numerical arrangement of the tally cards the oldest cases (in original and telegram cases) are always on the top of the pile of tally cards, thus promi- nently and automatically calling attention to the length of time the cases they represent have been in the office. This is not true of the tally cards for revived (additional and received-back) cases. This pile of tally cards is there- APPENDIX II. 377 fore examined more closely by the tally clerk to discover tlie age of cases. When a revived case has become two days old, the tally clerk clasps a project- ing metal clip on it, thus indicating that information as to its age. So that if it is desired to inspect at any time only the two or more day-old cases in the revived pile, only the metal-clipped tally cards need be examined. At the close of business each day a report is made by the tally clerk to the chief of the office, which gives in concise form a statement of the total number of cases received as well as the total number of cases on hand and also gives the age of the cases on hand by days. The chief clerk of the office inspects the older tally cards every morning to see whether any case seems to have incurred avoidable delay, and whenever need for, or utility of, inquiry into cause of delay is observed by him he insti- tutes oral or written investigation with a view to discover the cause or probable cause, and, if avoidable delay is developed, to institute measures tending to prevent recurrence. As already stated, the tally clerk institutes inquiry regarding location of un- reported cases, and when avoidable causes of nonreporting are developed the matter is submitted to the chief clerk of the office by the Mail and Record Division, and if the clerk responsible for the nonreporting does not himself suggest a feasible preventive against recurrence, steps are taken to try to discover one. F. STATEMENT OF THE LOCATION, WORK, METHODS, AND THE ORGANIZATION OF THE MISCELLANEOUS DIVISION OF THE ADJUTANT GENERAL'S OFFICE OF THE WAR DEPARTMENT. This branch of The Adjutant General's Office consists of tvro separate sec- tions, one section handling the efficiency reports and records of commissioned officers and the other section handling the balance of the work of the division. We will designate the work of the two sections by calling the section handling the efficiency reports and records as (&) and the other section as (a). Location. Section (a) occupies the largest part of room 34S on the third floor at the State, War, and Navy Building. Section (6) occupies the smallest portion of room 350, adjoining room 348. The files used in connection with the work of section (h) are situated in a small alcove or small connecting room, connecting rooms 348 and 350 and also a small corner of room 34.8, the corner being nearest to room 350. The number of employees in each section is as follows: Section (a) 14 clerks in room 348, 1 messenger in room 348 ; section (&) 9 clerks in room 350. Functions and Work. The functions of section (ft) are as follows : First. General correspondence of a miscellaneous nature. (This includes, for instance, such subjects as marking of equipments of troops, complaints against Army bands for furnishing music in competition with civilian bands, movement of troops, reports of inspections of troops, target practice, camps of instruction, privileges of civilians on military reservations, campaign badges, etc.) Second. Preparation of certain orders, and of bulletins, and changes in regu- lations and service manuals. 378 KEPORTS OF COMMISSION ON ECONOMY AND EFFICIENCY. Third. Examining and auditing returns of property purcliased from con- tingent funds (headquarters of military divisions and departments) and the property returns of the Alaslsa Road Commission. The methods of carrying on the worlv of general correspondence of a miscel- laneous nature has already been described for all the divisions of The Adjutant General's Office under the title " Handling and filing correspondence of The Adjutant General's Office " and needs no further description here. About 85 per cent of the cases coming into this division are disposed of with- out referring to any other divisions. The balance must be referred to other divisions. The method of carrying on the work of " Preparation of certain orders, and of bulletins and changes in regulations and service manuals," is as follows : GENERAL ORDERS. Of orders drafted in this division every order except those absolutely new is referred to the Orders Division for information relative to whether any action has been taken previously. These orders so sent down amount to about 75 per cent of the whole. A file of " Precedent " is kept for the information of the clerk drafting these orders. This file is kept on cards, and about 150 of these cards constitute the file. When the draft of a general order is pre- pared a " preparation slip," with explanatory information, is made in longhand by the clerk preparing the draft, and the draft with the preparation slip is turned over to the assistant chief of division or to the chief of division for re- view. When the draft is considered satisfactory by the reviewer it is sub- mitted to the officer in charge of the division for approval, after which it is sent down to the Orders Division for printed proof, and when proof is received in the Miscellaneous Division it is read and then sent to The Adjutant General for approval, except that in about 40 per cent of the cases it is first sent for O. K. or comment to the stafi; bureau of the War Department concerned. After being received back approved the proof is sent over to the Orders Division for printing. A desk slip is started immediately when the draft is sent to the Orders Division for proof with statement to that effect on the slip, and the slip is con- tinued, carrying all information of steps the proof has taken, and finally filed with the case when disposed of. The preparation slip is carried along up to the time the order is sent to the Orders Division for proof. This preparation slip is not filed with the case, but is kept ou file in the division for future references. SPECIAL ORDERS. Practically the same procedure takes place in drafting and final making of special orders as in general orders. These special orders convey directions of the nature published in general orders, but as they require limited circulation only, such directions are published in special orders. BULLETINS. The same procedure as in the case of general orders. These bulletins are of the following nature : 1, results of small arms firing ; 2, results of national matches ; 3, information circulated that does not contain orders or directions. Samples of a few of the bulletins are attached. The small arms firing bulletin is made up from reports and from communica- tions coming into the office, which are kept until the bulletin is drafted and then filed. APPENDIX II. 379' CHANGES. The same procedure as in the case of general orders. These changes constitute amendments or modifications of the Army Regula- tions, manuals of the staff departments, service manuals and regulations, Manual for the Medical Department, Drill Regulations for Infantry, Drill Regulations for Cavalrj'-, and Manual of Guard Duty, Manual for Courts- Martial, etc. The methods of carrying on the work of examining and auditing returns of property purchase from the contingent fund, etc., is incidental to the other work of one clerk, and very little of his time is consumed in caring for this work. There are about 15 reports coming into the ofiice yearly, and the clerk, in checking, sees that the amount on hand at the end of the previous period agrees with the amount shown on new report and that compilations made on report are correct. The functions of section (6) are as follows: First. Compiling efficiency records of commissioned ofiicers of the Army. These records are the compilations of individual service and efliciency reports of officers, and of communications relating to the standing, ability, and special fitness of officers. In connection with the compiled efficiency records of officers^ there is also kept in this division a record, in card form, showing the special qualifications of individual officers for various military details and duties. A file is also kept of the statements of preferences of officers of Cavalry, Field Artillery, and Infantry respecting details for which they are eligible. The method of carrying on the work of keeping the efficiency reports and records is as follows: Papers coming over the desk of the chief of division that affect the efficiency records of any of the commissioned officers of the Army are, after a superficial examination, placed in the mail box on the desk of the chief of division for transmission to room 350, where the efficiency section of the division has ita quarters. These papers are picked up by the five-minute messenger service and delivered to that i"oom and are placed on the desk of the chief of that section. These papers when received are turned over to the various clerks in this section for action. Information affecting the efficiency records of officers of the Army comes from various services, such as the annual efficiency reports. Inspection reports, reports of examining and returning boards, report of the standing of officers at the various service and garrison schools, annual reports of the chief of staff, heads of the staff bureaus of the War Department, division and department commanders, commandants of the service schools and of the military prisons, the Superintendent of the United States Military Academy^ and general Army correspondence, whether in the form of a letter, indorsement, or order, containing mention, of a favorable or unfavorable nature, bearing on an officer's efficiency or referring to matters effecting his official character. Under the provisions of General Orders, No. 38, War Department, 1909, all requests from whatever source, except those from official superiors forwarded through military channels, in behalf of officers, are noted in an officer's compiled efficiency record as a violation of the provisions of Army Regulations forbid^ ding officers to procure present favor or consideration. These various sources of information affecting the efficiency record of an officer are gone over and a brief of the statements made in the original paper is made and typed on a card form, a copy of which is attached. This is called the efficiency record and is a record of all matter relating to the efficiency of an officer from time of coming into the service of the Army until either his retirement, discharge, or death, An alphabetical file is kept of these compiled efficiency records for about 5,000 officers. 380 REPORTS OF COMMISSION" ON" ECONOMY AND EFFICIENCY. Records are kept of officers having special qualifications for various military duties, such as duty in Quartermaster's Department, Subsistence Department, Pay Department, Ordnance Department, Signal Corps, Signal Corps (aeronauti- cal work), Adjutant General's Department, Judge Advocate General's Office, Inspector General's Department, General Staff, college duty, recruiting duty, and Militia duty, also of officers possessing a knowledge of any foreign lan- guage, and of officers wlio have satisfactorily completed courses at Army Field Service and Correspondence Schools for Medical Officers. These cards are made out at the time that the efficiency report comes in, or at the time any of the correspondence comes in stating such facts, besides being placed on the •efficiency record. These cards are arranged according to the special qualifica- tions, then by arms of the service, then by grade of officers and are filed alpha- betically with reference to each grade. Wherever an officer is changed in grade this card is changed in so far as title goes and filed in the changed grade. If an officer is reported as qualified to serve in different departments, such as the Quartermaster's Department, Pay Department, or Subsistence Department, cards are made for each department and a statement made on each card to the effect that this officer is particularly qualified to serve in this department by detail. The date of the communication from which this notation is taken, together with the name of the person signing reports and any remarks made by the person signing, is also placed on these cards. A preference card is also kept on file, arranged to arms of the service, then by grade, and filed alphabetically with reference to each grade, showing the prefer- ences of the officers of the Army regarding details and is received annually from each officer. The efficiency section of the Miscellaneous Division is called upon for the efficiency records of officers, also for lists of officers recommended for service in various staff departments and for lists of officers who have a knowledge of certain languages, and also for other information relative to the efficiency of any of the officers. Some of these calls come for the efficiency reports (those submitted yearly) and some for the efficiency records. The compiled efficiency records are kept on file principally for the use of the following named persons: The President, the Secretary of War, the Assistant Secretary of War, the chief T)f Stafi.", the Assistant to the Chief of Staff, The. Adjutant General. The total number of incoming communications is estimated to be about 57,700, distributed as follows : Communications from the staff department and the Army at large 41, 400 Communications from miscellaneous sources 4, 600 Individual service and efficiency reports of officers of the Army 9,000 Statement of preference of officers respecting detail for which they are eligible 2,700 Tha total number of outgoing communications amount to about 34,000, dis- tributed as follows : Communications relating to administration of Army affairs- 28, 350 Communications relating to miscellaneous questions 3, 150 Communications relating to the individual service and effi- ciency reports 2,000 Communications relating to statement of preference of officers for details 500 APPENDIX II. 381 The number of general orders, special orders, bulletins, and changes drawn up from January 1, 1912, to date is as follows : General orders, 25, covering 66 distinct cases; special orders, 17, containing 20 paragraphs covering 19 distinct cases; bulletins, 12, covering 13 distinct cases; changes, Army Regulations, 11, covering 49 distinct cases; changes, manuals of bureaus of War Department and service manuals other than Army Regulations, 13, covering 17 distinct cases. Orga.vization and Salary Roll. This division has 24 employees of the following salary grades: 1 chief of division $2,000 1 clerk of class 4 1,800 2 clerks of class 3, with salaries aggregating 3, 200 2 clerks of class 2, with salaries aggregating 2, 800 13 clerks of class 1, with salaries aggregating 15, 600 4 clerks at $1,000 with salaries aggregating 4, 000 Messenger 720 The following is a list of persons employed in the division and shows the nature of the work upon which each is engaged and the salary : Name. Nature of work upon which engaged. Salary. Richard J. Donnelly. . Alvord A. Cederwald. Robert J. Qiiinn Andrew J. Sheridan Frank Driscoll Michael A. Gruber Michael T. O'Leary John Murphy Helen M. Chamberlain. . Daniel W. Chase Harry A. Lochboehler. . WilUam M.Cobb Thomas F. Dyer Annie S. Feast Edward I. Crum Charles C. WilUams Nicholas W. Hill Raymond B. Coldren. . . Edward G. Murrell Homer F. Phillips Charles L. Fox Arthur E. Martin Joseph W. McClanahan. Chief of division Assistant chief of division Principal correspondence clerk (correspondence of complicated nature). In charge of efficiency record section Correspondence (reviewing correspondence drafted by others) Drafting orders, reading proof, correspondence , Reading proof, correspondence ■. . Correspondence, also reviewing correspondence Correspondence, typist particularly in re campaign badges Stenography and typewriting , . ...do Compiling efficiency records, correspondence. do do Stenography and typewriting Correspondence, routine correspondence Compiling efficiency records, correspondence. Stenography and typewriting Compiling efficiency records, correspondence. do Stenography and typewriting Compiling efficiency records, correspondence. do «2,000 1,800 1,600 1,400 1,200 1,600 1,400 1,200 1,200 1,200 1,200 1,200 1,200 1,000 1,200 1,200 1,200 1,200 1,200 1,200 1,000 1,000 1,000 Total. 29,400 A. G. O., August 15, 1912. 382 EEPOKTS OF COMMISSION ON ECONOMY AND EFFICIENCY. ■a, description of the work, methods, organization, and expense of the correspondence and examining division of the adjutant general's office. Location. This division occupies six rooms and part of a seventh, together with the end •of a corridor between two of its rooms, on the third floor of the State, War, and Navy Building. The numbers of the rooms are 350, 354, and 356 to 360, inclusive. The number of employees in each room is as follows : Room 350, 2 ; I'oom 354, 3 ; room 356, 7 ; room 357, 7 ; room 358, 5 ; room 359, 10 ; corridor, 3 ; room 360, 9 ; total, 46. Functions and Work. The work of the Correspondence and Examining Division consists of, first, preparing correspondence, and second, making a digest of laws, regulations, •orders, etc., which have a bearing upon the work of The Adjutant General's Office. The two classes of work are independent of each other. Only one employee is engaged in the digest work, and he is assigned to this division for administrative purposes only. (A. G. O. comment : The digest here referred to is a file containing digests of laws, orders, and decisions limited to questions arising in the work of this division. The making of digest cards occupies but a comparatively small por- tion of the time of one employee, who is engaged during the remainder of his time in examining congressional documents and on general correspondence work. The digest file of the Correspondence and Examining Division was in exist- ence in the Record and Pension Division of the War Department (now a part of this office) before the office precedent file was instituted. Originally the intended function of the office precedent file was to afford a place for approved correspondence forms. The scope of the precedent file was gradually extended, so that the aim is that it shall be a file containing a guide for any and every action whatever regarding the propriety of which there may be a reasonable doubt in the mind of any person in this office who is to recommend, or to take, the action in question, be the matter one of inserting or omitting a comma in •a certain class of sentences or a question whether a thought or proposition or -judgment contained in a proposed composition or communication of the office is warranted by law, regulation, order, or decision of superior authority; or be the matter one of office discipline, clerical procedvut. or instruction of employees. Consequently the scope of the precedent f:!^ includes all of the limited scope to which the digest was confined. The file arrangement of the cards in the two files differs in that the digest file is in effect an alphabetical file, as compared with the precedent file, which is not an alphabetical file, but rather a subjective file. A further difference between the two files is that the digest cards are larger than the precedent cards. These two differences tended to prevent the discontinuance of the making of digest cards when the scope of the precedent file was extended to include the scope of the digest file ; especially as the two independent modes of arrangement tended to insure the finding of an important but confusedly recollected decision under one of the two modes of arrangement if it could not readily be found under the other. However, the effect of the extension of the scope of the precedent file has been naturally to minimize matter going to the digest file, because the same matter can be found in the office precedent file, so that during the past year only about 75 digest cards were made — that is, less than two digest cards a week. The question of the discontinuance of the making of digest cards has been several times in the APPENDIX II. 383 past under consideration, but was not definitely decided ; it lias been concluded, upon tbe recommendation of tbe Chief of the Correspondence and Examining Division, to discontinue the making of digest cards.) Tbe correspondence work of this division consists of, first, drafting and writ- ing replies to communications, and, second, reviewing and copying for signature tlie draft of some communications which have been prepared in other divisions of The Adjutant General's Office. In a report made to the commission by The Adjutant General's Office, under date of April 19. 1912, it is stated that 68,900 communications are annually received and answered in this division. In that report the communications are classified as follows : Communications pertaining to the militarj'- service or status of former officers, enlisted men, and organiza- tions, including cases that require interpretation or con- struction of records because of ambiguity, obscurity, de- ficiency, or conflict in those records, or the application or construction of some law, rule, or regulation 41, 600 Communications pertaining to miscellaneous military sub- subjects___: 13,000 Communications requesting addresses of officers or enlisted men 9, 300 Communications from staff departments and the Army at large 5,000 In addition to preparing replies to the above communications this ■ division critically reviews the draft and types the final copy of approximately 9,000 communications originating within the office and drafted in other divisions. These communications are classified as " communications pertaining to miscel- laneous military subjects." (A. G. O. comment. Not all of the replies to the 68,900 communications prepared in the Correspondence and Examining Division were drafted in that division. In about 19,000 of those cases the replies were drafted in other divisions. ) A more detailed classification of the communications received and answered in this division is contained in a daily report prepared for the chief of the division. This classification, together with the percentage which each class of communications forms of the total, is as follows : 1. Requests from Members of Congress and congressional committees for information relative to military history of former officers and enlisted men 17.0 2. Requests from the Commissioner of Pensions for state- ments of military service (limited to such requests as present unusual difficulties in the preparation of re- plies) 6. 3. Requests from the Comptroller and Auditor for the War Department for statements of military service (limited to such requests as present unusual difficulties in the preparation of replies) 5.0 4. Requests for statements of military services of officers and enlisted men in the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812 12. 5 5. Requests for statements of military service of officers and men in the Confederate Army 4.0 6. Requests from soldiers' homes for statements of military service 2.0 384 REPORTS OF COMMISSIOjST ON ECONOMY AND EFFICIENCY. 7. Requests for statements of military service received from societies and associations 1. 5 S. Requests from the Civil Service Commission for state- ments of military service .5 9. Application for certificates in lieu of lost or destroyed discharge certificates 16. 10. Applications for original discharge certificates . 5 11. Applications for the removal of charge of desertion 1. 5 12. Application for clemency for general prisoners 7. 5 13. Miscellaneous communications 26. The " Miscellaneous communications " include the following : (a) Requests for historical information and statistics on former military organizations and operations. ( 6 ) Communications concerning the conferring of medals of honor. (c) Requests for the addresses of officers and enlisted men. id) Requests for copies of reports and of orders affecting individuals and organizations. (e) Requests for rosters. (/) Requests from individuals for information concerning posts and the service of officers and men. iff) Applications for "deserters' releases." (h) Requests from individuals for information concerning Army uni- forms, the flag, Army organization, and other military matters. (i) Applications in behalf of military prisoners and former enlisted men for admission to the Government Hospital for the Insane. The percentages given in the above statement are computed on the number of cases handled in the division from February 5 to March 16, 1912, inclusive. In computing these percentages, no account was taken of the work performed in examining and typewriting letters the draft of which was prepared in other divisions of The Adjutant General's Office. The average daily number of communications to which replies were drafted in this division during March, 1912, was 181, as shown by a report prepared for the head of the division. At this rate, the total number for the year would be about 55,500 communications in place of 68,900 as reported to the commission under date of April 19, 1912. (A. G. O. comment: The report of April 19, 1912, does not purport to state that 68,900 communications were drafted in the Correspondence and Examining Division, as implied in this paragl'aph. As explained in the preceding comment about 19,000 of the 68,900 replies prepared in that division were drafted in other divisions. However, it may be useful to state here that the average daily number of communications to which replies are drafted in the Correspond- ence and Examining Division varies; for instance, the daily averr^ge number of communications to which replies were drafted in that division in May, 1912, is 229, indicating an annual total of about 68,000, and the daily average for the first half of the current month is 300, indicating an annual total of about 90,000.) The larger part of the requests for statements of military service received from Congress, the Commissioner of Pensions, the Comptroller, and the Auditor (groups 1, 2, and 3) are made for the purpose of procuring information to be used in connection with special legislation and pension or other claims. The requests for statements of military service during the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812 (group 4) are made for the purpose of procuring information APPENDIX II. 385 to be used for geuealogicaf and historical purposes or for admission to patriotic societies. The requests for statements of military service in the Confederate army (group 5) are made principally for the purpose of procuring information to be used in connection with claims for State pensions. The requests from soldiers' homes and from societies and associations (groups 6 and 7) are prin- cipally for the purpose of procuring information for use in connection with applications for admission or membership. The requests from the Civil Service Commission (group 8) are made for information to be used in connection with, claims for preference in appointments or for reinstatement on account of mili- tary service. The larger part of the communications classified as " miscel- laneous" (group 13) are requests from persons desiring information concerning military services for historical or genealogical purposes, and requests for addresses of officers and men now in the service. The purpose or object of all other communications is indicated by the titles. Of the communications handled in this division, the larger number do not involve administratiA^e action by The Adjutant General's Office, but others, such as applications for removal of charge of desertion and applications for the admission of former enlisted men to the hospital for the insane, do involve administrative action by The Adjutant General's Office. This latter class of communications is important, although relatively small. (A. G. O. comment: The classes of applications for removal of charge of desertion and for admission to the hospital for the insane are relatively small. Many questions involving the determination by this office of the status of former officers and enlisted men arise in others of the groups of cases named on pages 3 and 4, supra, viz, groups 1, 2, 3, 6, 8, 9, 10, and 13. Deteraiinations of this class affect or are the basis of decisions of the Commissioner of Pen- sions in the adjudication of pension claims; the accounting officers of the Treas- ury and the Court of Claims in the adjudication of claims for arrears of pay and bounty and for loss of property incurred in the several wars; the officials of soldiers' home>« with regard to the right of admission thereto; tjie United States Civil Service Commission in cases of preference for appointment or for reinstatement; and the action of Congress in legislation affecting former officers and enlisted men.) The replies prepared in this divison are in the form of indorsements in 61 per cent of the cases, typewritten letters in 22 per cent, and printed forms in 17 per cent. Joint action by the Correspondence and Examining Division and other divisions of The Adjutant General's Office is required in preparing replies in 63 per cent of the cases. The classes of communications requiring joint action in the preparation of replies are reported by The Adjutant General's Office as follows : 1. Communications requiring some interpretation or construction of records because of ambiguity, obscurity, deficiency, or other con- flict in those records. 2. Communications requiring information from the records to complete answer. 3. Requests for record information of a class ordinarily answered by another division, but in which the right of the correspondent to the information, or the character or extent of the information that should be furnished, is doubtful. In addition to taking joint action with other divisions in preparing replies, the Correspondence and Examining Division examines and typewrites about 28,000 communications, the draft of which has been wholly prepared in other 72734°— H. Doe. ] 252, 62-3 25 386 EEPOETS OF COMMISSION ON ECONOMY AND EFFICIENCY. divisions. This worlv of examining and of copying for signature the draft of communications prepared in other divisions consumes about one-fourth of, the time of the examiners and typewriters in the Correspondence and Ex- amining Division. The divisions preparing drafts which are examined and typed in the Correspondence and Examining Division are the following : Ad- ministrative Division, Rolls Division, Returns Division, identification section of the Tenth Street branch, Distribution Division, Publication branch. The worli of the Correspondence and Examining Division was described to us as being of a high order, requiring the services of men who are familiar with military affairs and laws relating thereto, and who have an extensive knowledge of the records and files of this office. It was further stated that many men in this division were especially selected for this work, and that many of them had been given work in other divisions with the idea of train- ing them for the correspondence worlv of this division. Methohs of Conducting Work. The methods employed in this division will be described in three sections, (a) those employed in the administration of the division, (&) those employed in handling communications the replies to which are drafted in this division, and (c) those employed in handling communications the draft of which is prepared in other divisions. ADMINISTEATION. Each employee in this division prepares a daily time and work report show- ing the time employed and the quantity of work performed on each class of work. This is a standard form of report used throughout The Adjutant Gen- eral's Office. A sample copy is submitted in connection with the report on the Regimental Records Division. A division daily report of absentees and an employee's explanation of the cause of tardiness are required, as has been described for the Regimental Records Division. A division daily report of work performed and a division daily report of eases on hand at close of work that have been one or more working days in the office are prepared on the forms described and submitted in connection with the report on the Regimental Records Division. A so-called " monthly mail gauge " is kept by the chief of the division in order to record the number of cases handled each day and the daily average for the month. On the reverse side of this record is entered the number of elerks present and absent each day. A tally of cases received in the division and a register of Congressional cases are kept by the distributing clerk. These records are described under methods employed in handling communications requiring the preparation of replies. HANDLING COMMUNICATIONS REQUIRING THE PREPARATION OF REPLIES. The regular procedure for handling communications the replies to which arc prepared in this division involves the following processes : 1. Receipt of communications. 2. Registry of Congressional cases. 3. Assignment of communications for action. 4. Preparation of draft of reply, including any necessary calls upon othei divisions for information, and where necessary preparation of case- brief for decision. APPENDIX II. 387 5. Exaiuinatiou of draft. 6. Preparation of " fair copy." 7. Comparison of draft with " fair copy." 8. Arranging communications for transmission to the chief clerk's office. The detail work performed in connection with these processes is as follows : 1. Receipt of communications. — ^All communications for which replies are to be drafted in this division are received therein by a clerk designated for this work and known as the " distributing clerk." The communications are deliv- ered to the division by the five-minute messenger service, excepting congressional cases, which are delivered by special messenger. The distributing clerk keeps a so-called " mail-desk time mark " on which he records the hour in which each communication is received in the division. The record is divided into nine spaces, one for recording letters received prior to 9 a. m. and one for each subsequent working hour. In recording the receipt of a communication, the distributing clerk enters in the appropriate space showing the time of receipt in the Correspondence and Examining Division the hour in which the communication was received in the Mail and Record Division or in the Tenth Street branch. The record thus shows the time elapsed between the receipt of the communication in the first division handling the case and its re- ceipt in the Correspondence, and Examining Division. (A. G. O. comment : The recording of the hour in which the communication was received in the Mail and Record Division or in the Tenth Street branch has been discontinued, it having been temporarily instituted in order to ascer- tain facts affecting the celerity of movements of certain classes of cases. When this object was accomplished the practice of such recording no longer served a useful purpose. A tally of the number of cases received in this division, by hours, effected by making a check mark in the hour space for each case, is the only record of this class now kept in the division.) The following classes of communications are forwarded directly to the Cor- respondence and Examining Division from the Mail and Record Division, which receives and opens all mail for The Adjutant General's Office : 1. Requests from ilembers of Congress and congressional committees for information relative to military history of former officers and volunteer enlisted men. 2. Requests for statements of military services of officers and enlisted men in the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812. 3. Requests for statements of military service received from societies and associations. 4. Requests from the Civil Service Commission for statements of mili- tary service. 5. Applications for certificates in lieu of lost or destroyed discharge certificates. 6. Applications for original discharge certificates. 7. Applications for the removal of charge of desertion. 8. Applications for clemency for general prisoners. The communications received from the Mail and Record Division come (a) directly from the numbering clerks, or (&) from the record card files. The first class of communications are those for which the clerks in the Mail and Record Division consider a search of the files unnecessary, while the second class are those communications requiring, in the opinion of the clerks of the Mail and Record Division, a search of the files. If a search of the files is made, any prior record cards disclosed by such search are attached to the current com- munication, which is then forwarded to the Correspondence and Examining Division. 388 KEPORTS OF COMMISSION ON ECONOMY AND EFFICIENCY. Requests for statement of military service made by the Commissioner of Pen- sions, the comptroller, and auditor are referred to the Correspondence and Ex- amining Division from Regimental Records and Rolls Division whenever the cases involve some difficultj' in the Interperetation or construction of the records or involve the application or construction of some law, rule, or regulation. Approximately 5 per cent of these cases are sent directly to the Correspondence and Examining Division from Regimental Records or Rolls Division. The bal- ance of these cases are sent from the two last-named divisions to the Cor- respondence and Examining Division through the Mail and Record Division. The purpose in sending first to the Mail and Record Division is to transfer the communications from the "statement of service" file (green record card file) to the regular correspondence file (white record card file). Requests for statements of military service of officers and men in the Con- federate Army are received in the Correspondence and Examining Division from the Tenth Street branch, to which such requests are first referred upon their receipt in The Adjutant General's Office. Requests from soldiers' homes for statements of military service are some^ times received directly from JMail and Record Division and sometimes fro/a the Regimental Records Division. The replies to all such requests are drafted in the Correspondence and Examining Division. Requests for addresses of officers and enlisted men Avhich are included in the division reports among " miscellaneous communications " are receive'! in the Correspondence and Examining Division from the Returns and Rolls Divi- sions In Regular Army cases, and from the Mail and Record Division in Volun- teer cases. The other communications classified as "miscellaneous" are largely received from the Mail and Record Division. 2. Registry of conyressional coses. — The distributing clerk upon receiving a congressional case Immediately registers the communication on a memorandum or daily schedule of such cases. This memorandum record is ruled into columns showing the following, facts : (a) Serial number of communication. (&) Name of author. (c) Time communication left the Mail and Record Division of The Adjutant General's Office as shown on the record card accompany- ing the communication. (d) Time communication reaches the Correspondence and Examining Di- vision. (e) Name of composing clerk to whom the communication is assigned for preparation of the reply. (/) Status of case at noon. (g) Time of completion of examination of draft of reply. (h) Time at which reply is forwarded from this division to the chief clerks' office. The distributing clerk Investigates any cases which are shown by this memo- randum or schedule to have been in the division longer than would seem nec- essary for the drafting of a reply. It Is the plan to reply to congressional cases received during the forenoon in time to forward them to the Capitol by a special messenger who leaves The Adjutant General's Office at 1 p. m. Cases received lu the afternoon are, whenever possible, disposed of so as to be forwarded to the city post office at the close of the day's business. 3. Assignment of communications for action. — The distributing clerk ex- amines all incoming communications in order that he may bring certain cases to the attention of the chief of the division and assign others to the composing APPENDIX II. - 389 clerks. The work is so arranged that each couiposing clerk handles, as a rule, a single class or specified classes of communications. In some cases the distributing clerk's examination of a connnnnication dis- closes the fact that additional information must be furnished by some other division. In such cases the communication is sent directly from the distribut- ing clerk's desk to such divisions with a request made on the record card for the desired information. In many cases, however, the necessity for procuring information from other divisions is not ascertained until the communication is in the hands of the composing clerk. Inquiry was made as to why cases which clearly call for preliminary action of some other division were first sent to the Correspondence and Examining Division from the Mail and Record Division. In reply it was stated that the clerks In the Mail and Record Division would be likely to require more time than the Correspondence and Examining Division in studying the case to ascertain whether the Correspondence and Examining Division or some other division should first handle the case and they, therefore, forward all cases to which the Correspondence and Examining Division is to prepare the reply to that division, except requests of State officials for records of Confederate service, which are sent from the Mail and Record Division to the Tenth Street branch. (A. G. O. comment: With regard to the word "clearly," as used in this paragraph, it is to be remarked that what may be clear to the Correspondence and Examining Division in its cases may not be clear to the Mail and Record Division. ) The communications are taken from the desk of the distributing clerk to the desks of the composing clerks by special messenger or by the distributing clerk himself, and to other divisions of The Adjutant General's Office by the five-minute messenger service, with the exception of congressional cases, which are immediately forwarded to their destination by special messenger. 4. Preparation of draft of reply. — The work of drafting replies to communica- tions is arranged so that, as a rule, each clerk handles a single class or specified classes of communications. This specialization of work is usually, but not always, followed. While each clerk is developed into a specialist for handling certain classes of cases he is also required to have a general knowledge of the work of the division, so as to be able to handle other classes of cases which may be received in the division. All communications when received by the composing clerk for the prepara- tion of the draft of the reply are accompanied with the record card of the current letter. Those communications for which a search of the files has disclosed prior papers in the case are also accompanied with the record cards of earlier letters. If the communications have been referred to other divisions by the distributing clerk, as explained above in No. 3, the record cards will contain such information as has been furnished by those divisions. The com- posing clerk examines the communication and accompanying record cards, and if these contain sufficient information for the preparation of his reply he pre- pares the draft on the record card accompanying the current communication. Of the 13 classes of communications enumerated on pages 3 and 4 supra, Ihe requests for statements of military service of officers and men in the Revolutionary War and in the War of 1812, and applications for the removal of the charge of desertion are largely answered from the correspondence record cards of former communications in the cases, while only a very few communi- cations in the other classes can be answered completely from the previous record cards but require additional information from the military records. 390 KEPOETS OF COMMISSIOISr ON ECONOMY AND EFFICIENCY. It was estimated by the employees of this divisiou that approximately one- third of the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812 cases and nearly all applications for the removal of the charge of desertion are answered from the previoxis correspondence record cards. If the papers and cards accompanying the case do not contain sufficient information for replying to the communication the composing clerk requests such additional information as is needed from other divisions of The Adjutant General's Office, from other offices in the War Department, or from other departments of the Federal service. When a call is made upon another divi- sion of The Adjutant General's Office for additional information it is the practice to forward ail the papers in the case, together with their record cards, and to indicate on the record card of the current communication the call for information together with the initials of the clerk making the request. The divisions most frequently called upon to furnish information are Regimental Records, Archives, Rolls, Medical, and Returns Divisions, and Tenth Street branch. The division upon which a request is made transcribes the desired information from the records or documents in its custody on the record card accompanying the communication. The initials of the clerk furnishing the information is also entered on the record card. In order to show the action taken by different divisions in furnishing infor- mation, a case concerning the removal of the charge of desertion was analyzed and the principal steps taken in disposing of the case were listed. This is an involved case and required action by more divisions than is necessary for the handling of the large majority of cases. The divisions handling this case (No. 1893180) and the principal action taken by them are as follows: 1. Mail and Record Division : (a) Communication received and opened. (6) Recorded, indexed, and numbered. 2. Correspondence and Examining Division : (a) Examined by composing clerk. (6) Referred to Regimental Records Division for report and "per- sonal papers." 3. Regimental Records Division : (a) Searches its records. (6) Referred to Tenth Street branch for cards. 4. Tenth Street branch : (o) Withdraws the four cards in the case from file and attaches to communication. (&) Returns to Regimental Records Division. 5. Regimental Records Division : (a) Enters on record card (and extension slips) all relevant Informa- tion shown on its records, including that shown on the cards forwarded from Tenth Street branch. (&) Attaches such "personal papers" as are on file and returns to the Mail and Record Division for prevous papers from the docu- ment file. 6. Mail and Record Division : (a) Filing instructions entered on record card; i. e., connecting with previous papers (that were received in 1877). (6) Case returned to Correspondence and Examining Division. 7. Correspondence and Examining Division : (a) Case assigned to composing clerk who first handled it. (&) Referred to Medical Division for medical record. APPENDIX II. 391 8. Medical Division : («) Enters medical history on record card; medical records not show- ing Christian name. (b) Referring to Regimental Records Division with inquiry as to whether any other man of this name in same company. 9. Regimental Records Division : (a) Answers inquiry of Medical Division and returns case to that division. 10. Medical Division : (a) Sends to branch of division for further information concerning medical history. (&) Enters further information on record card and returns case to Coi^ responding and Examining Division. 11. Correspondence and Examining Division : (a) Case referred to composing clerk who first handled it. (6) Referred to Archives Division for any information in its record concerning arrest or trial of man. 12. Archives Division : (a) Enters reply on record card and returns to Correspondence and Examining Division. To call for and enter the information required for the disposition of this case required the use of six pages of record cards. Following this material, the record card contains a summary of the case and the bearing of existing laws thereon, together with a recommendation by the correspondence clerk that the charge of desertion be removed. The record card also contains an approval by the chief of the division and by the assistant to the chief clerk of the recommendation indicated by their initials, the draft of the reply to the communication and a " notation " ofiicially removing the charge of desertion from the records of The Adjutant General's Office. The record card in this case illustrates the fact that it is the practice to note on the record card any instructions which may be given for the handling of a case and the initials of the employees concerned. The record card is so utilized that it not only contains a brief of the incoming communication and a complete draft of the outgoing communication, but also contains notations which show the complete history of the case and the initials of those who are responsible for the several steps taken in handling it. When it is necessary to request information from other offices in the War Department, or from other departments for use in drafting a reply to a com- munication, it is customary to write an indorsement on the current communi- cation indicating the nature of the information desired from that office or department. Record cards are never sent outside of The Adjutant General's Office. In writing indorsements requesting information, printed forms are used in many cases. Three different forms are provided for referring cases to the Auditor for the War Department and two forms for general use. When- ever indorsement forms are used, duplicates are prepared and attached to the record card as the record of the action taken. When forms are not used in writing indorsements the draft of the indorsement is written by the composing clerk on the record card, and a copy is then typed for transmission. In reply to an inquiry it was stated that this division calls upon the document files for original papers in not to exceed 5 per cent of the cases handled by it. After information for the preparation of the reply has been collected from the several divisions of The Adjutant General's Office and from other offices and departments, the composing clerk prepares the draft of the reply by dictat- ing to a stenographer, by drafting the reply in memorandum form, by filling 392 REPORTS OF COMMISSION ON ECONOMY AND EFFICIENCY. out a printed record card form, or by instructing a ttenogi-apber to fill out a printed form. The draft is ahvays written on record cards either (1) by a stenographer from dictation from rough copy, or from instructions to prepare a record card form, or (2) by the composing clerk himself in those cases where he fills out a printed form of record card.. After the draft has been typed on the record card, it is submitted to the composing clerk, who makes with pen and ink any changes he may desire, and then places his initials on the record card at the head of the draft which he has prepared. To facilitate the preparation of the draft of replies, 19 printed forms of record-card extensions are used in this division in addition to the 5 printed forms which are used in recording indorsements requesting information from outside sources. Printed form letters and indorsements corresponding to the printed record-card extension forms are used in preparing the outgoing com- munications. If the composing clerk considers the case to be so important that it should be submitted to the chief of division or some officer for review, the draft as typewritten on the record card is submitted for the consideration of the proper efflcial. When the comiX)sing clerk has completed his action on a case and before forwarding it to the examining clerk, he arranges the papers and record cards In two groups. One group includes those papers and cards which may be needed by the signing officer in his consideration of the case, and the other group in- cludes those papers and record cards which may be returned to the files before the communication has been signed. Before forwarding the case the composing clerk also inserts a charge slip with these record cards, which are to be sent to the files in place of and accounting for any record card or cards which are attached to the co]nmunication and forwarded to the signing officer. With the current record card and communication he places a so-called " sepai'atiou card." accounting for the cards sent to the files. The charge slip is placed in the files with the record cards. Its use is very temporary, as the communica- tion will be disposed of ordinarily within a few hours after the charge slip has been placed in the files. It will then be displaced by the record card which had been sent to the signing officer with the communication. 5. Examination of draft. — From the composing clerk's desk the case, which includes the incoming letter with the draft of the reply as prepared by the eomposing clerk and all accompanying papers, is sent to an examiner by means of the 5-minute messenger service. (A. G. O. comment : If the case goes out by indorsement or is a congressional case answered by letter, the case so sent to the examiner consists of the in- coming letter and its in closures, if any, and the record card bearing the draft of the reply. If the case is a noucongressional answered by letter, the case so sent to the examiner ordinarily consists only of the record card bearing the ilraft of the reply.) The examiner I'eviews the draft of the reply in order to insure accuracy of address, dates, and other statements of fact and examines the draft for gram- matical construction and adequacy of reply. Any corrections and alterations deemed necessarjr by the examiner are made on the draft in ink. 6. Preparation of " fair copy.'''' — From the examiner's desk the communication Is sent to the stenographic and typewriting section. ' Here the chief of the section assigns the draft as prepared on the record card to a typewriter to prepare a "fair copy" for the signature of the proper official. The typewriter makes an exact copy of the draft as amended by the examiner. In the upper right-hand corner of the letter sheet is written the serial number of the incom- ing communication to which this is a reply. APPENDIX II. 393 An stated in the description of tlie preparation of tlie draft, printed forms, of record-card extensions for tlie draft and for outgoing communications, are extensively used in tliis division. Twentj^-five different printed forms of letters and indorsements are used in addition to the 5 indorsement forms used for requesting information needed for the disposition of cases. Of the 25 forms 10 relate to statements of service or military history, 7 to communications con- cerning the removal of the charge of desertion, 2 to miscellaneous and general subjects, and 1 to each of the following classes of communications : Applications for certificates in lieu of lost or destroyed discharge certificates, applications for discharge certificates in true name, inquiries to commanding officers con- cerning identification records not submitted to The Adjutant General's Office, similar inquiries concerning physical examination reports, notice of designation of institution to receive the published " War Ilecords," and notice to Paymaster General of death of enlisted men. The four last-mentioned forms are not used for replying to communications referred to this division for action, but are used for fair copies of drafts prepared in other divisions of the office. In a report to this commission The Adjutant General's Office stated that 61 per cent of the communications prepared in this division were in the form of indorsements, 22 per cent were typewritten letters, and 17 per cent were printed forms. These figures are misleading, since a large number of the communica- tions reported as indorsements were prepared on printed forms. No figures are available for showing the percentage of all outgoing communications prepared by the use of forms. (A. G. O. comment: The questions furnished by the President's Economy and Efficiency Commission for use in the preparation of the division reports, of which the report of April 19, 1912, for the Correspondence and Examining Division before referred to is one, include, under the heading " Outgoing corre- spondence," the following seven questions : 7. What is the approximate number of comnuniications prepared in this division annually? S. Into what general classes may they be divided, and what is the estimated number of communications of each class prepared annually? 9. What per cent of the communications are typewritten letters? 10. What per cent of the communications are handwritten letters? 11. What per cent of the communications are printed forms? 12. What per cent of the communications are in other forms? 13. What portion of the correspondence referred to in question 7 is in the form of an indorsement? Questions 9 to 13 speak of five classes of communications, y'v/., typewritten letters, handwritten letters, printed forms, other forms, and indorsements. The office was in doubt as to whether this division into five classes was in- tended to constitute a single (i. e., complete) division of the subject communica- tions, or whether the questions were intended to constitute complete cross divisions, i. e., condivisions, or incomplete cross divisions of the subject communi- cations. Consequently, on April 2, 1912, the question " Should the answers to questions 9, 10, 11, 12, and 13 equal 100 per cent?" was orally asked of the secretary of the commission, and he answered " Yes." In view of the fact that the percentages to be given in answer to the five questions were to equal 100 per cent, thus showing that the &\e questions were intended to be a single (complete) division of the subject communications, it was concluded by this office that only question 13 related to indorsements.) In addition to using printed forms of record card extensions and of outgoing letters, this division also uses 3 forms of applications and 12 forms of certifi- cates. The application forms are furnished to applicants for certificates 394 EEPOETS OF COMMISSION ON ECOZSTOMY AND EFFICIENCY. in lieu of lost or destroyed discharge certificates, applicants for medals of honor, and applicants for certificates of military telegraph service. The cer- tificate forms are used in issuing original certificates of discharge, certificates in lieu of lost or destroyed discharge certificates, and " deserter's releases " from liability to arrest, trial, and punishment for desertion. 7. Coimianson of draft with " fair copy." — From the typewriting section the communication is sent to " comparers " one of whom reads from the draft as prepared on the record card while the other holds the fair copy drafted for signature. 8. Arranging communications for transmission. — After the draft and the fair copy have been compared, the communication, together with all accompanying papers and record cards are arranged for transmission to the chief clerk's office. As a part of this work, any indorsement prepared in the Correspondence and Examining Division on Indorsement slips is here pasted to the communica- tion to which it pertains. The only other work required at this desk is that of placing communications in proper jackets for transmission by the five-minute messenger service to the office of the chief clerk, HANDLING COMMUNICATIONS DRAFTED IN OTHER DIVISIONS. The Correspondence and Examining Division in handling communications drafted in other divisions performs the following processes: 1. Receipt of communications. 2. Examination of draft of reply. 3. Preparation of " fair copy." 4. Comparison of draft with " fair copy." 5. Arranging communications for transmission to the chief clerk's office. Communications of this class are delivered by the five-minute messenger service directly from the division in which drafted to the examining clerks of the Correspondence and Examining Division. The remaining processes involved in the handling of these cases are conducted in the same manner as the corresponding processes employed in handling com- munications the replies to which have been drafted in tliis division. These processes have been described in full in the preceding section of this report. Relation to Other Branches of the Service. Since the chief work of this division is that of performing one of the prin- cipal processes in the handling of correspondence, its relations with the other divisions of The Adjutant General's Office which handle correspondence are, of necessity, very close. The relationship between this and other operating divisions may be summarized as follows : (1) The communications are received in this division (1) directly from the Mail and Record Division, where the incoming communication has been num- bered, briefed (in such cases as require briefing), indexed, and recorded, or (2) from the Regimental Records, Rolls, or Returns Division or the Tenth Street branch, to which the incoming communication was first sent by the Mail and Record Division. Furthermore, in those cases in which a search of the record- card files in the Mail and Record Division has been made, the record cards of any prior communications in this case or of any previous similar case are attached to the current communication. (2) As this division handles complicated and difficult cases and many which require action by two or more divisions, it is necessary for the Correspondence and Examining Division to be constantly calling on other divisions of The APPENDIX II. 395 Adjutant General's Office for information required in drafting outgoing letters. The composing clerks of this division are required to have a thorough knowledge of all the files and other sources from vphich information may be secured in The Adjutant General's Office for use in drafting replies to the correspondence assigned to this division. It is customary for these clerks in making calls upon; other divisions to address the division, specify the nature of information de- sired, and send such calls to the room in which the documents or records to be consulted are filed. In handling requests for statements of military service it may be necessary to call upon any or all of the following divisions for informa- tion : Regimental Records Division, Medical Division, Rolls Division, Return* Division, Archives Division, document files of Mail and Record Division, record- card files of Mail and Record Division, Tenth Street branch, Orders Division. (3) As has been stated, a part of the work of this division consists in examin- ing and preparing the "fair copy" of communications, the draft of which haa been prepared in some of the other divisions of the office. In performing this work, the Correspondence and Examining Division i» brought in close relationship with the Administrative, Rolls, Returns, and Dis- tribution Divisions, the Tenth Street and Publication branches. (4) The work of this division requires a large amount of correspondence with other offices of the War Department and other departments of the Federal Government. Among the latter, those with which business is most largely conducted are as follows: Pension Office, Auditor for the War Department, Land Office, Comptroller of the Treasury, Civil Service Commission, Bureau of Navigation. ORGANIZATION AND SALARY ROLL. This division has 46 employees, of the following salary grades : 8 clerks of class 4 with salaries aggregating $14,400 9 clerks of class 3 with salaries aggregating 14,400 10 clerks of class 2 with salaries aggregating 14, 000 17 clerks of class 1 with salaries aggregating 20, 400 2 clerks, at $1,000 2, 000 Total salary charge 65, 200 The division is in charge of Mr. David Currier, clerk, class 4, who has a clerk of class 4 as an assistant. The number of clerks of each salary grade assigned! to the several classes of work was reported on April 2, 1912, to be a follows : In charge of division, class 4 1 Distributing work, class 3 1 Investigating and composing: Class 4 ^ 5 Class 3 6 Class 2 4 Class 1 3; (Note. — Two of these clerks (classes 3 and 1) are also employed in part on stenographic work and a third (class 3) as assistant in charge of copying section when their serv- ices as such are required.) Examining : Class 4 1 Class 3 1 Digesting and examining congressional documents, etc., class 3_ 1 396 EEPOKTS OF COMMISSION ON ECONOMY AND EFFICIENCY. In charge of copying section, class 4 1 Stenographic work and copying: Class 2 5 Class 1 9 Class $1,000 2 Copying, class 1 4 Comparing : Class 2 1 Class 1 1 Total 46 Equipment. This division has a file of precedents covering the classes of communications handled by it. These statements of precedents are furnished by the chief clerk's office and are duplicates of those filed in that office. A small library of law^s, decisions, reports, orders, and other Federal publica- tions is maintained. The balance of the equipment used by this division con- sists of typevpriters, ordinary office furniture, and small articles of desk equip- ment. H. DESCRIPTION OF THE LOCATION, WORK, METHODS, ORGANIZATION, AND EX- PENSE OF THE ENLISTED MEN'S DIVISION OF THE ADJUTANT GENERAL'S OFFICE. I. Location. This division occupies rooms Nos. 41 and 43 in the basement of the State, War, and Navy Building. There are 10 employees in the division. II. Functions and Work. The work of this office is largely the preparation of correspondence concerning the status or station of enlisted men. Its functions therefore may properly be said to. consist of jurisdiction over and the preparation of correspondence relat- ing to the following subjects : A. Discharge of enlisted men. B. Change of status or station of enlisted men. C. Deserters, fraudulently enlisted men, men absent without leave, and men without funds to return to their stations. D. Retired enlisted men and requests to be placed on the retired list. E. Miscellaneous correspondence. A. The discharge of enlisted men before expiration of term of service may be on their own request, the request of a civilian, or the recommendation of an officer of a board of officers, and may be by purchase, on account of death of parent, in the interest of the United States or for the convenience of the Gov- ernment, for disability, without honor, or dishonorable. B. The changes in the status or stations of enlisted men result from : Re- quests of civilians or enlisted men for furlough or transfer of the latter, re- quests to attend service schools, recommendations of medical officers that en- listed men be sent to general hospitals, the examination of applicants for ap- pointment as post noncommissioned staff officers, the appointment and applica- tions for reenlistment and assignment to stations of such noncommissioned offi- cers, the appointment and assignment to stations of sergeants first class and ser- geants of the Hospital Corps, the assignment to stations of Artillery noncommis- sioned staff officers, details on extra or special duty, attendance as witnesses or defendants in general court-martial or civil court trials, requests that enlisted men charged with criminal offenses be turned over to civil authorities, de- APPENDIX II. 397 cisions as to status of eulisted men with respect to pay, enlistmeut period, ex- piration of service, etc. C. The correspondence regarding deserters, fraudulently enlisted men, men absent without leave, or without funds to return to their stations, consists in action on : Reports of the apprehension or surrender of deserters, requests for clemency or discharge of deserters or fraudulently enlisted men, ordering guards sent for apprehended deserters, and the disposition of men reporting as absent without leave or without funds to return to their stations. D. The work pertaining to retired enlisted men mainly consists in action on requests : To be placed on the retired list, to go beyond the limits of the United States, for duty at colleges, for addresses of retired enlisted men, and. for monthly report cards. It is also necessary to take action on the failure of a re- tired enlisted man to report his address monthly. E. Correspondence pertaining to matters not included by the foregoing classi- fication consists in action on : The disposition to be made of insane enlisted men, complaints from creditors of enlisted men, recommendations for award of certificate of merit, requests for admission to the Soldiers' Home, requests for the gratuitous issue of clothing and for reimbursement for clothing lost or destroyed, proceedings of boards as to character or service of enlisted men, when not approved by the convening authority, allotments of pay, or stoppages against enlisted men, cases of fraudulent enlistment by former deserters, dis- lionorably discharged soldiers or men otherwise undesirable, detail of enlisted men to duty with the Organized Militia, and requests for permission to take civil-service examination. The balance of the work done in this division consists mainly in maintaii\- ing card files of all retired enlisted men and of retired enlisted men who are deceased, and readdressing mail for retired enlisted men. III. Methods. COERESPONDEN OE. The correspondence is prepared in the same general way as the corre- spondence throughout The Adjutant General's Office. The correspondence clerks type their own letters. The records in regard to enlisted men and the muster rolls, filed in the Rolls Division, serve as the basis for a large part of the correspondence emanating from the Enlisted Men's Division. This information is secured by written requests placed on the record cards for reports in regard to par- ticular enlisted men. The information furnished by the Rolls Division aids in determining the action necessary to be taken in the case, which action is drafted into a communication on the record card, and then copied in the form of an indorsement or letter for dispatch. Eighty letters a day, of all kinds, are prepared, on the average, in this division, and of these, about 15 are cases which must previously be sent to the Rolls Division for a report, and about 60 are cases in which the Rolls Division information is found on prior record cards accompanying the case. The record of retired enlisted men is kept on individual cards. This record shows for each month of each year the addresses of the men as reported on the monthly i-eport cards. It is required that they report their address to The Adjutant General each mouth, and penalty cards are provided for the purpose. The cards, as received, are sorted alphabetically and posted to the individual records each month. Changes of address are noted, and a check mark placed in the proper space to show that a report has been received. Oh failure to 398 REPORTS OF COMMISSION ON ECONOMY AND EFFICIENCY. receive a report for two or tliree months from a man, a letter is sent to him directing that he report his address as required by Army Regulations. On failure to receive a prompt reply to this letter a letter is sent to the man through the Paymaster General, directing him to report his address at once. In case of failure to receive prompt reply to this letter the Paymaster General is directed to withhold the man's pay. A notation of these letters is made on the card to serve as evidence that the proper steps have been talien regarding the delinquency. IV. Organization and Salary Roll. This division has 10 employees of the following salary grades : 1 chief of divi.sions $2,000 1 clerk of class 4 1,800 1 clerk of class 3 1, 600 '3 clerks of class 2, with salaries aggregating 4, 200 4 clerks of class 1, with salaries aggregating 4, 800 10 Total 14,400 The following is a list of persons employed in the division, and shows the nature of their work and their salaries : List of clerks employed in the Enlisted Men's Division of The Adjutant Oen- eraVs Office, the nature of their duties, and their salaries. Name. Nature of work upon which engaged. Salary. J $2,000 T H. Wilson Assistant chief of division; examines all cases before they are sent to an officer for signature; dictates correspondence in special cases. Drafts and engrosses correspondence in following cases: Con- gressional, certificate of merit, and miscellaneous. Drafts and engrosses correspondence in following cases: Con- gressional, insane enlisted men, and miscellaneous. Drafts and engrosses correspondence in miscellaneous cases, and verifies service of appUeants for retirement. Receives and distributes all mail sent to the division; calls for necessary record of service; keeps record of discharges and number of eases disposed of; property in the division, and sends mail by messenger to officer for signature. Has charge of all matters and drafts correspondence relating to retired enlisted men, and applications of enlisted men to be placed on the retired list. Drafts special orders and drafts and engrosses miscellaneous correspondence. Stenographer. Drafts and engrosses miscellaneous correspondence. Stenog- rapher. . .do 1,800 W . M. Smith 1,600 F, 1,400 F D. Tillman 1,400 T 1,400 T L. McGee 1,200 B H. Milliken 1,200 <^, E.Wolfe 1,200 h 1,200 DESCRIPTIVE REPORT OF THE LOCATION, WORK, METHODS, ORGANIZATION, AND EXPENSE OF THE RECRUITING DIVISION OF THE ADJUTANT GENERAL'S OFFICE, WAR DEPARTMENT. I. Location. This division and the files in its custody occupy room No. 89 in the basement of the State, War and Navy Building. There are 11 clerks in the room, in- cluding the chief of the division. APPENDIX II. ' 399 II. Functions and Work. The principal functions and worlv of the Recruiting Division relate to : 1. Establishing and discontinuing main recruiting stations ; authorizing the opening and closing of stations auxiliary to the main stations; giving necessary instructions to recruiting officers for the conduct of the recruiting service in their respective districts, and authorizing their travel between main and auxiliai-y stations; providing enlisted men for duty as members of recruiting parties and relieving men as occasion may require. 2. The custody, examination and tabulation (after correction, if neces- sary) of the following trimonthly reports — (a) Of the number of applicants for enlistment at general j-ecruiting stations. (&) Of the number of enlistments at each garrisoned post or station, including recruit depots and depot posts, (c) Of the number of recruits at each of the five recruit depots and five depot posts. 3. Providing for the collection of recruits at recruit depots, and the maintenance of permanent parties of recruit companies thereat for the care and instruction of the recruits. 4. The tabulation of the enlisted vacancies in organizations as indicated by the monthly retiirns, and the distribution of recruits to organiza- tions from the recruit depots and depot posts. 5. Passing upon applications for enlistment or reenlistment of per- sons who desire to be assigned to organizations of their choice, and passing upon cases of applicants with defects that can not bo waived without special authority from the War Department. 6. Advertising for recruits in newspapers, by posters, and other means. functions. 1. The establishment or discontinuance of either main or auxiliary stations and the conduct of them is based on the need for recruits in maintaining the authorized strength of the Army. The Adjutant General is in direct charge of recruiting for the Army, thus placing on him the work involved in the main- tenance and conduct of the recruiting service and the personnel thereof. 2. The custody, examination, and tabulation (after correction, if necessary) of the following trimonthly reports : (a) Of the number of applicants for enlistment at general recruiting stations. This report shows, for the period included by the report, the number of applicants accepted and rejected for each arm of the service. It also shows the disposition of the accepted applicants, and of those rejected a specification of the causes for rejection. (&) Of the number of enlistments at each garrisoned post or station, including recruit depots and depot posts. This report, in respect to enlistments, is similar to the preceding report in respect to appli- cants for enlistment, and also contains a statement showing the number of recruits forwarded to organizations or posts during the period included by the report. This report is accompanied by the enlistment contracts of all men enlisted or reenlisted for the period covered by the report. ersonal description, the organization to which assigned, and, if a former soldier, the organization in which he served pre- viously, and the date and manner of termination of service. The entries in these registers are arranged chronologically by months, and are made under the initial letter of the man's surname. Eight volumes are used to accommodate the entire alphabet for the Regular Army, and with an Army of approximately the present strength of the military establishment a set of these books is filled in from three to four years. The " registers " begin with the enlistments made at the time of the reorganization of the Army in 1821 and are continuous up to the present time. In addition to these, one alphabetical register each is kept for the Porto Rico Regiment of Infantry, the Philippine Scouts, and Indian Scouts. The enlistment registers enable the office by inspection of the relevant page column to ascertain promptly the cases in which the terminations of service of enlisted men are not shown by the records, and consequently to take steps to obtain information with regard to such terminations of service. Cases in which the records do not show termination of service of enlisted men are not infrequent. A systematic examination of the enlistment registers is made periodically with a view to discover these cases in which, although the period for which enlistment has expired, no termination of service is shown by the records. When any such case is found the responsible officer is called upon to report the facts in the case, and in this way a final record is obtained within a reasonable length of time after that separation from service and before the facts in the case have been lost or forgotten. The enlistment registers enable the office to identify soldiers, or former soldiers in many cases, in which the actual or approximate date of enlistment is known but in which the organization is not known and the name, as given by the inquirer, varies from the service name. This occurs quite frequently, especially In cases of telegraphic inquiries from police authorities or other civil officials as to whether a man who enlisted about a certain date is wanted as a deserter. In many of these cases the inquiry is made by telegraph and names are fre- l by 8 inches, and places it with the docinnent. The documents are then arranged in numerical order. A temporary list, bearing the date, is made in pencil and sent to the record file clerk, who withdraws from the files the record cards bearing corresponding numbers. The record cards are then placed on the desk of a record clerk, who assembles the cards and documents, arranging them OFFICE OF THE CHIEF OF EIsTGINEEES. 491 numerically, after which they are separated into groups and placed on the desk to which they pertain. After action taken has been en- tered on the record card the document is sent to the file clerk for filing. Indexing. — The record card and carbons are handed to the chief indexer, who withdraws the necessary index cards and places them with the record cards, together with a memoranda indicating what new index cards are to be made, on the desk of an index clerk. The index clerk makes the necessary entry on the index cards, sends the record card and the carbon to the record card clerk for examination, pasting, and file. The index cards are placed in a distributing case and at 3 o'clock each day are placed in the index file by two index clerks. Files.— VvioT to 1890 the index to and record of cases were made in books. For the years 1890, 1891, and 1892 records of cases were made on cards and filed in universal file cases. From January 1, 1893, to the present date, cards 3^ by 8 inches have been used both for record and index and are filed in document files. All orig-inal doc- uments are folded 3^ by 8 inches and are also filed in document files. Filing space. — The following statement shows approximately^ the number cubic feet in the wooden file cases in rooms 117, 119, 121, 123, 563, and 19, containing record books, record and index cards, and documents pertaining to the correspondence of this office. Number of file cases and number of cubic feet of space in files in each room: Num- ber of file cases. Size of cases. Number of cubic feet. Room No. 117 2 1 1 1 1 2 1 1 2 2 1 1 3 2 1 10 1 1 1 1 1 1 Feet. 12 by 14 336 11 by 14 154 14 by 19 266 Room No. 119 2 by 2 by 5 9 by 14. . . . 20 126 12 bv 14 . 336 Room No. 121 4 by 8 32 8 by 14 112 12 by 14 336 Room No. 123 4 by 9 72 7 by 14 98 12 by 14 168 Room No. 563 6 by 8 144 10 by 8 160 4 by 8 32 Room No. 19 llj by 10 1,360 13Jby7 8Jby 10 94.5 185 17 by 10 170 14 by 10 by 2 3 by 10 18 30 3 by 7 21 Total .' 38 4, 270. 5 492 REPORTS OF COMMISSION ON ECONOMY AND EFFICIENCY. Distribution. — The various papers and documents are distributed as follows: Koom 123 — 570 boxes of document files, 14 boxes of mailing lists, and 39 boxes of miscellaneous papers and memoranda. Koom 121 — 929 boxes of document files and 108 boxes of miscel- laneous files. Eoom 119 — 558 boxes of document files, 198 boxes of monthly- reports of operations, 991 boxes of universal file cases containing record cards, and 210 book records. Koom 117 — 369 boxes of record cards, 314 boxes of index cards, and 2 shelves containing 154 book records. Koom 19 — 107 boxes of index cards to universal-card system (1890-1892) ; 11 boxes of index cards to records from January 1, 1893, to June 30, 1894; 2 large shelves of annual reports; 27 press copy books (since 1910) ; 33 boxes of records pertaining to surveys, etc.; 1,428 boxes of documents; 605 boxes of monthly reports of operations ; 4 cases, 12 by 12, containing miscellaneous papers ; 18 shelves containing bulky packages; 1 large cabinet containing rolls of maps, etc., awaiting action; 2 large cabinets containing documents of fortifications ; and 1 case containing 10 boxes of survey reports. Koom 563 — 416 boxes of records (river and harbor, from 1882 to 1889) ; 344 boxes of record files, from 1869 to 1881, inclusive; 32 boxes of lake survey records ; 25 boxes of lake survey report records ; and 36 boxes of records (river and harbor, 1869). Seven separate files are maintained: 1. Record card. — This card is used for the purpose of keeping a synopsis of all action with reference to a particular person or project, and is filed under an arbitrary serial number. When the space on a card is filled an additional or fellow sheet is attached. When any group of cards reaches the thickness of about three-eighths of an inch it is marked on its fact Part I, and a second part marked on its face Part II is begun. The division into parts is continued as cir- cumstances may require, each part having about the thickness men- tioned. Two clerks are engaged in filing and withdrawing these cards. 2. Index or cross reference. — This card is used for the purpose of indexing the action noted on the record card above mentioned, and is filed alphabetically by names and subjects. For convenience, the index cards most frequently in use are kept in a revolving case con- taining 64 files. The others are filed on permanent shelves in 250 files on the west side of room 117. These cards are filed and with- drawn by the clerks who are engaged on index work. When the space on a cross-reference or index card is filled the procedure is the same as that described on the record card. From four to thirty index cards are made for every record card. OFFICE OF THE CHIEF OF ENGINEEKS. 493 3. Permanent documents. — Only papers and documents on which action is final and complete are placed in these files. One clerk is engaged in filing and withdrawing such documents. 4. Bulky packages. — All bulky packages, which will not admit of folding, are filed on numbered shelves. A memorandum card is placed in the regular document files indicating the number of the shelf on. which the package is filed. 5. Temporary or " held-wp " documents. — All papers and docu- ments are placed in this file until final action, when they are trans- ferred to the permanent document files. When papers or documents are filed in the " held-up " file a blue slip is pasted to the face of the record or index card for recording thereon any instructions or in- formation for guidance when a subject comes up again for action.. Those attached to the record card are also used for the notations showing what papers are in the " held-up " file. 6. Suspension. — When a paper has been forwarded with orders or recommendations for action to be taken on a certain date, a suspension slip is made showing the number of the case, the date on which action is to be taken and filed by dates. The principal object in maintaining this file is to insure that replies are made to communications received and sent. Each day the slips for that date are taken from the files,. and if the respective records do not show that action has been taken,, the cards are sent to the executive officer or clerks for consideration. 7. Personnel. — This file contains a card for each civil employee in the office, giving complete record of the dates of appointment, promo- tion, demotion, leaves of absence, discharge, or death. Nothing rela- tive to efficiency is contained on this card. Clerical cost. Per- centage of time. Salary. Cost. Administration: 100 100 50 100 50 100 100 100 $1,900 1,600 1,600 1,400 1,400 1,200 1,000 900 81,900 3,200 800 Indexing, searching, and filing index cards: 2 clerks 1 clerk 2 clerks 2,800 1 clerk 700 2,400 1 clerk 1,000 900 1 clerk 10 Total 11,800; Recording and searching: 2 clerks 100 100 50 100 1,800 1,600 1,600 1,400 3,600 1 clerk 1,600- 800 1 clerk 2 clerks 2,800 494 KEPOETS OF COMMISSION ON ECONOMY AND EFFICIENCY. Clerical cost — Continued. Per centage of time. Salary. Cost. Eecording and searching— Continued. 60 100 100 100 »1,400 1,200 1,000 900 ' $700 2 Clerks 2,400 3,000 1,800 3 clerks 2 clerks 14 Total 16,700 1,800 1,000 1,400 Filing and witli drawing record cards: 2 clerks 100 100 100 900 1,000 1,400 Filing and withdrawing documents: 1 clerk Dispatching outgoing mail: 1 clerk Total 34,600 III. Ckitical Comment and Constructive E-ecommendations Per- taining TO THE Mail and Record Division. As is shown above, 27 clerks are allotted to this division, with annual salaries aggregating $34,600. These clerks are engaged in recording, indexing, filing, withdrawing, forwarding for action, and mailing correspondence. About 65,000 pieces of incoming and 50,000 pieces of outgoing mail pass through this division annually. The clerical cost is out of all proportion to the volume of correspondence. This is not due to lack of efficiency or diligence on the part of the employees, but to the methods employed in handling the mail which are fully described in the descriptive report on this division. If the recommendations of the commission are adopted, a conservative estimate of the net annual saving in salaries would be $18,320 and, without providing additional space, the crowded condition of the clerks, and the congested condition of the files would be relieved. SUMMARY OF RECOMMENDATIONS. To the end that this may be considered in relation to the specific changes which it is thought should be effected, the commission recom- mends : 1. That the head of division should be given the rank and designa- tion of " chief of division." 2. That all incoming correspondence should have the office stamp imprinted thereon by a messenger in the chief clerk's room. 3. That all correspondence should be filed flat, and by subjects, under a system which will be self -indexing. 4. That unimportant and routine correspondence should be pre- pared in this division. OFFICE OF THE CHIEF OF ENGINEEES. 495 5. That the practice of making record cards should be discontinued. 6. That the practice of making index cards should be discontinued. T. That the use of a perforated carbon copy should be discontinued. 8. That the practice of press copying letters in press copy books should be discontinued. 9. That the practice of making a list of outgoing letters should be discontinued. 10. That the files should be rearranged and useless papers de- stroyed. 11. That the files in rooms 117, 119, 121, and 123 should be re- arranged. 12. That the record cards now filed in universal filing cases should be bound. 13. That documents in the " held up " file should be placed in the regular files. 14. That ceiling lights should be placed in all workrooms. 15. That the rooms should have proper care by the char force. 16. That the suspension file should be discontinued. 17. That a messenger boy should be added to the force of this division. ADMINISTRATION. 1. Under the present conditions the responsibility for the adminis- tration of this division is divided between the chief clerk of the office and a clerk who is designated as " clerk in clerical charge." The entire personnel of this office, with the exception of the Division of Accounts, is engaged almost entirely on correspondence, and the Mail and Record Division is the center around which all this work re- volves. It is therefore necessary that the work performed in this division be promptly, intelligently and accurately performed, other- wise the work of the entire office will be seriously affected. The work of this division is of such importance that the man in charge should have the rank of a " chief of division," and be held entirely responsi- ble for the proper performance of the work. Under the present sys- tem of divided responsibility, the clerks naturally do not have the respect for orders issued by the " clerk in clerical charge " that they would if he were a chief of division and responsible to the head of the office. It is therefore recommended that the designation of the head of this division be changed from " clerk in clerical charge " to " chief of division," and that he be given full authority over the work performed. OFFICE STAMP. 2. Under the present system, the office stamp is not placed on the papers until the clerk in the record room is ready to make the entry on the record card, and it not infrequently happens that the corre- 496 KEPOKTS OF COMMISSION ON ECONOMY AND EFFICIENCY. spondence is kept on the desk of the clerk for one, sometimes two or three days, before being stamped. In such cases the date of the stamp must be changed, which requires time, and it is liable to lead to error. To be of any importance at all, this stamp should show accurately the date on which each communication is received, and the time of a high-priced clerk should not be taken up with the mechanical opera- tion of stamping papers. It is recommended that the office stamp be imprinted on the communication by a messenger as soon as received in the chief clerk's room. SELT-INDEXING AND FLAT FIUNG. 3. It is recommended that correspondence be filed by subjects under a system which would be self-indexing. Such a system, and every possible objection thereto, is fully discussed in Circular No. 21, issued by the commission under date of February 13, 1912, and in the commission's report on the Office of The Adjutant General of the Army, dated November 25, 1912. It is therefore unnecessary to enter into details as to this recommendation in this report. The correspondence of this office would readily lend itself to subjective classification and flat filing. The commission does not insist on, or recommend, any particular classification, but, if desired, repre- sentatives from the commission will cooperate with the office in working out the details of a satisfactory classification. "UNIMPORTANT AND ROUTINE CORRESPONDENCE. 4. It is estimated that 25 per cent of the correspondence passing through this division is merely routine matter, the answer to which requires no discretion or examination other than that performed in the record room. The answer to such correspondence could and should be prepared in this division. It is therefore recommended that in correspondence of this character the answer be prepared by the clerks in the record division. RECORD CARD. 5. It is claimed that the record card is used as the basis of cor- respondence and that it is not necessary to withdraw the original correspondence from the files. It was admitted, however, that no important action would be taken on any case by the Chief of Engi- neers or his assistants without having the original document before him. In many instances more time is consumed in the preparation of this card than would be required to answer the communication and file the correspondence. Twelve clerks devote their entire time, and two clerks 50 per cent of their time, to the work of pre- OFFICE OF THE CHIEF OF ENGINEERS. 497 paring and searching these records, at a clerical cost of $16,700 annually, as follows : Percent- age of time. Salary. Cost. 2 clerks, class 4. . 1 clerk, class 3 . . Do 2 clerks, class 2.. 1 clerk, class 2 . . 2 clerks, class L. 3 clerks, class E. 2 clerks, class D. Total 100 100 50 100 50 100 100 100 $1,800 1,G00 800 1,400 1,400 1,200 1,000 900 $3,600 1,600 800 2,800 700 2,400 3,000 1,800 16,700 If this recommendation with reference to filing is adopted, this record card would be entirely unnecessary, as the original correspond- ence would be as readily accessible as the record card, and would be much more reliable. It would, of course, be necessary to retain the record cards already made, and for a time continual reference would have to be made to these records. INDEX CARD. 6. A system has grown up with reference to indexing the record card, which oftentimes requires as many as 30 index cards, and never less than four for a single case. An index card is made for every possible conceivable subject. A vast number of purely arbitrary in- dex cards are made, which serve no useful purpose. They take up space in the files, and are of no material aid in the identification of records and papers. Seven clerks devote their entire time and two clerks 50 per cent of their time to the work of indexing, searching, and filing index cards, at a clerical cost of $11,800 annuallyj as fol- lows: Percent- age of time. Cost. 2 clerks, class 3. 1 clerk, class 3 . . 2 clerks, class 2. 1 clerk, class 2 . . 2 clerks, class 1. 1 clerk, class E . . 1 clerk, class D . Total 100 50 100 50 100 100 100 $1,600 1,600 1,400 1,400 1,200 1,000 900 $3,200 800 2,800 700 2,400 1,000 90U 11,800 72734°— H. Doc. 12.52, 62-3- 498 EEPOETS OF COMMISSION ON ECONOMY AND EFFICIENCY. As has been said with reference to the record card, it would be unnecessary to continue the preparation of this card if the self- indexing system is adopted, but it would be necessary to retain the index cards, which have already been made, for reference in cases filed under the present system. With the elimination of the record and index cards and the adoption of a self -indexing system for corre- spondence, it is conservatively estimated that the annual saving in salaries would be $17,620, as follows : 1 clerk, class 4, at $1,800 : $1, 800 3 clerks, class 3, at $1,600 4, 800 3 clerks, class 2, at $1,400 4,200 4 clerks, at $1,000 4,000 3 clerks, at $900 2, 700 One-half the time of 1 clerk, class 2, at $1,400 700 Total IS, 200 Less amount added for chief of division $100 Messenger boy 480 580 Tbtal 17,620 PERFORATED CARBON COPY. 7. The perforated carbon copy now prepared is used in connection with the record card, and if the record card is abolished, as recom- mended, this copy would serve no purpose and should be discon- tinued. PRESS COPY. 8. It is asserted that the primary reason for making a press copy of letters and indorsements is to enable the Chief of Engineers to familiarize himself with work which may have been done during his absence by going over the correspondence in the press-copy book. As these books are not indexed, the carbon of a particular letter could be obtained more readily than the copy in the letter book, and the only possible reason for continuing this work is the one above stated, and inasmuch as it was stated that the letter book was seldom used for this purpose it is not thought that the expense connected with the work is warranted. It requires about one and one-half hours daily of the dispatch clerk's time to do this work, and the dispatch of correspondence is thereby necessarily delayed. It is recommended that the practice of making press copies be discontinued. MAILING LIST. 9. At least two hours daily of the dispatch clerk's time is consumed in the preparation of the mailing list. These lists have been filed daily since 1895 and now occupy 14 file boxes 3^ by 10| by 12 inches. The only reason assigned for maintaining this file is that they are OFFICE OP THE CHIEF OF ENGINEEES. 499 enabled to determine conclusively that a letter was mailed at a cer- tain hour on a certain date. The fact that a letter is recorded on one of these lists is an indication that under the system the letter has been mailed, but it is no more conclusive that the actual physical act of mailing has been performed than the carbon copy in the files would be if these carbons were uniformly filed under a definite sj^s- tem. If it is necessary or desirable to have a record showing the actual time of mailing, such a record could be maintained by stamp- ing the date and hour of mailing on the carbon with a dating stamp. The accumulation of dust in these boxes is sufficient evidence that these lists serve no useful purpose. If the time of the dispatch clerk, now devoted to the preparation of these lists, were devoted to the actual preparation of correspondence for the mails, the mail could be dispatched on the same day on which it is written, which, under present conditions, is not done. It is therefore recommended that the preparation of these lists be discontinued. USELESS PAPERS. 10. Many useless papers and documents are stored in this division. As an example of papers that might be removed from the active files and placed in storage, and possibly destroyed, mention might be made of the monthly report of operations of engineer officers, long since dead or retired, showing monthly operations of projects which were completed years ago, and the necessary details of which have been carried from time to time in the annual reports and money statements of the office. It is recommended that a committee of com- petent clerks in the office be designated to go through these files with the view of removing all papers which have no further active use- fulness. It is estimated that the files now located in rooms 117, 119, 121, 123, and 19 could be reduced by at least one-half. BINDING RECORDS. 11, The card records for 1890, 1891, and 1892 now filed in "uni- versal file cases" are in a deplorable condition. Many of the boxes are broken and held together with rubber bands ; they are covered with dust; the papers have been disarranged, and in their present condition a satisfactory examination can not be made. It is rec- ommended that these cards be arranged numerically and bound. The index would not have to be disturbed, as the page number in the bound volume could be made to correspond with the number on the index card. The cost of binding would be a mere trifle. If this recommendation is carried out, it will result in a saving of two- thirds of the filing space now occupied by these records, and will further result in a saving of time, which can not be estimated in money value, now occupied in searching these records. 500 EEPOETS OP COMMISSION ON ECONOMY AND EFFICIENCY. REARRANGEMENT OF FILES. 12. The present arrangement of files in rooms 117, 119, 121, and 123 is not only inconvenient, but is actually dangerous. As has been stated, the cases are 14 feet in height, and when it becomes nec- essary to remove a heavy box of cards from the top of these cases the process is not only tedious, but dangerous, and results in the loss of time by clerks in the room. It was observed that whenever it be- came necessary to remove a box from a high shelf in the vicinity of a clerk's desk, he invariably left the desk until the box had been removed and replaced. It is recommended that the files be rear- ranged when the new system is put into operation and that rooms 117 and 119 be used for the current files under the new system, and that the active records under the present system be filed in rooms 121 and 123 in cases not to exceed 10 feet in height, using cross sections, if necessary. '° HELD -UP ■' FILES. 13. It has been found that a large number of drawings that long since should have been filed in the map files are tied up with papers in the Mail and Eecord Division and placed on shelves and in cabi- nets designated as " held-up " files. These papers and drawings come to the Record Division with a note attached, " to be held up until called up." It is recommended that this system be discontinued and that papers on which action is not completed be placed in the regular files, and when they are again needed they can be more readily found than by the present " held-up " system. SUSPENSION FILES. 14. The duty of calling up pa^Ders on a predetermined date should devolve upon the section of the office that determines such date and not upon the Mail and Record Division. Likewise, the work of de- termining whether or not replies have been received to communica- tions emanating from the office should rest with the respective divisions or sections of the office calling for records, information, etc. It is, therefore, recommended that the suspension file be dis- continued. CROWDED CONDITIONS. 15. The four rooms allotted to this division for the clerical force have 1,645 square feet of floor space. Permanent shelving, 12 inches deep and 14 feet high, has been built in all the available wall space, thus reducing the actual available space to about 1,500 square feet. Twenty-six desks, eight tables, one letterpress, one dictionary stand, three wardrobes, one large distributing table, and one large revolv- ing filing case are crowded into these four rooms, which are perma- nently occupied by 27 clerks. As has been previously stated in this OFFICE OF THE CHIEF OF EiSTGIlSTEEES. 501 report, this crowded condition will be considerably relieved, if not altogether eliminated, if the recommendations in this report are adopted. LIGHT. 16. Rooms Nos. 123, 121, and 119 each hare two windows, and room 117 has three. All of the windows are on the east side of the rooms, facing the court. On clear days the natural light is sufficient. Each room has one large gas chandelier in the center of the room, but gas is not now used, temporary arrangement having been made for the use of electricity. The electric lights are temporary drop-lights, 16- candlepower carbon filaments, and are not so arranged as to furnish sufficient light even for the desks of the clerks, and on a dark day it is almost impossible to read the numbers on the file boxes occupy- ing the higher shelves. It is recommended that modern wiring and lighting be installed and that 150-w^att tungsten lamps, with Holo- phane reflectors, be placed in the center of the structural arches in each of these rooms. This recommendation applies with equal force to all workrooms in the office. CARE OF ROOMS. 17. All the rooms occupied by this division are apparently neg- lected by the char force. The window casings and sills are covered with dust and dirt, and in room 19 and room 563 the condition is such that a clerk should not be required to make even an occasional visit until the rooms are cleaned. There is no messenger force at all assigned to this division, and the only attention given to the rooms and furniture is the work performed b}^ the blue-print operator, who is required to perform certain cleaning up in this division between 8 and 9 o'clock in the morning, although he is attached to another division. The commission is preparing a report on the char work in the State, War, and Navy Building which will contain a further discussion of this subject. ]\rESSSNGEK BOY. 18. There is no messenger service, other than the pony express, provided for this division. The messenger work is being performed by high-grade clerks, and it is not unusual for a clerk drawing a salary of $1,800 per annum to be called to a room, far removed from the record room, merely for the purpose of receiving from an officer in charge of the correspondence a document to be filed. It is un- necessary to present argument to show that messenger work should not be performed by high-grade clerks. One active messenger boy could perform the messenger work of this division. It is recom- mended that a messenger boy be added to the force of the division. If this recommendation is adopted, the annual saving in salarj^ while hard to estimate in money value, would be considerable. 502 KEPOETS OF COMMISSION 01^ ECONOMY AND EFFICIENCY. CONCLUSIONS. The system of handling mail in this division is admittedly clmnsy and antiquated, and in the endeavor to provide against every possible conceivable emergency, however remote the emergency may be, a sys- tem has gradually grown up which is so intricate that it requires as much or more time to keep track of the various papers prepared in the division for the purpose of locating original documents as would be required in handling the documents themselves if filed under a modern system. The primary object to be attained by any system of filing correspondence should be the ability to locate any particular paper within the shortest possible time. It is admitted that under the present system all papers can be eventually found, but the process is bunglesome and expensive. Manj?^ hours are spent each day in locating index cards which, for various reasons, have been taken from the files, and in many instances they have not been made at all, as it is not unusual for a record card to remain on a clerk's desk for several days before being indexed, not because of any indifference on the part of the clerk, but because of his inability to get certain index cards which, under the system, may be in use by another clerk in connection with other record cards. As has been stated elsewhere in this report, the total number of pieces of incoming and outgoing mail is only 420 daily, an average of 15 pieces for each clerk in the division. If the recommendations herein made are adopted, it is thought that the following force would be adequate to handle the correspondence now requiring the time of 27 clerks at a cost of $34,600, and that it would be handled in a much more satisfactory manner than at present : 1 cMef of division, at $2.000 $2,000 1 clerk, class 4, at $1.800 1, 800 1 clerk, class 3, at $1,600 1,600 2 clerks, class 2, at $1.400 2, 800 4 clerks, class 1. at $1.200 4, 800 1 clerk, at $1,000 1, 000 2 clerks, at $900 1,800 1 messenger boy, at $480 480 Total ]6, 280 Thus making a total saving of $18,320, or more than one-half of the present cost. In making this estimate due consideration has been given to the work that would have to be performed in connection with the present records ; and in addition to the work now performed, this force could prepare the routine correspondence mentioned in the report and relieve to this extent the pressure of work in other divisions. Respectfully submitted. F. A. Cleveland, Walter W. Warwick, M. O. Chance, C ommissioners. THE HANDLING AND FILING OF COR- RESPONDENCE AND THE DOING OF STATISTICAL WORK IN THE BUREAU OF INSULAR AFFAIRS. 503 THE HANDLING AND FILING OF CORRESPONDENCE AND THE DOING OF STATISTICAL WORK IN THE BUREAU OF INSULAR AFFAIRS. Introductory, a summary of recommendatioxs, conclusions, and estimated SAVINGS. As a result of the inquiry into the business methods of the Bureau of Insular xVffairs, War Department, the commission has arrived at the following conclusions and recommendations: 1. General administrative tcork. — It is recommended that the Correspondence and Administrative and the Miscellaneous Divisions of the bureau be reorganized, so that the former will take over certain of the functions now devolving upon the latter. 2. Compilation of commercial statistics. — It is recommended that the compilation of commercial statistics by the Bureau of Insular Affairs be discontinued, and that the Division of Statistics be abolished. 3. Handling and filing correspondence. — It is recommended : ( a) That the present practice of folding papers and filing them in document files be discontinued, substituting therefor flat filing. (5) That the original papers and documents be filed on a sub- jective classification, thereby rendering the files self -indexing, in keeping with a logical arrangement of numbers. (c) That the preparation of record cards be discontinued, involv- ing the substantial elimination of auxiliary correspondence records. 4. Distrihation of supplies. — It is recommended that the present independent supply and stationery room of the Bureau of Insular Affairs be discontinued and that the requisitions of the bureau and its several divisions be drawn upon the Central Supply Division of the War Department. 5. Storage of Cuban and PliUippine records.- — It is recommended that the Cuban and Philippine records be transferred to the Bureau of Insular Affairs Annex, as hereinafter outlined. ("). C oinpilatlon of financicd statistics. — It is recommended that the keeping of general and detailed ledger accounts, used in the compila- tion of statistics by the section of the Purchasing, Disbursing, and Accounting Division, located in the Bureau Annex Building, be discontinued, 505 506 EEPOKTS OF COMMISSION ON ECONOMY AND EFFICIENCY. In addition to the foregoing this report contains critical comment of a general nature on organization and methods and specific recom- mendations of a less important character. ESTIMATED SAVINGS, If the recommendations of this report are put into effect, the fol- lowing economies will be accomplished : 1. Abolishment of Statistical Division : 1 clerk $1, 800 1 clerk 1,400 5 clerks at $1,000 5,000 $8, 200 2. Hauclliug and filing correspondence (Record Division) : 1 clerk 1,400 2 clerks at $1,200 2,400 5 clerks at $1,000 5,000 8, 800 3. Miscellaneous work, estimated saving S. 800 4. Transfer of Cuban and Philippine records, estimated annual rent 1, 250 5. Simplification of work involved in compilation of financial statistics : 2 clerks at $1,000 2, 000 - Total 29, 050 (b) General statement of functions of 'bureau. The Bureau of Insular Affairs has charge of matters relating to the civil government of the insular possessions under the jurisdiction of the War Department, representing those possessions before Congress and the executive departments of the United States. At present, the administrative work of this bureau relates principally to the Philip- pine Islands. The principal functions of the bureau may be classified as follows: 1. Care and custody of the civil records of the Philippine Islands and Porto Rico and of Cuba for the period during which the govern- ment of that island was maintained by the United States. 2. The preparation, compilation, and arrangement for publication of executive documents relating to the affairs of the Philippine Islands and Porto Rico. 3. Purchase of supplies in the United States for the government of the Philij)pine Islands and Porto Rico, the making of disburse- ments therefor, and the arrangement for the shipj^ing of such supplies to Manila and San Juan. 4. Review of the receipts and exiDenditures of the Philippine Gov- ernment and the compilation of financial statistics. 5. Charge of certain administrative details involved in the appoint- ment of persons in the United States to the civil service of the Philip- pine Islands and Porto Rico, and the arrangement of transportation BUREAU OF INSULAR AFFAIRS. 507 to those islands of new appointees and other oiRcials and employees re- turning to the islands from leave of absence in the United States. 6. Collection, compilation, and publication of imports, exports, and immigration of the Philippine Islands. The Bureau of Insular Affairs, subject to the direction of the Sec- retary of State, exercises for the receivership of the Republic of Santo Domingo practically the same functions as it does for the insular possessions (with the administration of which it is con cerned), particularly with respect to the custody of records, the preparation and dissemination of statistics and other information, the purchase of supplies, the appointment of employees, and the transportation of supplies and appointees. (c) General statement of organization and personnel. The chief administrative officer of the bureau is the chief of bureau, who is an Army officer, with the rank of brigadier general. The assistants to the chief of the bureau are also Armj^ officers. The appropriation act for 1912-13 makes provision for the following civilian personnel : Law officer ; $4, 50(» Chief clerk 2, 000 10 clerks (class 4) 18,000 3 clerks (class 3) 4,800 10 clerks (class 2) 14,000 19 clerks (class 1) 22,800 18 clerks ($1,000 eacli) IS. OOO 3 messengers ($720 encli) 2,160 2 assistant messengers ($660 eacla) 1,320 5 laborers ($660 each) 3,300 2 cliarwomeu ($480 each) — 960 91, 840 The chief clerk exercises control and supervision over the clerical force, which, for administrative convenience, is organized into divisions, as follows : (1) Correspondence and Administrative Division; (2) Record Division; (3) Purchasing, Disbursing, and Accounting Division; (4) Miscellaneous Division ; (5) Statistical Division. The present inquirjr is limited to the foregoing divisions, embrac- ing a consideration of the general administrative work (Correspond- ence and Administrative Division), compilation of reports and mis- cellaneous work (Miscellaneous Division), compilation of commer- cial statistics (Statistical Division), and the compilation of financial statistics (Disbursing, Purchasing, and Accounting Divison). The inquirj'- embraces a consideration of the organization through which the functions of the bureau are discharged. 508 EEPOETS OF COMMISSION ON ECONOMY AND EFFICIENCY. In the course of the inquiry descriptive statements of organization and methods were prepared and submitted to the Bureau of Insular Affairs for correction and approval. The purpose of these descrip- tive statements was to furnish a basis for an examination and anal- ysis of the present organization and procedure in order to deter- mine to what extent existing organization and methods should be changed to produce more economical and efficient results. To the end that the facts on which the conclusions and recommen- dations herein submited are based may be available, the descriptive statements will be found in Appendix I of this report. A full dis- cussion of the several conclusions and recommendations reached will be found in Section II (critical and constructive suggestions per- taining to this present organization) and Section III (critical and constructive suggestions pertaining to methods and procedure). In the course of the inquiry inspections were made of the annex building b}'^ officials of the District of Columbia, who were detailed at the request of the commission, to determine the general sanitary condition, lighting facilities, fire risks, etc., of the building. The con- clusions and recommendations of the commission, based upon the findings of the several inspectors and the observation of the commis- sion's representatives, are contained in a separate report on the hous- ing problem of the War Department. CRITICAL AND CONSTRUCTIVE SUGGESTIONS PERTAINING TO PRESENT ORGANIZATION. (a) General. The important unit of the organization of the bureau (not per- forming technical work) is the Correspondence and Administrative Division. This division is directly under the control and supervision o£ the chief clerk of the bureau. The general scheme of the bureau's organization contemplates that in this division should be centralized all of the administrative work, and detailed work related thereto, which does not assume a technical nature, such as accounting, com- pilation of statistics, etc. In the rapid expansion and growth of the bureau, however, the work of a less important character which could not, because of inadequate office space, be handled properly by the office proper of the chief clerk (the latter really including the Cor- respondence .and Administrative Division inasmuch as the chief clerk's supervision and control of this division is very direct) was re- ferred as occasion demanded to the Compilation and Translation Division. The result of this evolution was that the Compilation and Translation Division lost its identity as such and became a unit of the bureau's organization in which certain phases of administrative and clerical work closely related to and dependent upon the work of the Correspondence and Administrative Division were assigned. The BUEEAU OF INSULAR AFFAIRS. 509 name of the Compilation and Translation Division was changed, by- recent order, to the Miscellaneous Division. It is against this de- centralization of closelj^ related administrative and miscellaneous de- tail work, maintaining two separate and distinct units of organization therefor, one being more or less auxiliary to the other, that criticism is directed. The commission is mindful of the fact that this de- centralization is the result of circumstances over which the bureau had no control, being unable to get adequate office space in the State, War, and Navy Building. Eecently, however, the bureau has ob- tained an additional room which accommodates some 10 or 12 clerks and it is thought that with this and an additional room which may be available in the near future the reorganization may be effected agreeably to the suggestions of this report. The report submitted to this commission by the Bureau of Insular Affairs shows that the Miscellaneous Division maintains 17 clerks, at an annual expense of $21,600; that the Correspondence and Adminis- trative Division maintains 15 clerks, at an annual expense of $18,160. The extent to which these two divisions are engaged in related or parallel lines of work is shown in the following classification of functions and work: The work and functions of the Correspondence and Administra- tive Division may be classified as follows: 1. Appointments (handling of administrative details in the ap- pointment of employees to the insular service) . 2. Transportation (arrangement of transportation for employees of the insular service). 3. Cable work (conduct of cable correspondence with the insular possessions). 4. Documents and publications (handling requests for documents and publications of the insular possesions). 5. Opening correspondence. 6. Dispatch of correspondence. 7. General correspondence (conduct of, the furnishing and dis- tribution of information). The work and functions of the Miscellaneous Division, in addition to the compilation of reports and the maintenance of the insular library which is incidental thereto (a feature of the work which earlier in the history of the bureau assumed larger proportions and for which it was named), embraces the following: 1. Translation : (a) Translation of Spanish publications and correspond- ence as directed by the administrative officers of the bureau. (5) Regular review of Spanish newspaper publications to segregate items of importance to the bureau. 510 EEPOETS OF COMMISSION ON ECONOMY AND EFFICIENCY. 2. Review of Congressional Records, bills, hearings, etc. 3. Review of English publications. 4. Distribution and custody of documents and publications. (Re- quests for which are handled by the Correspondence and Administrative Division.) 5. Maintenance of bureau supply and stationery room. 6. Multigraph work. 7. Miscellaneous. It is admitted that the present decentralization has rendered im- possible a proper coordination of related lines of work and an effec- tive administrative supervision to the extent that such work has been delegated to the Miscellaneous Division. The lack of this supervi- sion has been considerably enhanced owing to the fact that the Mis- cellaneous Division is located outside of the State, War, and Navy Building. It is the thought of the commission that the Miscellaneous Division, as an independent unit of organization, should be restricted in its work to the following principal functions : (a) Compilation of reports; (b) maintenance of library ; (c) cus- tody and supervision of Cuban and Philippine insurgent documents. This suggestion contemplates that the scope of the Correspondence and Administrative Division should be enlarged to embrace those lines of work that are related to and dependent upon its own work. It is thought that the following subjects should be transferred to the Correspondence and Administrative Division: 1. Handling of requisitions for supplies and maintenance of prop- erty records.^ 2. Translation of Spanish publications and correspondence as directed by the administrative officers of the bureau. 3. Review of Spanish newspapers. 4. Custody and distribution of free and salable documents of insular possessions. 5. Multigraph work. It is suggested that the review of Congressional Records, etc., be returned to the Record Division located in the main building. The transfer of the foregoing subjects to the Correspondence and Administrative Division — thus placing such functions (and the personnel engaged in their discharge) under the jurisdiction of the administration unit which is primarily engaged in the discharge of related functions — will effect, first, the proper coordination of the several phases of administration and related detail work, which now devolve upon two distinct units or organization; second, in- creased ability upon the part of the clerical force maintained to cooperate on relief or rush work. 1 In another part of this report is recommended the abolishment of the independent supply and stationery room. BUEEAU OF INSULAR AFFAIRS. 511 To illustrate the former, under the present arrangement the han- dling of requests for documents and the determination of what docu- ments shall be furnished is referred to the Administrative and Cor- respondence Division, where it belongs. Supervision of the actual distribution and handling of such documents has been placed in the Miscellaneous Division, despite the fact that the rooms in which such documents are stored is within easier access to the Correspond- ence and Administrative Division than to the Miscellaneous Division. The recommendation of this report contemplates that the super- vision and maintenance of the document room be transferred to the Correspondence and Administrative Division. Again, the transla- tion work involves the handling of correspondence; hence, it should be done under the immediate direction of the division charged with the preparation and conduct of such correspondence (i. e.. Corre- spondence and Administrative Division or central administrative officers), rather than by an isolated or auxiliary division, which is not charged with any administrative action on such correspondence; likewise the translation and the review of publications, newspapers, etc., in Spanish should be conducted so as to promote tlie closest cooperation of the officers who handle the material segregated, etc. The second result to be obtained from the contemplated reorganiza- tion, vizj increased ability on the part of the available clerical force to cooperate on relief or rush work, is of great importance. The volume of miscellaneous detail work which this office performs for Congress and the public fluctuates greatly. During the season of greatest activity the central administrative office (comprising the Correspondence and Administrative Division) is compelled to refer rush work to the Miscellaneous Division. In fact, the recently ap- pointed Chief of the Miscellaneous Division (who was formerly con- nected with the Correspondence Division) states that the object " of the new organization is to coordinate and knit the regular work of the division so closely with the current work of the bureau that in every way it will afford relief on rush work." The reference of the relief or utility work from the Correspondence and Administrative Division, which is not only concerned in but charged with the respon- sibility for its performance, to another unit the organization of which is so completely segregated physically from its own personnel as to render impossible any efficient cooperation has greatly increased the expense of such administrative and related work, retarded its dispatch, and produced other undesirable results. The transfer of the foregoing subjects, with the personnel required to handle them,, to the Correspondence and Administrative Division will correct the present conditions. The regular or current work on these subjects requires but a small portion of the time of the clerks assisned thereto. The balance of the time of the several clerks is. 512 REPORTS OF COMMISSIOjST ON ECONOMY AND EFFICIENCY. available for miscellaneous assignments, representing relief work for the central office. The organization of the Correspondence and Ad- ministrative Division, thus enlarged, will therefore be capable of discharging the increa^.i miscellaneous detail work which devolves upon it from time to time without invoking the aid of the Miscel- laneous Division. Such will make for the maximum dispatch of this work and increased economy in its execution. It is admitted that the reference of such assignments from the division Avhich is pri- marily charged with their handling to another division, the two being so completely separated as to prevent any etfectual cooperation^ has greatly added to the expense of such work. The thought underlying the recommendation of this report is that the administrative and related detail work originates in the central office and its discharge should be centralized in one division immediately under the control and supervision of the central administrative officers. The recommendation recited above contemplates that the Corre- spondence and Adminintrative Division discharge the functions indi- cated in the following outline : 1. Appointments. 2. Transportation. 3. Cable work. 4. Documents (insular, free and salable) : (a) Handling requests for. (b) Supervision of document room.^ 5. Eequisitions and propertj^ records: (a) Handling requisitions.^ (&) Maintenance of property records."" 6. Translation:^ (a) Translation of correspondence.^ (h) Translation of printed documents, etc.^ (c) Review of Spanish newspapers and translation inci- dental thereto.^ 7. Statistics : Supervision of distribution of statistical publications furnished by the Philippine Government and the segregation of material therefrom for the current use of the bureau.^ 8. Opening correspondence. 9. Dispatch of correspondence. 10. General correspondence. Certain definite economies will result from the proposed reorgani- zation of the units engaged in the performance of the several phases of related detail and general work. These savings will flow from: First. A proper coordination and correlation in one administrative unit (the Administrative and Correspondence Division) of work 1 To be transferred from Miscellaneous Division. 2 Independent supply room (Miscellaneous Division) to be abolished. 3 To be transferred from Division of Statistics to be abolished. BUEEATJ OF^NSULAK AFFAIES. 513 which is now segregated and handled by two administrative units, the one being so isolated and separated from the other as to prevent any- effectual cooperation, r Second. Increased efficiency of operation. It is thought that the organization and procedure of the Miscellaneous Division has not been efficient, for which reason the force there maintained has been out of proportion to the work discharged. A close examination of the work of the Miscellaneous Division justifies the conclusion that under proper administrative control and supervision 70 per cent of the force maintained by this division could have performed the work which has devolved upon it and with the same or increased efficiency. Third. Reduction of work resulting from changes in procedure hereinafter suggested. The last mentioned has reference to the (a) abandonment of the independent supply and stationery room, (5) discontinuance of the review of English publications, etc. (b) Suggested readjustment of salaries. It is suggested that a slight reclassification of the personnel of this bureau be had looking toward a more equitable adjustment of salaries of the work performed. In several instances the highest clerical positions (i. e., class 4, of which the appropriation act provides but 10) are held hj clerks who are performing compara- tively unimportant work, while clerks engaged on work of a more responsible and important character receive compensation which is not commensurate with their services. The efficiency of the office makes imperative the removal of such conditions. The readjust- ment of salaries should contemplate making provision for two addi- tional positions of class 4 in the Correspondence and Administra- tive Division. This division, the work of which is highly im- portant, has but one $1,800 position; under the reorganization here- inafter outlined, it should be provided with three positions of class 4 and a similar number of positions of class 3. In this connection attention is called to the fact that the chief clerk and disbursing clerk receive, in addition to their salaries of $2,000 and $1,800, respectively, from the United States Government, certain compensation from the insular government, the total com- pensation of the former aggregating $3,000 and the latter $4,000. In the light of the responsibility which devolves upon these officers it is not thought that the compensation is excessive. Such an ar- rangement, however, permitting an officer to receive compensation from several sources is unusual and not generally regarded as good practice, for which reason reference thereto is here made. 72734°— H. Doe. 1252, 62-3 38 514 REPORTS OP COMMISSIOlSr ON ECOISrOMY AiS^^D EFFICIENCY. SUGGESTED ABOLITION OP STATISTICAL DIVISION. It is recommended that the co7Yhpilation of commercial statistics hy the Bureau of Insular Affairs he discontinued^ and that the Divi- sion of Statistics^ maintained for this purpose, he abolished. There is a patent and admitted duplication of work in the com- pilation of commercial statistics by the Statistical Division, Bureau of Insular Affairs, published principally in the form of semiannual summaries showing the import and export trade of the Philippine Islands to the United States and foreign countries.^ The bureau of customs, department of finance and justice, of the Philippine Islands maintains a statistical division which is engaged in the compilation and distribution of commercial statistics show- ing the import and export trade in the Philippine Islands with the United States and foreign countries. These statistics are pub- lished in the form of an annual report, hereinafter described, sup- ported by summaries, which annual report is supplemented by monthly memoranda of imports and exports prepared in manuscript form. The basis of these statistics are the "general statements of mer- chandise " prepared for the several customs districts of the Philip- pine Islands by the Bureau of Customs. These statements are prepared in keeping with the classification of commodities, im- ported and exported, suggested and devised by the Bureau of Insu- lar Affairs, and afterwards adopted by the Philippine Government. (Duplicates of the monthly statements are forwarded to the Bureau of Insular Affairs and constitute the basis of the statistical in- formation compiled in the Bureau of Insular Affairs, as hereinafter described.) SCOPE or STATISTICS COMPILED BY THE PHILIPPINE GOVERNMENT. The statistics prepared by the bureau of Customs, Department of Finance and Justice (Philippine Islands), are published in the annual report of the Insular Collector of Customs.^ Most of the report proper is devoted to a discussion of the commercial condi- tions in the Philippine Islands for the fiscal year, compared with previous years, and to a careful analysis of the Philippine import and export trade. To the report proper are appended certain sta- tistical summaries of statements of imports and exports, immigra- tion, and other work performed by the bureau. 1 The summaries include certain statistics on immigration, but these are printed in the form in which they are furnished ; i. e., no compilation work is involved in their publi- cation. 2 A brief statistical memorandum is published monthly in manuscript form. BUEEAU OF IISTSULAE AFFAIRS. 515 The report proper for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1911 — ■ which, in its scope, is representative of the annual publication of the bureau of customs, Philippine Islands, contains trade analyses under the following captions : 1. General trade conditions : (a) Balance of trade (with comparative figures). (b) Trade with United States (export to; import from). (c) Trade with foreign countries (export to; import from). (d) Discouraging importation. (e) Opium. 2. Import: (a) General origin. (b) Principal classes (of merchandise imported 1910-11). (c) Cotton goods (comparative, 1904 to 1911). (d) Rice (comparative, 1899 to 1911). 8. Export : (a) Destination (countries, 1910, 1911), (b) Flour. (c) Hemp (1899 to 1911).. (d) Copra (1899 to 1911). (e) Sugar (1899 to 1911). (f) Cigars (1899 to 1911). (g) Cigarettes (1899 to 1911). (h) All other tobacco (1899 to 1911). (i) Other exports. (j) Limited exports to United States. (k) Foreign carrying service. To the foregoing report are appended numerous supporting state- ments or statistical summaries, the nature and scope of which aro indicated by the several titles, as follows : Appendix. Statement No. 1. — Table No. 1 : Total receipts and expenditures of the Bureau of Customs at all ports of entry, by fiscal years, since the establishment of the Philippine customs service under American administration, to and including June 30, 1911. Table No. 2 : Receipts of the Bureau of Customs, by ports and fiscal years, since thg establishment of the Philippine customs service under American ad- ministration, to and including June 30, 1911. Table No. 3: Expenditures of the Bureau of Customs, by ports and fiscal years, since the establishment of the Philippine customs service under American administration, to and including June 30, 1911. Statement No. 2. — Total receipts of the Bureau of Customs at all entry ports in the Philippine Islands, separately and collectively, during the fiscal years 1908 to 1911, inclusive, by general sources: Table No. 1: Fiscal year 1908. Table No. 2 : Fiscal year 1909. Table: No. 3 : Fiscal year 1910. Table No. 4: Fiscal year 1911. 516 REPORTS OF COMMISSION ON ECONOMY AND EFFICIENCY. Statement No. 3. — Total receipts of tlie Bureau of Customs at all entry ports in the Philippine Islands, by ports and by sources, for the fiscal years 1907 to 1911, inclusive, showing also total revenues accruing to the Government of the Philippine Islands and to the government of the Moro Province : Table No. 1 : By ports. Table No. 2 : By sources. Statement No. 4- — Total and net revenues collected on account of the Govern- ment of the Philippine Islands during the fiscal year 1911. Statement No. 5. — Total expenditures of the Bureau of Customs at all entry ports in the Philippine Islands, by ports, and by purposes, during the fiscal years 1907 to 1911, inclusive, also total expenditures made on account of the Government of the Philippine Islands and the government of the Moro Province for maintenance of the customs service: Table No. 1 : By ports. Table No. 2: By purposes. Statement No. 6. — Values of principal groups of commodities imported into the Philippine Islands from the United States and from all other countries, by fiscal years, 1903 to 1911, inclusive. Statement No. 7. — Values and quantities of the principal products exported from the Philippine Islands to the United States and to all other countries, by fiscal years, 1903 to 1911, inclusive. Statement No. S. — Values of principal commodities imported into the Philip- pine Islands during the fiscal year ended June 30, 1911, by ports. Statement No. 9. — Values of principal products exported through the various ports of the Philippine Islands during the fiscal year 1911. Statement No. 10. — Values of imports into the Philippine Islands from the United States and all other countries during the five fiscal years ended June 30, 1911, by ports. Statement No. 11. — ^Values of exports from the Philippine Islands to the United States and to all other countries during the five fiscal years ended June 30, 1911, by ports. Statement No. 12. — Values of imported merchandise entered free of duty, by ports, and by countries of origin, during the five fiscal years ended June 30, 1911. Statement No. 13. — Quantities, values, and classes of supplies and construc- tion material imported free of duty under acts Nos. 1510 and 1566 of the Philip- pine Commission by the Manila Railroad Co. and the Philippine Railway Co. during the fiscal year 1911. Statement No. I4. — Values of, and duties collected on, imports into the Philip- pine Islands, by countries, during the five fiscal years ended June 30, 1911. Statement No. 15. — Values of exports from the Philippine Islands, by coun- tries, during the five fiscal years ended June 30, 1911. Statement No. 16. — Values of merchandise imported into the Philippine Islands during the fiscal year 1911, distributed according to the country of origin and the nationality of the vessel in which carried. Statement No. 17. — Values of merchandise exported from the Philippine Islands during the fiscal year 1911, distributed according to the conn cry of destination and the nationality of the vessel in which shipped. Statement No. i8.— Values of imports and exports during the five fiscal years ended June 30, 1911, distributed according to nationality of carrying vessel. Statement No. 19. — Origin, quantities, and values of, and duties collected on, comniodities imported into the Philippine Islands during the fiscal years 1910 and 1911. BUEEAU OF INSULAR AFFAIES. 517 Statement No. 20.— Destination , quantities, and values of, and duties and wliarfage collected on, domestic products from ttie Philippine Islands during the fiscal years 1910 and 1911. Statement No. 21. — Origin and values of foreign merchandise exported from the Philippine Islands during the fiscal years 1910 and 1911. Statement No. 22. — Values of merchandise imported from the United States free of duty by the Army, Navy, and the Government of the Philippine Islands, during the fiscal year 1911. Statement No. 23. — Imports and exports of gold and silver, in ore, bullion, and coin, for the fiscal years 1910 and 1911, by countries. Statement No. 24- — Number and tonnage of vessels engaged in the foreign and the coastwise carrying trade of the Philippine Islands during the four fiscal years ended June 30, 1911 : Table No. 1 : Foreign carrying trade. Table No. 2: Coastwise carrying trade. Statement No. 25. — Number and tonnage of foreign vessels entered and cleared at the various ports in the Philippine Islands during the fiscal year 1911. Statements jSTo, 19 (Origin, quantities, and values of and duty col- lected on commodities imported into the Philippine Islands during the fiscal years 1910 and 1911) and No. 20 (Destination, quantities, and values of and duties and wharfage collected on domestic products exported from the Philippine Islands during the fiscal years 1910 and 1911), are the principal supporting summaries, classifying by articles and countries all commodities imported into and exported from the Philippine Islands during the fiscal years 1910 and 1911. They correspond to the important summaries of imports and exports, by articles and countries, published in the semiannual summaries of commerce of the islands by the Bureau of Insular Affairs. A comparison of these summaries reveals that whereas the Philippine Government has not carried the classification quite as far as the Bureau of Insular Affairs, yet the same information is compiled and i:«resented, and in the same form, being based upon the schedules which have been adopted agreeably to the suggestion of the Bureau of Insular Affairs. SCOPE OF SEMIANNUAL SUMMARIES OF FOREIGN COMMERCE OF THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS. The summaries of commerce of the Philippine Islands, prepared by the Statistical Division, Bureau of Insular Affairs, semiannually (based upon duplicates of the monthly statements which furnish the basis of the statistics compiled in the Philippine Islands), contain the following statistical information: General review of Philippine commerce for the year ending June 30, 1911. Summary. Imports and exports, total values : By ports of entry ; by countries. Statement of carrying trade and tonnage movement. Imports, by principal classes of commodities. 618 REPORTS OF COMMISSION ON ECONOMY AND EFFICIENCY, Imports, by articles and countries. Exports, by articles and countries. Imports and exports, by countries and articles. Imports, free of duty, from tbe United States by the Army, Navy, and Insular Government. Eailway free entries. Imports and exports of gold and silver. Immigration and emigration. In addition to the foregoing printed statistical publication, both the bureau of customs, Philippine Islands, and the Bureau of Insular Affairs, United States, prepare a monthly memorandum, in manu- script form, summarizing the import and export trade of the Philip- pine Islands. The memorandum of the Philippine Government is a monthly comparative statement of imports and exports, the preceding month compared with the same month in the preceding year. It contains: (a) Values of principal imports (24), 1910, 1911. (6) Principal exports, 1910, 1911. (c) Imports, exports, and total trade by countries. ((?) Comparison of total values of imports and exports, and total trade for the fiscal years 1913 and 1912. (e) Trade with the United States, 1911 and 1912. (/) Comparison of total imports and exports, by ports, fiscal years 1911 and 1912. The memorandum of the Bureau of Insular Affairs covers the preceding 12 months (the 12 months being shown in one total) as compared with the 12 months of the preceding year. It is a summary of the imports and exports, showing the total trade and the trade with the United States by the principal classes of commodities. The bureau of customs, Philippine Islands, and the Bureau of Insular Affairs also publish in their regular publications similar statistics of immigration, which are furnished by the former. No compilation work is involved in the presentation of these statistics. The foregoing facts lead to the following conclusions: First. That the Philippine and United States Governments main- tain distinct statistical organizations engaged in the compilation and publication of commercial statistics of the Philippine Islands. Second. The statistics compiled by the Bureau of Insular Affairs are based upon the general statements of merchandise furnished by the bureau of customs, Philippine Government, upon which are also based the statistics compiled and published by the latter. Third. That the statistics furnished by the Philippine Government are substantially the same as the statistics furnished by the Bureau of Insular Affairs and would answer every purpose now served by the statistics compiled and published by the latter. In fact, the statistical reports published annually by the Philippine Government BTJEEAU OF INSULAR AFFAIRS. 519 are broader in tlieir scope than those of the Bureau of Insular Affairs in that the former contains valuable analyses of trade conditions which are not contained in the latter. It is important to note that inasmuch as dependence is placed by the Bureau of Insular Affairs upon the general statement furnished by the bureau of customs, Philippine Islands, for the compilation of its statistics, the statistical report furnished by the Philippine Islands could be forwarded to the United States and be available to administrative officers of the Bureau of Insular Affairs, which acts as a sort of clearing house for the distribution of this information, as soon as the statistical reports now compiled and published by the Bureau of Insular Affairs are available. The Bureau of Insular Affairs at the present time maintains a mailing list of several hun- dred American concerns to whom it regularly distributes its sta- tistical publications. In addition thereto it furnishes such informa- tion as may be desired from time to time. Under the proposed arrangement it is possible for the Philippine Government to send the documents direct to the American concerns who now receive the publications of the Insular Bureau, or for the Philippine Government to furnish the Bureau of Insular Affairs the requisite number of publications, the latter distributing them, as under the present prac- tice. The former arrangement is more economical and seems pref- erable. Under such an arrangement the Bureau of Insular Affairs will furnish the Philippine Government with the mailing list. The Bureau of Insular Affairs may wish to continue their monthly memorandum statement of imports and exports of merchandise in the same form as at present. The assistant chief of the division indi- cated that it requires but a day or a day and a half of his time to assemble the statistics (which are based upon the monthly statement of merchandise) for this summary. The Philippine Government will, no doubt, cooperate to the extent of furnishing this memo- randum in the same form as it is prepared at present by the Bureau of Insular Affairs. As stated above, the former prepares a monthly memorandum of a similar nature and quite as comprehensive in character. The com- pilation is slightly different, however, and perhaps would be of less value to the latter. In order to meet the needs of the Bureau of Insular Affairs and the American concerns who are interested in the statistical informa- tion gathered it may be advisable from time to time to change slightly the form in which the statistics are presented. This is a matter which the bureau will be able to determine. It should be stated in passing that whereas the continuance of the present duplication of statistics is wholly, unwarranted, there was, no doubt, sufficient reason for the inauguration of this work early in 520 EEPOETS OF COMMISSIOlSr ON ECONOMY AXD EFFICIENCY. the history of the bureau. There was constant call for such statisti- cal information by Congress and the commercial interests throughout the country, and the Philippine Government, which had not per- fected its organization, was unable to furnish statistics in form to meet the needs of the bureau. These reasons, however, are now wholly removed, and no sound reason suggests itself why the Bureau of Insular Affairs should continue in its present statistical work, which constitutes a duplication of statistical work which is per- formed and logically should be performed by the Government of the Philippine Islands. In conclusion, it should be said that if there is anything unsatis- factory about the statistics produced by the customs bureau of the Philippine Islands which gives color of need for the present dupli- cation of work, the remedy therefor should be sought in the correc- tion of methods observed and results obtained by the Philippine Government, rather than in multiplying organization for doing the same thing in a better way. Bearing upon the extent of the duplication of statistics by the Bureau of Insular Affairs, attention should be called to the fact that the Bureau of Domestic and Foreign Commerce, in which is central- ized to a large extent the compilation of commercial statistics for the United States, publishes in its monthly summary of commerce and finance, and in its annual report on navigation, statistics of the Philippine Islands with the United States, showing the imports and exports of merchandise, by principal classes of commodities. These monthly summaries, which are available to American concerns, fur- nish adequate statistics as to the trade of the United States with the Philippine Islands. Here is an additional duplication on the part of the Bureau of Insular Affairs, although it should be noted that the statistics published by the Bureau of Domestic and Foreign Com- merce are based upon the merchandise statements furnished by the collectors of the several ports of the United States ; the statistics fur- nished by the Bureau of Insular Affairs being based upon the state- ments of merchandise furnished by the customs bureau, Philippine Islands. The following is a statement of the personnel and pay roll of the Statistical Division, Bureau of Insular Affairs : 1 clerk, class 4 (chief of division) $1,800 1 clerk, class 3 (assistant chief) 1,600 1 clerk, class 2 1,400 4 clerks (bookkeepers), $1,000 4,000 1 clerk (position temporarilj^ vacant) 1,000 Total 9, 800 If the foregoing recommendation of the commission is put into effect, the division may be abolished. The suggestion of the commis- BUKEAU OF INSULAE AFFAIES. 521 sion. however, does not contemplate that the Bureau of Insular x\.f- fairs will cease to furnish the statistical information which it has been called upon to furnish in the past. The suggestion contemplates onh^ that the statistics furnished by Ihe customs bureau of the Philip- pine Government and the Bureau of Domestic and Foreign Com- merce of the United States Government be used as the basis for such statistical information instead of the statistics which it now compiles independently and in duplication of the statistics above referred to. The foregoing suggestion contemplates that the time of one clerk, familiar with the statistical work, will be consumed in handling the statistical data furnished by the insular government in the form of printed summaries and reports. Inquiries received and questions arising about trade conditions in the Philippine Islands may neces- sitate the preparation of manuscript statements embodying facts gathered from one or more of the printed reports furnished. Refer- ence is made to requests for comparative statements on certain sub- jects which would be based upon the summaries covering a number of years. The handling of such data should be transferred to the Corre- spondence and Administrative Division of the bureau. Assuming that a clerk at $1,600 per annum be assigned to this work, the saving to be effected by the foregoing recommendation would aggregate $8,200. Critical and Constructive Suggestions Pertaining to Methods AND Procedure. handling and filing correspondence (record division). Despite the fact that the files of the bureau are very orderly, ren- dering the papers and related record cards readily accessible, it is thought that a considerable reduction of work can be attained with the same or increased efficiency by certain changes in the procedure of the Record Division, where the files and auxiliary records are kept. Criticism is directed against the following practices which obtain in this division in the handling and filing of correspondence : (a) The folding of original papers and filing them in old-style document file boxes. (&) The indirect system of filing original papers, with their related record cards, on an arbitrary numerical basis, entailing an elaborate system of indexing and cross-indexing the subjects thereof, (c) The preparation of card records of correspondence (incoming and outgoing) which are maintained independent of the files of original papers. 522 EEPOETS OF COMMISSION ON ECONOMY AND EFFICIENCY. To correct or improve the foregoing practices the following recom- mendations are submitted : 1. The discontinuance of the present system of folding papers and filing them in document files, substituting therefor fiat filing. 2. The rearrangement of the files on a self-indexing basis. 3. The discontinuance of the preparation of record cards, involving the substantial elimination of auxiliary correspondence records. 1. The discontinuance of the present practice of folding po-pers and ■filing them in document flles^ substituting therefor flat filing. Under the present practice the original documents and conmnunica- tions of the bureau are folded to document size, approximately 3^ by 8 inches in dimension, and placed in old-fashioned wooden docu- ment file boxes. This practice is largely discredited both in com- mercial institutions and Government circles. It is universally recog- nized that under flat filing the papers are more readily accessible, the review and examination thereof incidental to the handling of later correspondence is greatly facilitated, less filing space is con- sumed, and the wear and tear, mutilations, etc., to which folded papers are subject are obviated. Further discussion of the relative merits of folded and flat filing will not be presented here, inasmuch as the bureau is in accord with the recommendations of Circular No. 21, urging the adoption of flat filing, and will make this change as soon as adequate filing space can be procured in the State, War, and Navy Building. The recommendation that vertical, flat filing be inaugurated will not necessitate the refiling of such documents as have already been placed in the files. Certainly with reference to the less important correspondence, such as the correspondence relating to personnel, it is not suggested as being desirable. In the case of correspondence on the more important administrative subjects, however, it is en- tirely feasible to refile the papers already disposed of in the event the office feels that the advantages to be derived therefrom warrant the expense involved. This is a detail to be determined by the office. The recommendation contemplates that the bureau inaugurate the flat-filing system with the new correspondence only. The operations involved in making the transfer of old papers are simple, inasmuch as the basic file units — i. e,, the cases — are not disturbed, and the work will involve merely the rearrangement of such units according to the classification to be devised. 2. Rearrangement of the files on a self-indexing basis. It is recommended that, agreeably to Circular No. 21, the original papers and documents be filed on a subjective classification — thereby rendering the files practically self-indexing — in keeping with a log- ical arrangement of numbers under a decimal or analogous system. BUREAU OF INSULAE AFFAIES. 523 The indirect system of filing obtains in this bureau, based upon the arbitrary numerical finding method. This necessitates an elaborate system of indexing the subjects of the correspondence (the term sub- ject referring to name or subject matter) , which subjects, assembled in alphabetical order, furnish the serial numbers determining the lo- cation of the cases in the files. The rearrangement of the files on a self-indexing basis, as hereinafter outlined, will substantially elimi- nate the preparation of index cards. It is true that need will still be felt for cross references where the cases are involved (where, for in- stance, a communication covers several subjects, etc.) , and it is not the idea of the commission to abandon such indexing. But it is also true that the primary classification (i. e., the subject designation under which the communication is filed) will, in the large majority of cases, suffice, and for this reason the arrangement of the files on a logical self-indexing basis will render unnecessary the maintenance of sub- sidiary indexes. The direct and immediate saving made possible by the proposed rearrangement of the file therefor is the substantial elimination of the preparation of index cards and the classification of correspondence incidental thereto. A second argument in favor of the proposed system lies in tiie in- creased facility in procuring papers from the files. Inasmuch as the proposed system of filing carries the classification of subjects ta the files themselves, the same facility is furnished in finding the papers in the files that is now furnished in finding the record thereof on the auxiliary indexes. The intermediate step of referring to the indexes — which is necessary under present system— is therefore elimi- nated. A very definite saving in time is thus effected. The proposed rearrangement of the files upon a subjective basis assembles the cases on the same or allied subjects in the same place or in similar places. The advantage of this is real. All the cases (the term case represent- ing the basic file unit) on the same general subjects are assembled within the same primary division of the file. Within the primary division of the files the several cases will be classified showing their relation to the primary subjects, i. e., their coordination with or sub- ordination to each other. Under the arbitrary numerical system which lodges the cases in the files without reference to their nature or relation — the location of each case in the file being determined by the accidental assignment of a serial number — such a classification is impossible. To illustrate : Considerable correspondence is ..con- ducted with and relating to the Philippine Kailway Co. An exami- nation of the summary or consolidated index card for this subject indicated that the correspondence covered a comparatively wide range of subjects, embracing as many different cases as there were subjects. The consolidated index card for the Philippine Railway 524 REPOETS OF COMMISSION ON ECONOMY AND EFFICIENCY. contained, among others, the following subjects, with the identifying jiniTjbers set opposite : File No, General record 14, 221 Personnel of 15,058 Accounts of (audit) ]6, 502 Land for right of way 15, 800 Section and test of material for work 15,293 For loan of money ^ 17,091 Free entry of material for 1, 596 The file number identifying each case was, of course, accidentally ■assigned according to the time when the first communication on the subject arose. For this reason, the several file numbers are not only different from, but have no relation to, each other. Inasmuch as the file number determines the place where the case is lodged in the files, the related cases on the foregoing general subject, i. e., Philippine Railwaj^ Co., are filed in different and widely separated cases. The advantages of having a logical arrangement of numbers which will automatically assemble the cases by subjects are, we believe, obvious. An outline of the proposed classification is attached to this construc- tive report as an exhibit. ■3. The discontinuance of the preparation of record cards^ involving the s-ubstantial elimination of auxiliary correspondence records. It is recommended that the present practice of preparing record 500 7 at $1,400 9> 800 7 at $1,200 8.400 4 at $],000 4.000 29 Total 41, 750 588 EEPOKTS OF COMMISSION ON ECONOMY AND EFFICIENCY. The following is a list of such employees, showing their respective work and salaries : Name. Nature of duties. F. W. Stone L. H. Rose H. O.Hall D.C.Floyd A. Alleman N.Falls F. Neumann C. G. Toepper B. Israeli F. Martin G. E.Nichols J. J. Beardsley Miss H. B. Blackwell G. P. Geissler F. J. A. Stockman. . . Barold Starfcey M. McGraw R.W.Hardy A. Burgess S.C.Calvert S. W. Brown W. B.King Eobert Fletcher F. H. Garrison D. S.Lamb E.R.Hodge H. R. Watkins J. R. Scott R. M. Le Comte In charge letters sent and received, including orders for books; receiving and verifying invoices and preparing accounts for pay- ment; noting and shipping books lent and receiving same upon their return. General supervision of current library work, and proofreading of index catalogue. In charge of reading room; keeping files of current journals and attending to calls made by readers and the return of books to the library. Correspondence and account in Museum, including letters re- ceived and sent, preparing vouchers and all records of matters pertaining to the Museum. Indexing foreign journals, preparing copy for printer, and proof reading on catalogue work. Absent; sick, without pay Carding books and catalogue work In charge of library hall, getting out and returning books called for in reading room or to send to borrowers residing out of city. Translating, proof reading, indexing Russian, Polish, and Scan- dinavian journals. Preparing copy for index catalogue, carding books, and indexing journals. stenographer and typewriter; receiving and checking all jour- nals, indexing letters, and assisting in preparing accounts for- payment. Indexing English and American journals Copying and typewriting Entering new accessions to the library, inserting accessions to card catalogue, and indexing periodicals. Indexing German periodicals; assisting Mr. Rose in general de- tails of library work. Collating, scheduling, and preparing books and journals for bindery. Indexing Spanish, Italian, and English periodicals In charge of public documents Chemist's laboratory Assistant in Library Hall in issuing books and replacing same. . . Indexing medical journals, comparing typewriting titles, etc Collating, scheduling, and preparing books and journals for bindery. Principal assistant librarian. In general charge preparing copy and printing of index catalogue; assisting the librarian in ad- ministrative details. Assistant librarian. Classifying bibliography material of cata- logue, supervising preparation of copy; proof reading of index catalogue; distribution and record of issues of index catalogue. Pathologist Chemist Assistant chemist Anatomist Microscopist OFFICE OF THE SURGEON GENEEAL. 589 Section III. Critical Comments and Constructive Suggestions. Record, Correspondence, and Examining Division, Office of the Surgeon General of the Army. handling and filing correspondence in record section. In the record section of this division certain correspondence of the Surgeon General's Office is recorded on record cards, filed in docu- ment files under arbitrary serial numbers, and indexed by index cards filed under alphabetical arrangement of subject, subsubject, or name. This present method of folding and filing documents and papers in document files under serial numerical file numbers, together with the making and filing of record and index cards, should, in the opinion of the commission, be discontinued in accordance w^ith the following : It is recommended that a change be made in the present method of recording and filing correspondence in the record section of the Surgeon General's Office in general accordance with the recommen- dations contained in Circular No. 21 issued by the commission on this subject, and which, specifically, are as follows : 1. That the system of folding correspondence and filing in docu- ment files should be discontinued and that all correspondence should, be filed flat in vertical files. 2. That all correspondence, both incoming and copies of outgoing, should be filed upon a subjective classification arranged as nearly as possible upon a self-indexing basis, and where numbers are re- garded as essential that a logical arrangement of numbers under a decimal or analogous system should be employed. 3. That no card record of incoming or outgoing correspondence should be made, thus discontinuing the present practice of making record and index cards except in certain cases where a cross-reference card would seem to be logically necessary. While the present system may be efficient, it entails an excessive amount of clerical work, and thereby cost, and in the opinion of the commission the method advocated herein of filing correspondence in flat, vertical files arranged on a self -indexing basis will be more effi- cient than the present method and much more economical. The essential requirements of the filing system in the approximate order of their importance which have been considered in making this recommendation may be stated as follows : (a) Certainty of obtaining a particular paper or of obtaining all the papers relating to a particular subject, and this certainty to be independent of the time that has elapsed since the filing of the paper .. (b) Eapidity of obtaining a particular paper or of obtaining all papers relating to a particular subject, and this rapidity to be only slightly affected by the time which has elapsed since filing. 590 REPORTS OF COMMISSION ON ECONOMY AND EFFICIENCY. (c) Rapidity with which documents may be filed. (d) Cheapness of operating the system. (e) Simplicity. (f ) Eeduction to a minimum of the space required for documents. (g) Miscellaneous minor requirements and desirable features, such as cross reference, numberings, etc. The arrangement of papers themselves, filed chronologically in vertical folders, upon a logical self -indexing basis of subjects, or names, naturally makes unnecessary the keeping of an index to same in the great majority of cases; and where, in the opinion of the filing clerks or other people upon whom this duty might devolve, a further reference of classification might be desirable a proper cross reference might then be made out covering these cases and filed in their proper subjective arrangement in the files. The logical arrangement of files by subjects or names is found much better than the arbitrary numeri- cal system, which places files of papers in juxtaposition without regard to their nature or relation and which makes necessary the prior- function of referring in all cases to an index before being able to procure desired papers. It is also the experience of the commis- sion that papers arranged in flat vertical files are more accessible for reference than when folded in document files, and that original papers so filed serve every purpose of the related record cards, which are transcribed therefrom, and where this method is in use in Gov- ernment and other offices it has been found most satisfactory in every respect. The functions of work which would be eliminated by the adoption of the method recommended are as follows : 1. Preparing index cards (except cross-reference cards in a few special cases) . 2. Preparing record cards which show a brief purport of received communication and a verbatim copy of outgoing letter. S. The consequent filing of index and record cards. There are seven clerks engaged in the record section, in addition to which practically the full time of two clerks in the correspondence section is taken up by the recording of outgoing communications on record cards. The adoption of the method recommended would eliminate most of the functions of work of the clerks in the record section and should, at a conservative estimate, enable the work of the section to be performed by three clerks in place of the seven now engaged therein, and should also reduce the number of clerks in the correspondence section by two, as the equivalent time of two people is employed therein in recording copies of outgoing letters on record cards. OFFICE OF THE SUEGEON GENEEAL. 591 MAKING LONGHAND DRAFTS OF OUTGOING COMMUNICATIONS AND THE USE OF FORM LETTERS. The present practice of writing drafts of letters in longhand, from which original outgoing correspondence is typed, should, in the opinion of the commission, be discontinued. Practically all of the correspondence of the examining section is conducted in this manner, at a considerable loss of time over that involved by the usual busi- ness practice of dictation. Certain correspondence of the section is also adapted to the economical use of form letters, and these should be used wherever possible. EDITING or MAIL AS A SPECIAL FUNCTION OF A CLERK WHO ALSO ACTS AS CLERK IN CHARGE OF THREE OTHER CLERKS. In this division there is a clerk in charge of the correspondence section, which consists of four people, the duty of such clerk in charge being chiefly the editing of outgoing mail. It would seem that the correspondence is not of such a volume as to make this the special function of a clerk, and the work of seeing that outgoing let- ters are correctly written before submission to the Surgeon General or other officer for signature, could be taken care of by the chief clerk or clerk in charge of the examining section or any designated sub- ordinate. In view of the fact that under the proposed method of handling correspondence the services of two clerks could be dis- pensed with in this section, it is recommended that there be no such separate section as at present, but that the work thereof should be directly under the supervision of the chief clerk. The correspond- ence of this division consists of the dictation from the Surgeon General, and Col. Gandy, and letters of a general character written hj the chief clerk or by the clerk in charge of the examining section, the dictation of the division usually being taken assigned to one clerk. In this connection it might be remarked that the name of " Record, Correspondence, and Examining Division," is more or less of a misnomer, in so far as the name of correspondence is concerned, there being only a small correspondence section as described above, and a much larger force engaged in special and general work of an admin- istrative character not coming under any of the three sections, record, correspondence, or examining. Supply Division, Office of the Surgeon General. recording requisitions and relevant correspondence on record cards in the supply division. The work of the Supply Division in regard to supplies is of a supervisory character, all requisitions being sent in to this division 592 EEPORTS OE COMMISSION ON ECONOMY AND EFFICIENCY. for the approval of the officer in charge, who personally notes and examines same, the original being marked with approval or change and forwarded to a medical supply depot to be filled, the officer mak- ing requisition being advised by letter of the approval or change of his requisition. It is the present practice to write on a record card a notation of requisition received and a verbatim copy of any cor- respondence relative thereto, the duplicate requisition being filed folded in document files under serial file numbers, together with any relative correspondence, both record cards and copies of requisition and correspondence being referred to by an alphabetical card index. It is recommended that duplicate requisitions, together with any related correspondence, be filed flat in vertical folders, a folder being maintained for each post or station and these folders arranged in vertical files under a self-indexing arrangement, and that indexing and recording of same be discontinued. The record card on which is noted the requisition and correspondence relative thereto certainly serves no purjDOse that the duplicate requisition, with correspondence filed chronologically by stations or posts, would not, and as a matter of fact the record card would be no more accurate or convenient to handle than the original papers from which same is transcribed. ■)■ There are six clerks engaged in this section, and, iji the o- l^rx of the commission, with most of the clerica-1 work connected with th requisitions practically eliminated, the time of at least two clerks would be saved thereby. PRESS COPYING OF LETTEKS, AND THE USE OF FORM LETTERS. Attention is drawn to the fact that letters are press copied in this division although an official order has been recently issued by the War Department against this practice, which is in accordance with the commission's conclusion in this matter; i. e., that press copying should be discontinued and carbon copies made in place thereof. CONSOLIDATION OF THE TWO SECTIONS OF THE SUPPLY DIVISION UNDER ONE CliERK IN CHARGE. A clerk is in charge of the disbursing section of the Supply Divi- sion, which consists of two clerks under such clerk in charge. It is the opinion of the commission that the work pertaining to this section can be properly and satisfactorily carried on by two clerks under the direct charge of the clerk in charge of the division, and that the duties of the clerk in charge of this section should be performed by the clerk in charge of the division. office of the surgeon" general. 593 Sanitary Division. Office of the Surgeon General of the Army. compilation op statistics. A large part of the Avork of this division consists in the compila- tion of statistics covering disease and sickness of the officers and men of the United States Army, and the compilation of statistics covering physical facts of recruits, these statistics being published in the annual report of the Surgeon General of the Army, and collated for the information of the Surgeon General. There is an approxi- mate number of 120,000 individual card reports of sickness and injury received in the division annually, and an approximate number of 50,000 cards prepared in the division showing certain facts relat- ing to men recruited during the year. From a study of the work it is estimated that the clerical compilation of these statistics involve the time of five clerks. The present method of compiling these statistics by posting necessary facts on uniform prepared sheets, and the totaling thereof, seems to have been carefully thought out, and there is no, criticism of this method, especially as a numerical classi- fication ox''''^ickness and disease has been adopted. It is recom- mendei;!, however, that electrical and mechanical sorting and tabu- lating equipment be installed in this office for the purpose of com- piling these statistics. This equipment, known as the " Hollerith " sorting and tabulating equipment, is used to a large extent by State and municipal departments of health in compiling statistics similar to those compiled in this division. Under this method a card would be j)repared for each individual case of sickness, or for each recruit by means of a mechanical punch. These prepared cards would show punched numbers or letters, which, by the arrangement of the card, would denote certain facts necessary to the proper compilation of the statistics desired. These cards would then be sorted by an elec- tric and mechanical tabulating machine to show required results. This grouping and tabulating requires but little work on the part of a clerk other than the insertion of blocks of cards in the machines and the starting and stopping of same by pressing electric buttons. The mechanical work of punching cards is a more or less simple matter according to the experience of an operator. It is estimated that after two months' experience one operator could prepare all cards required in this division, as an experienced operator can pre- pare 1,000 cards per day, and in this division there would be approxi- mately 15,000 required cards each month. The statistics compiled in the division are of an extended and diversified character, and one great advantage of recommended method is the fact that cards can be sorted and tabulated in as many different ways as may be desired at a minimum of labor, the original preparation of the cards serving 72734°— H. Doc. 1252, 62-3 38 594 KEPORTS OF COMMISSIOlSr ON" ECOK'OMY AND EFFICIENCY. as the basis for all statistics. The approximate cost of this method, including salary expense, is estimated as follows : Annual rental of sorting machine . $240 Annual rental of tabulating machine 410 Cost of cards 200 Salary of one clerk at 900 Salary of one clerk at 1, 400 3,150 (Two key punches, purchased at an initial cost of $150.) The installation of the equipment, at an approximate annual cost of $850, should therefore effect in this division a net saving of $2,750, by a reduction of three clerks with an aggregate salary expense of $3,600, and would also facilitate the work and enable at any time any desired statistical information being collated with comparative ease. Two clerks handling this work under this method should be able to accomplish same very satisfactorily and have time to collate any other desired additional statistical data. The alternative suggestion is that punching, sorting, and tabulat- ing equipment be constructed of the modified type now being used by the Bureau of the Census, which, after the first cost has been made, would eliminate the element of rental each j^ear, amounting to $650, and reduce the annual cost of cards by at least $100, a total reduc- tion in annual cost of $750. Personnel Division, Office of the Surgeon General of the Army, Officers' Section. maintenance of personnel records of active officers of the medi- cal department. With the exception of the work performed in connection with the applications and examinations for admission to the Medical Corps, correspondence, and the preparation of the monthly return for The Adjutant General of the Army, the work of this section consists in the preparation and maintenance of officers' personnel records for the information of the Surgeon General. These records consist of : 1. A card record maintained for each active officer of the Medical Corps, Medical Reserve Corps, Dental Corps, and contract surgeons, showing the stations, leaves of absence, and special and general or- ders affecting each officer or contract surgeon. 2. A station book showing the personnel at each post or station. 3. A memorandum record showing the loss and gain and strength of the corps. , 4. An alphabetical card record showing the post-office address of the inactive officers of the Medical Reserve Corps. OFFICE OF THE SUKGEON GENEEAL. 595 Inasmuch as full and complete records of active officers of the Medical Corps are kept in the Officers' Personnel Division of The Adjutant General's Office, from which all information shown on records maintained in this section can be readily obtained, it is rec- ommended that the maintenance of these records, except as to inac- tive officers of the Medical Reserve Corps, be discontinued. It is one of the functions of the Officers' Personnel Division of The Adjutant General's Office to supply requisite data on officers to other bureaus of the War Department, and it is stated by the clerk in charge of the division that any such information can be readily and quickly fur- nished the office of the Surgeon General, and the keeping of officers' personnel records as now kept in the section of the Surgeon General's Office is a duplication of functions and work. The equivalent time of two clerks is engaged in keeping these records. MONTHLY RETURNS OF OFFICERS' PERSONNEL TO THE ADJUTANT GENERAL. A monthly return to The Adjutant General of the Army, showing the rank, duty, and station of each active officer of the Medical Corps, Medical Reserve Corps, Dental Corps, and contract surgeons is prepared in longhand in this section. It is recommended that a typewritten numerical strength report showing the loss, gain, and strength of the Medical Corps, similar to that prepared in the enlisted men's section of this division as a return of enlisted enroll- ment, be substituted therefor, as the report in its present form does not seem to serve any purpose justified by its extent. In any event the duplicate copy for the files of the Surgeon General's Office now prepared in longhand is unnecessary and should be discontinued at once. The fact that this section is 15 months in arrears in prepar- ing this return is indicative that the return in its present form is not actively necessary, and as a record information shown thereon is duplicated by other records kept in the Officers' Personnel Division of The Adjutant General's Office. One clerk is wholly occupied in making this return, and, as stated, the work is 15 months in arrears. ENLISTED men's SECTION. Checking of complete post himonthly returns of enlisted men. — A bimonthly return is made by each post, station, or detachment, such return showing name, grade, and duty of each man. These current returns are checked up against prior returns, and information slips reporting changes or advice in regard to enlisted men received dur- ing bimonthly period are held until receipt of such returns and then checked up against same, as a check against t]ie due reporting of data. 596 EEPOKTS OF COMMISSION ON ECONOMY AND EFFICIENCY. This method appears to be effective and efficient, but in the opinion of the commission the work can be materially reduced without affect- ing the efficiency thereof by limiting the information on the bi- monthly return, except for January and July, to the actual changes showing loss or gain, by name, with a numeral recapitulation of strength status, and a supplementary statement giving any informa- tion affecting the efficiency of the men which may be desired by the officer in charge of the division. There is no criticism against as full a return being made as may be considered necessary for pur- poses of advice and information, but it is considered unnecessary to check each prior return as now rendered against the current return and the information slips received during the bimonthly period against the current return. If each post or station consecutively numbers the information slips affecting the personnel of the men, the sequence of such numbers will automatically provide a check for the division, and the bimonthly return showing the numerical status of enlisted personnel with a notation by name of losses and gain during the period covered will serve the purpose of the present re- turn in so far as a check is concerned. It is estimated that more than the equivalent of one clerk's time is engaged by the checking of returns, and it is recommended that this checking be reduced in accordance with the above. Organisation of divisions affected hy recommendations, with proposed organiza- tion considered sufficient under adoption thereof. RECORD, CORRESPONDENCE, AND EXAMINING DIVISION. Present. Chief clerk Law clerk 6 clerks, class 4. . . 3 clerks, class 3... 9 clerks, class 2... 9 clerks, class 1... 4 clerks, at $1,000 Iclerk 34 2 clerks, class 4 1 clerk, class 3 1 clerk, class 2 4 clerks, class 1 Iclerk $2,000 2,000 10,800 4,800 12,600 10,800 4,000 900 47,900 Proposed. Chief clerk Law clerk 6 clerks, class 4... 3 clerks, class 3... 9 clerks, class 2... 5 clerks, class 1... 2 clerks, at $1,000. Iclerk 28. $2,000 2,000 10,800 4,800 12,600 6,000 2,000 900 41,100 SUPPLY DIVISION. $3,600 1,600 1,400 4,800 1,000 12,400 1 clerk, class 4. . . 1 clerk, class 3. . . 1 clerk, class 2. . . 2 clerks, class 1.. Iclerk, at $1,000. $1,800 1,600 1,400 2,400 1,000 8,200 OFFICE OF THE SURGEON GENERAL. 597 Organisation of divisions affected hy recommendations, etc. — Continued. SANITARY DIVISION. Present. Proposed. 2 clerks, class 4 S3, 600 3,200 5,600 7,200 900 2 clerks, class 4 S3, 600 2 clerks, class 3 2 clerks, class 3 3,200 4 clerks, class 2 ... 4 clerks, class 2 5,600 6 clerks, class 1 3 clerks, class 1 3,600 1 clerk, at $900 1 clerk, at S900 900 15 20,500 12 16,900 PERSONNEL DIVISION. 11,800 3,200 5,600 6,000 1,000 1 clerk, class 4 SI, 800 1,600 4,200 5 clerks, class 1 3 clerks, class 1 3,600 1 clerk, at S1,000 1 clerk, at S1,000 1,000 13 17,600 9 55 12,200 71 Total 98,400 78^400 Salary expense reduction $20, 000 Less annual approximate cost of statistical equipment recommended — 850 Prospective saving under adoption of recommendations 19, 150 Reduction of clerks as follows. 1 clerk, class 4 $1, 800 1 clerk, class 3 1,600 1 clerk, class 2 1,400 11 clerks, class 1 13, 200 2 clerks, at $1,000 2,000 16 20, 000 The adoption of the recommendations contained herein will make possible a saving of $19,150 in the office of the Surgeon General of the Army. Under these recommendations 16 clerks, with an aggre- gate salary of $20,000, can be dispensed with, with no impairment to the efficiency of the office. Modern mechanical equipment has been recommended in the Sanitary Division for compiling medical statistics at an approximate cost of $850. Respectfully submitted. F. A. Cleveland, W. W. Warwick, Mereitt O. Change, Commissioners. THE HANDLING AND FILING OF COR- RESPONDENCE IN THE OFFICE OF THE SIGNAL CORPS. 599 THE HANDLING AND FILING OF CORRESPONDENCE IN THE OFFICE OF THE SIGNAL CORPS. I. Introduction. The central office of the Signal Corps of the War Department at Washington is made up of four divisions, as follows : Administrative Division. Electrical and Telegraph Division. Disbursing Division. Aeronautical Division. The location, organization, and work of three of these divisions are each described in Section II of this report, the Aeronautical Division, on account of its character and size, no civil clerical force being engaged therein, involving no description. The critical com- ments of the commission and constructive suggestions are set forth in Section III, which follows. Briefly stated, the recommendations of the commission are : 1. That in the Administrative Division the preparation and main- tenance of record and index cards be discontinued. 2. That the processes of filing be changed, as is specifically indi- cated in Section II of this report. The saving which it is thought could be effected by making these changes is between 60 and TO per cent of the present cost. Description of the Location, Work, Methods, Organization, and Salary Expense of the Administrative Division of the Signal Corps. location. The Administrative Division and the files in its custody occupy four rooms on the fourth floor of the State, War, and Navy Build- ing, and one room on the fifth floor occupied exclusively by old files. These rooms are Nos. 436, 438, 442, 498, and 513, occupied as follows : Room 436, Chief Signal Officer; room 438, assistant to the Chief Signal Officer and disbursing officer; room 442, five clerks; room 498, three clerks; room 513, old files and office supplies. Space is also occupied in the Lemon Building, on the southwest corner of the fifth floor, by a photostat outfit, operated by an en- listed man. 601 602 EEPOETS OF COMMISSION ON ECONOMY AND EFFICIENCY. FUNCTIONS AND WOKK. The Administrative Division has charge of the routine work of the signal office, which rnaj be described as follows : 1. The receipt and distribution of mail. 2. General office correspondence. 3. The preparation of estimates for appropriations by Congress. 4. The care of all matters affecting the commissioned, enlisted, and civilian force of the Signal Corps. 5. The care and preservation of the office files. The care and preservation of the office files is attended to in room 498, which is known as the mail and record room, the other clerical work being attended to in room 442, in which the chief clerk of the Signal Office is located. The receipt and distribution of mail. — The incoming mail may be divided as follows: Miscellaneous letters, 66,000; miscellaneous reports, 154,000; an approximate number of 220,000, about 80 per cent of which is received unopened. The opening and receiving is attended to in the office of the chief clerk by one of his assistants, and is distributed as follows : General correspondence, to the mail and record section, to be stamped with date of receipt, and recorded and indexed. Correspondence and reports relating to requisitions and certain work of the Electrical and Telegraph Division, to such divisions. Correspondence and reports relating to purchase orders, to the Disbursing Division. Correspondence relating to the commissioned, noncommissioned, and civilian employees of the Signal Corps is retained in the chief clerk's office. The routine, recording, indexing, and filing of general correspond- ence. — Of the total number of communications received by the Signal Corps annually, about 4,000 letters or papers, after being received and opened in the chief clerk's office, are sent to the mail and record room to be recorded, indexed, and to have charge cards prepared, the balance of the communications going directly to either the Elec- trical and Telegraph Division or the Disbursing Division, without any action being taken thereon by the Administrative Division, for proper attention, such balance being letters or reports relating mainly to requisitions, purchases, and supplies of the Signal Corps. Mail and record room. — The clerks in the mail and record room attend to the recording, indexing, and filing of general correspond- ence, and also by means of charge cards keep track of recorded re- ceived communications pending their reply or disposition and conse- quent return for filing. OFFICE OF THE SIGNAL COKPS. 603 Recording and indexing. — ^Where a communication relates to a new subject or case it is given a serial file number, and a record card is prepared on the typewriter showing the number, date of receipt, subject, who from, and a brief purport of communication. This record card is afterwards filed in document files under its numerical sequence. In addition to this, index cards and any cross-reference cards deemed necessary are prepared on the typewriter and filed in index files in alphabetical arrangement of their subsubject or name. When a received communication relates to a prior matter or sub- ject this communication is given the same file number of such prior correspondence, and in addition a sequence number of the paper is noted thereon, and an index card is typewritten for this communi- cation, together with a carbon copy, the latter being filed under serial number in document files with prior record card, and the former being filed under its alphabetical arrangement of subject in index files and cross-reference cards, where deemed necessary, are also prepared and filed in index files under their proper alphabetical arrangement of subsubject or name. After received communications have been recorded and indexed a charge card is prepared on the typewriter for each communication, and recorded communications are then sent to the chief clerk's office Avitli their corresponding charge cards and any previous papers that in the opinion of the mail and record clerks are deemed necessary for the proffer consideration of received communication. These charge cards are noted by the assistant to the Chief Signal Officer as to Avhat officer, person, or division received communications should be referred for action and after such notation charge cards are re- turned to the mail and record room where they are held in a file pending the proper disposition of received communication and its return to the mail and record room for filing, upon such return charge card being destroyed. These charge cards are for the purpose of keeping track of recorded received communications, pending reply or attention. An index card is typewritten and a carbon copy made for every reply to a recorded received communication, the carbon copy being filed in document files under its serial number, and the index card (cross-reference cards also being made where deemed necessary) filed in an index file under alphabetical arrangement of subject, sub- subject, or name. Document files. — The files used to hold recorded communications and replies are document files, being composed of file boxes 11 inches in height, 14-| inches in depth, and 5 inches in width, these boxes being arranged in racks along the sides of the mail and record room. They are arranged to hold folded pap^i\s of the approximate size of 8 inches 604 KEPORTS OF COMMISSION ON ECONOMY AND EFFICIENCY. b}^ 3^. In these files, under serial file numbers, received recorded communications, replies, and any other papers relating thereto, are filed together with carbon copies of record cards and index cards, the papers being placed behind such cards, and all being placed in jackets. Where papers are sent out of the office or where the received com- munication is in the nature of a document to be returned a photostat copy is made of same and filed in document files in place of recorded received communication or reply, a copy of everything that goes through the mail and record room being kept in this way. The work of making these photostats is done in the Lemon Building by an en- listed man. Index -files. — Index files are of the same general character as the document files and are arranged in alphabetical divisions in which record cards and cross-reference cards are filed in their alphabetical arrangement of subject, subsubject, or name. Outgoing correspondence. — Letters are either dictated to a stenog- rapher by an officer, chief clerk, or correspondence clerk in this divi- sion or written by the correspondence clerk direct, after which they are submitted for signature to the Chief Signal Officer or, in some cases, to the chief clerk. Letters are typewritten and carbon copies made, except where reply is by indorsement, in which case a copy of the communication and reply is made by the photostat. Outgoing letters with envelopes and carbon copies are then sent to the mail and record room for dispatching, carbon copy being checked as to inclo- sures by the mail and record clerks. T-he care of matters affecting the convmissioned., enlisted.^ and civilian force o-f the Signal Corps. — Correspondence and papers re- lating to the personnel of the Signal Corps are filed, without being recorded in the mail and record room, in document files in the chief clerk's office, a card record being also kept so as to show the record of commissioned, enlisted, and civilian force of the corps, separate files being maintained for each. The muster rolls of the Signal Corps are also filed in this office, after being searched for noting of discharges and other information on card records, these card records being kept for the information of the Chief Signal Officer or other officers of the Signal Corps. Organization and salary roll. — This division has eight clerks of the following salary grades : CWef clerk $2,000 1 clerk of class 4 1, SOO 1 clerk of class 2 1,400 2 clerks of class 1 2, 400 3 clerks at $1,000 3,000 10, GOO OFFICE OF THE SIGNAL COEPS. 605 There are also four messengers for the Signal Corps — three at $840 and one at $720. The following is a list of clerks engaged in this division, and shows the njiture of the work upon which each is engaged and their salaries : Chief clerk's room : H. G. Flynn, chief clerk $2. 000 W. M. Reading:, assistant to chief clerk ; also takes direct charge of the personnel work of the Signal Corps 1. 800 J. J. Mullaney, general work of correspondence, keeping personnel records, stenographer 1, 200 (Jr. K. Fisher, stenographer. Keeps track of civil service cases, etc_ 1, 000 J. W. Stepp, stenographer ; also assists Chief of Signal Office in com- pilation of manuals, etc 1, 000 Mail and record room: P. A. Bacon, in charge of recording, indexing, filing, and dispatching- 1, 400 Jlrs. Eleanor Duiyea, recording, indexing, filing, and dispatching 1, 200 J. M. Borochoff, recording, indexing, filing, and dispatching 1, 000 10, 600 Description of the Location, Work, Methods, Organization, and Expenses of the Office of the Electrical and Telegraph Divi- sion of the Signal Corps. location. This division is located at ITIO Pennsylvania Avenue, all of the building being occupied by it, the offices being situated on the upper floor. There are 10 clerks employed in this division, and there is also one vacancy open. The Electrical and Telegraph Division has charge of administra- tive matters and records pertaining to the installation of fire control at Coast Artillery posts; of the selection of apparatus and devices, the preparation and issuing of all specifications and drawings for technical equipment and supplies of the Signal Corps and of engi- neering circulars and bulletins; of the assignment of serial numbers to new instruments, cables, and the records pertaining thereto; of requisitions for electrical material; construction of special vehicles, and usual signaling apparatus and the recommending on all technical matters which may be submitted; also has charge of all matters re- lating to the operation, maintenance, and repair of all Signal Corps telegraph, telephone, and cable lines; the War Department tele- graphic code; printing, blank forms, and the auditing of property accounts of persons responsible to the United States for property pertaining to the Signal Corps of the Army. FUNCTIONS and WORK. The main work of the office of this division is as follows: (1) At- tending to general correspondence of the divisions; (2) the supervi- sion of the construction of electrical installations and the maintenance 606 KEPOETS OF COMMISSIOlSr ON ECONOMY AND EFFICIENCY. thereof; (3) the preparation of specifications and drawings or correc- tion of same; (4) the devising and developing of new type articles of equipment for special purposes.; (5) the auditing of return or accounts of Signal Corps property; (6) attending to requisitions for Signal Corps property; (T) the keeping of miscellaneous files of records and correspondence. General correspondence of the division. — The correspondence of the division is received by messenger service from the chief clerk's office, and consists of : (a) Recorded communications ; (&) unrecorded communications. Recorded comnvivnications. — All recorded communications, after proper notation, are returned to the mail and record room, in the Ad- ministrative Division, with any relevant carbon copy of reply, for filing, an extra carbon copy being made and filed by the Electrical and Telegraph Division in its own files. Unrecorded coinmimications. — Unrecorded communications mainly consist of correspondence and reports as follows: {a) With commer- cial houses relative to supplies and material, catalogues, etc.; (&) returns of property accountability officers, and correspondence rela- tive thereto; (c) requisitions and correspondence relative thereto; {d) miscellaneous correspondence of the division, not deemed neces- sary to record in the mail and record room of the Signal Corps. Outgoing correspondence. — All correspondence is typewritten, and is either dictated to a stenographer in this division or typewritten direct by clerk. Carbon copies are made, two in the case of re- corded correspondence. Outgoing letters are either signed by the acting officer of this division and mailed direct from the division or sent to the Administrative Division for the signature of the chief signal officer, when, as in all recorded correspondence, it is dispatched from the mail and record room in the Administrative Division. FUing correspondence. — Unrecorded correspondence, and in some instances copies of recorded correspondence, is filed in this division in flat vertical files, no recording thereof being made. These files are arranged subjectively and alphabetically, the main subjective divisions being as follows : Commercial file ; post file ; general subjects file. Correspondence directly relating to property returns and requisi- tions is filed with such returns and requisitions. The auditing and filing of property returns. — All property of the Signal Corps is kept track of by this division, records being kept as to where such property is held and by whom. These records are all made outside of the office of this division (excepting in the case of the three general supply depots), and the work of this division con- sists of the examination and verification of such records, and seeing that all property is properly accounted for. Any discrepancies OFFICE OF THE SIGNAL CORPS. 607 found in such reports are, of course, made the subject of correspond- ence, and this correspondence is conducted by the same clerks attend- ing to the examination, verifying, and filing of records. These property records consist of: {a) A monthly abstract show- ing property purchased by the different disbursing officers, show- ing thereon amount of property purchased and to whom issued, [h) a semiannual return made by all persons accountable for Signal Corps property, such return being made as at June 30 and December 31, showing material on hand at beginning of half-yearly period, material received and issued during such period, and material on hand at end of period. Where any person accountable for Signal Corps property is relieved of such accountability, a return is made similar to semiannual return, at the time of such relief or trans- fer of liability; (c) vouchers filed with such returns showing all property used, expended, or lost in period of such return, for which credit is taken thereon, receipts for all property turned over or transferred to some other person who is to be charged with such transferred property ; also invoices of property received, as scheduled on returns. The above records consist of printed forms which are duly filled out, and received by this division for purposes of auditing and filing. Property returns as disposed of are filed in document files by divi- sions, posts, or persons, and the monthly abstracts of the different dis- bursing officers are filed by months. An alphabetical card index and record is kept of all officers accountable for property and this record is noted with the date of period of accountability, examination of re- turns, and final disposition of same. The number of returns by persons accountable for property as described above is approximately 2,700 per annum, and the number of abstracts showing property purchased by the different disbursing officers is approximately 200 per annum. General supply depots. — There are three general supply depots maintained, as follows: Fort Wood, New York Harbor; Fort Omaha, Nebr. ; and Fort Mason, Cal., which in place of such semi- annual returns send in a daily report of all property received and issued, together with corresponding invoices and receipts, also show- ing balance on hand of property affected thereby. The property accountability clerks in this division enter from these daily reports such receipt and issue of property on a stock record card. This rec- ord is maintained on cards in four divisions, " Fire control," " Sig- nal Service," " Depot equipment," and " War reserve." Cards for each division are grouped in files, a card being maintained for each kind of material or property, this card being ruled off to show, under each general supply depot, the receipt, issue, and balance on hand of such material or property. 608 BEPOETS OF COMMISSION ON ECONOMY AND EFFICIENCY. The invoices or receipts showing receipt or disposition of property accompanying daily record cards are checked against same, and are then filed under each depot by serial number, pending* receipt of semiannual reports or returns from property accountability officers to whom such property has been issued, at which time the receipts are checked against such returns and the invoices being checked against monthly abstracts of disbursing officers. The main functions of the clerks in this division attending to work of property accounting are as follows : Semiannual returns. — (1) Checking forward previous balances of property as shown on last return to current return; (2) checking certificates of property lost or destroyed, or expended against return, to see whether credit is properly taken thereon; (3) checking re- ceipts or invoices against returns, to see whether projoerly credited or charged thereon, then checking same against corresponding invoices or receipts sent by general supply depot or some other property accountability officer; (4) notifying propert}^ officers of correctness of return (a card form being used) or any errors therein; (5) keep- ing alphabetical card index of numbered record card; (6) keeping record card of property accountability officers. General sufyly depots. — (T) Checking monthly abstract of prop- ei'ty purchased and issued to the disbursing officers against invoices sent in with general supply depot daily reports or, in some cases, bj^ other property accountability officers; (8) checking general supply depot daily reports against corresponding invoices and receipts sub- mitted therewith; (9) posting on general supply depot stock cards receipt and issue of property as shown by daily report. Requisitions for property and material. — Eequisitions for property or material wanted by the various organizations and posts of the Signal Corps are made on printed forms which come after being opened direct to this division and are given a sequence number. After notation and approval by one of the engineers in this division, requisitions are turned over to the requisition clerks who thereupon give each requisition a serial number, then checks same off against stock cards of the general supply depots, to see whether requisition or part of requisition can be profitabl}'' filled from^ the stock of the nearest of these depots. If so, a pencil memorandum is made oppo- site each item of requisition showing depot from which to be ordered, and where the stock of such material is running low in any depot from which material is ordered, a pencil notation of the requisition number and amount ordered out is made on the general supply depot stock card. An order is then made on one or more of the three general supply depots to furnish property requisitioned and approved to the prop- erty accountability' officer making such requisition, and this order OFFICE OF THE SIGNAL CORPS. 609 after being filled by the general supply depot is returned by them with a notation of the date of shipment to the property officer making- requisition, and how shipped. Wliere property or material can not be so filled from the stock of any of the general supply depots, an order is made en the Disburs- ing Division to purchase property or material and ship via the nearest general supply depot or direct to the property officer making requisition. These orders to the Disbursing Division are typewritten on forms by one of the clerks attending to requisition work, a carbon copy thereof being made. A photostat copy of all filled orders is sent to this division by the Disbursing Division, and these are filed by order numbers. Requisitions, carbon copies of orders, and any correspond- ence relative thereto, are filed in flat vertical files under divisions of organizations and posts in serial order number of requisitions. Cor- respondence relative to delivery or concerning settlement of technical features of articles on order are filed under the order number. When an action has been taken on a requisition a mimeographed form letter is filled out and sent to the division headquarters of organization or post making requisition, in duplicate, showing the receipt and disposition of same. A triplicate carbon copy is filed with requisition. A quarterly requisition , is made out by each of the three general supply depots for the replenishing of needed material and supplies, and these requisitions are passed upon in a similar manner as requi- sitions from organizations and posts. Requisitions are indexed on card indexes by requisition numbers, posts, and organizations, and a price-card index is also kept under property or material giving prices, manufacturer, and other relative data. The main functions of the clerks in this division attending to requisitions are as follows: (1) Giving requisitions serial numbers, checking against general supply stock cards to see whether requisi- tion can be filled from general supply stock; (2) making order in duplicate on general supply depot for property requisitioned, orig- inal being sent to the general supply depot and the duplicate being filed by requisition number; (3) or where requisition can not be filled from stock at a general supply depot, making a request for purchase and delivery in duplicate, sending original to Disbursing Division, and filling duplicate under requisition number; (4) send- ing form letter of advice in duplicate to the chief signal officer of division from which requisition is made, advising as to the maker of requisition and how disposed of. triplicate carbon copy being filed under requisition number; (5) filing requisitions, orders, and rela- tive corespondence, and indexing same; (6) entering in red ink on 72734°— H. Doc. 1252, 62-3 39 610 EEPOETS OF COMMISSION ON ECONOMY AND EFFICIENCY. stock cards of order number, date of delivery, and number of items for which orders have been placed in the Disbursing Division. MISCELLANEOLTS WORK AND RECORDS OF THE DIVISION. The miscellaneous work of the division is as follows : ( a ) Filing catalogues of commercial firms and indexing same; (b) filing post- telephone installation reports and fire-control installation reports under posts, in chronological order; (c) filing plans for installation; (d) keeping card records of cable data and codes; (e) making, in- dexing, and filing of specifications, drawings, and affiliated records: (f ) keeping track of printing and stationery. ORGANIZATION AND SALARY ROLL. The division has 11 clerks of the following salary grades : 1 clerjv of class 4 at $1,800 Jf clerks of class 1 at 3,600 7 clerks (uicliiding oue vacancy) at : 7,000 Total salary expense 12, 40^^ The following is a list of clerks engaged in this division and shows the nature of the work upon which each is engaged, and their respec- tive salaries: M. W. Perley, principal clerk, general supervision of clerical work and records of this division SI, 800 A. C. WrigM, in charge of work of property accounting 1,200 J. A. Bethune, assisting in work of property accounting 1,000 AV. H. Barrett, assisting in work of property accounting 1,000 J. X. Baxter, in charge of requisition work 1,200 E. J. Williams, assisting in requisition work 1,000 Vacancy — assisting in requisition work 1,000 J. A. Duffy, stenographer for engineers, filing and indexing catalogues— 1, 200 A. B. Crawford, stenographer 1,000 S, Rubenstein. in charge of specifications, drawings, and affiliated records- 1, 000 h. S. Connelly, filing correspondence, carding prices, keeping cable rec- ords, stationery, and War Department telegraph codes 1,000 Total 12,400 A Description of the Location, Work, Methods, Organization, AND Salary Expenses of the Disbursing Dr^sion of the Signal Corps. location. The Disbursing Division occupies room No. 440 on the fourth floor of the State, War, and Navy Building, and seven employees are engaged in the work of this division, there being also two vacancies open and unfilled. OFFICE OF THE SIGNAL CORPS. * 611 • FUNCTIONS AND "WORK. The Disbursing Division has charge of the following: (1) The procuring of quotations and samples, issuing of advertisements, ab- stracting bids, making awards, placing orders, arranging for in- spection and shipment of supplies, the giving of notice to consignees, the invoicing and proper accounting for such supplies; (2) the pay- ment of accounts, the collecting of bills, and all other duties pertain- ing to disbursements, and the auditing of accounts of persons respon- sible to the United States for money pertaining to the Signal Corps of the Army; (3) the keeping of accounts of, making requisitions upon, and arranging for transfers to oiRcers from approj)riations. Purchases. — Requests for purchases come to this division from the Electrical and Telegraph Division and upon approval a form letter for quotation requests is sent out to a list of concerns presumably interested, a carbon copy being made and noted with the names of such firms and filed in suspense until replies are received. When the order is placed, request with this carbon copy is filed in document files under serial number of quotation request, requisitions from the Electrical and Telegraph Division being filed under requisition num- ber. Purchases are made in this manner Avhen the amount is under $500, or in cases of larger amounts where there is no competition. When orders are over $500 an advertisement for proposal for supplies or services is sent out to known dealers, being sent and re- ceived back in duplicate. Pending return of bids, a carbon copy is held in jacket with a notation as to whom same have been sent, the jackets being filed under serial proposal number given in this divi- sion. The bids themselves are kept under lock and key until date of opening, when they are abstracted and awards made to lowest responsible bidder. All bids are filed in a jacket in serial order of proposal number, the accepted bid being afterwards extracted and attached to contract or to voucher when paid. Upon acceptance of lowest quotation or bid a purchase order is issued and photographic copies of this order are made, copies being sent to the Electrical and Telegraph Division, consignees, inspecting officers, filed with correspondence, and a copy mounted on an order card. The accepted bid and photostat copj' of purchase order is attached to voucher when paid. This order card is kept in an alphabetical file as a follow-up for proper delivery of orders and as a full record of such order. Upon final disposition of order b}^ voucher being paid they are filed in a " paid " file, in alphabetical order. A price card is kept in order of material for reference purposes. 612 EEPOETS OF COMMISSIOjST ON ECONOMY AND EFFICIENCY. Pay7thent of accounts. — Bills are received in duplicate «on prescribed forms of the War Department, with invoice form also in dupli- cate, usually also with quartermaster's receipt, and, after satisfac- tory audit and inspection, are in order for payment. A letter of authority is also issued to officers, authorizing disburse- ment of funds, to ]3urchase direct or pay services, photo copies being made thereof for correspondence file, record card, and the Electrical and Telegraph Division. Bills are usually paid monthly, on the 5th and 20th, or m the interim where discounts may be taken, etc. A printed form is sent with all checks, the stub of which is detached by payee and returned to the Disbursing Division, and these stubs are filed by check number as receipts for checks. Books of accounts and record. — Cash book : A columnar cash book is kept, ruled ofT by appropriations, under which entries are made of the receipts and disbursements of funds, the amounts of checks issued being entered in total as affecting appropriations, and not individu- ally. Appropriation ledger : Accounts are kept in this ledger by appro- priations to show current status of same. This book is entered from daily transcripts furnished by the Division of Requisitions and Accounts of the War Department, and should be in balance with accounts in that division. Allotment record: Accounts are kept in this record of apropria- tions, and under these the allotments under same. This book is entered up from authority record cards and order record cards, referred to herein, and is kept for the information and guidance of the Chief Signal Officer, and to show the current status of allotments. Record of disbursements by disbursing officers : Accounts are kept in this record with disbursing officers, showing their receipts, dis- bursements, and balances, being entered up from accounts current rendered by them before being turned over to the Auditor for the War Department. Record of certificates of deposit: Certificates of deposit, showing funds deposited with the United States Treasury to credit of cer- tain appropriations, are entered up in this book, as received from the Division of Requisitions and Accounts of the War Department, under name of officer depositing. Register of remittances : This register is entered up from monthly statements of remittances forwarded by telegraph operators of the Signal Corps to this division. This register is ruled off to show operator, station, and amounts under calendar months of the year, and is kept for the purpose of checking up the accounts current sub- mitted by certain disbursing officers as to moneys received from telegraph operators before these accounts are submitted to the Audi- tor for the War Department. OFFICE OF THE SIGNAL CORPS. 613 Monthly accounts current and abstracts: Monthly abstracts of expenditures are kept as follows: (1) Abstract of articles pur- chased; (2) abstract of articles purchased for immediate expendi- ture; (3) abstract of expenditures by appropriations. A duplicate copy of the abstract of articles purchased and paid for is sent monthly to the Electrical and Telegraph Division, show- ing thereon to whom such purchases have been issued. Every six months receipts covering items shown on these abstracts are sent to the Electrical and Telegraph Division, the same being obtained from parties receiving materials. Carbon copies of these abstracts are retained in this division and filed with copies of accounts cur- rent, an account current being made monthly and rendered to the Auditor for the War Department, showing all receipts, disburse- ments, and balances, by appropriations, being balanced with cash book. In this division track is kept of property issued to the State Militia or other departments or bureaus of the Government for the purpose of obtaining proper reimbursement from them to the credit of the Signal Corps appropriations. Correspondence: All letters are typewritten and sent out from this division direct. The clerks attending to certain work usually write letters and fill out forms pertaining to such work, and what little general correspondence there is that is not filed under order, quotation, or requisition number is filed in a flat, vertical, general- correspondence file, in alphabetical order. Organization and salary roll.— This division has nine clerks of the following salary grades : 1 clerk of class 3 $1,600 1 clerk of class 2 1,400 1 clerk of class 1 1,200 6 clerks, at $1,000 6,000 Total 10, 200 The following is a list of such clerks employed in this division a,nd shows the nature of the work upon which each is engaged and their specific salaries : G. I. Rowley, principal clerk, general supervision of clerical work and records of this division $1,600 S. N. Bernhardt, handling reimbursement of funds from the State Militia, etc 1, 400 A. Larviere, examination of disbursing officer's accounts, paying bills, and keeping records 1,200 F. E. Nelson, paying bills and keeping records 1, 000 C. W. Knight, paying bills and keeping records 1,000 G. A. Buswell, issuing advertisements, placing orders, and relative vi^ork_ 1, 000 J. W. Shiferli, issuing advertisements, placing orders, and relative work_ 1, 000 Two vacancies 2, 000 10,200 614 reports of commissiolsr oit economy and efficiency. Critical Comment and Constructive Recommendations. The conclusions of the commission and its recommendations are discussed under the following general captions : 1. Briefing, recording, indexing, and filing of correspondence in the mail and record section of the Administrative Division. 2. The making out of charge cards for received communications in the mail and record section of the Administrative Division. 3. The use of the daily report cards sent in from general survey depots to the Electrical and Telegraph Division. 4. The location of offices of the Signal Corps. briefing, recording, indexing, and filing correspondence in the mail and record section of the administrative division of the signal corps. - • In the mail and record section of the Administrative Division certain correspondence of the Signal Corps is given a serial file number and is recorded on record and index cards in duplicate, in addition to which other index cards are made to further index subject matter or names on such received recorded communications or replies thereto, and such recorded communications with their relevant replies or papers are, upon disposition, filed folded in serial numerical order in document files, with the duplicate copies of record and index cards, the original record, index, and cross-index cards being filed in index files under alphabetical arrangement of subject, sub- subject, or name. This present method of folding and filing docu- ments and papers in document files under serial numerical file num- bers, together with the making and filing of record and index cards, should, in the opinion of this commission, be discontinued, in ac- cordance with recommendations contained herein. The following functions of work, by the adoption of these recommendations, would be entirely eliminated : 1. The making out of a record card in duplicate for every com- munication relating to a new subject or case. 2. The making out of an index card in duplicate for every other received communication. 3. The making out of an index card in duplicate for every reply to a received recorded communication. 4. The consequent filing of original and duplicate index and record cards: (a) The filing of original in index files; (5) the filing of duplicates in document files wath original papers. The following work would also be changed : 1. The folding and filing of papers or documents in document files under serial number. OFFICE OF THE SIGNAL CORPS. 615 2. The making out and filing of cross-refevence cards, except in excej)tional cases. The filing of correspondence and papers in flat vertical files under self -indexing subjective arrangement would make unnecessary the functions of work as described above (1-4), and to a large extent would also make unnecessary the cross-indexing of correspondence. RECOMMENDATIONS. It is recommended by this commission that a change be made in the methods of filing correspondence now being followed in the mail and record room of the Signal Corps, in general accordance with the recommendations contained in Circular No. 21 issued by the commission on this subject, and which, specifically, are as follows : 1. That the system of folding correspondence and filing in docu- ment files should be discontinued, and that all correspondence should be filed flat in vertical files. 2. That the briefing of correspondence should be discontinued. 3. That all correspondence, both incoming and copies of outgoing, should be filed upon a subjective classification arranged as nearly as possible upon a self-indexing basis, and where numbers are regarded as essential, that a logical arrangement of numbers under a decimal or analogous system should be employed. 4. That no card record of incoming or outgoing correspondence should be made, thus discontinuing the making out of record and index cards now being made, excepting in certain cases where a cross- I'eference card or index would seem to be logically necessary. Attention is drawn to the fact that of the total received communi- cations, estimated at an annual approximate number of 220,000, only about 4,000 of such communications are affected by the recommenda- tions contained herein, this being the estimated number of communi- cations which it is at present the duty of the clerks in the mail and record section to attend to by indexing, recording, and filing papers and cards relative thereto, the remaining balance of communications going to other divisions of the Signal Corps to be filed by them in their own files. The reason for making these recommendations is because of the fact that while the present system may be efficient it entails an exces- sive amount of clerical work, and thereby cost, and in the opinion of this commission the method advocated herein of filing correspondence in flat vertical files arranged on a self -indexing basis will be more efficient than the present method, and much more economical. The essential requirements of the filing system, in the approximate order of their importance, which have been considered in making these recommendations may be stated as follows: (a) Certainty of 616 EEPOETS OF COMMISSIOlSr ON ECONOMY AND EFFICIENCY. obtaining a particular paper or of obtaining all the papers relating to a particular subject, and this certainty to be independent of the time that has elapsed since the filing of the paper; (b) rapidity of obtaining a particular paper or of obtaining all papers relating to a particular subject, and this rapidity to be only slightly affected by the time which has elapsed since filing; (c) rapidity with which documents may be filed; (d) cheapness of operating the system; (e) simplicity; (/) reduction to a minimum of the space required for documents; (g) miscellaneous minor requirements and desirable features, such as cross-references, numbering, etc. It is not the idea of this commission to abolish all indexes, the con- tention being that arranging the files of papers themselves upon a logical, self-indexing basis of subjects or names would naturally make unnecessary the keeping of an index to refer thereto in the great majority of cases, and where, in the opinion of the filing clerks or other people upon whom this duty might devolve, a further refer- ence or classification might be desirable, a proper cross reference might then be made out covering these cases and filed in their proper subjective arrangement in the files. It is believed that the logical arr augment of files by subjects or names will be found much better than the arbitrary numerical system which places files of papers in juxtaposition without regard to their nature or relation, and which makes necessary the prior function of referring in all cases to an index before being able to procure desired papers. It is also the experience of this commission that papers arranged in flat, vertical files are more accessible for reference than when folded in document files, and where this method is in use in Government and other offices it has been found most satisfactory in every respect. The following is a list of clerks engaged in the mail and record room, and show the nature of the work upon which each is engaged and their respective salaries.^ P. A. Bacon, in charge of recording, indexing, filing, and dispatching — $1, 400 Mrs. Eleanor Duryea, recording, indexing, filing, and dispatching 1, 200 J. M. Borochoff, recording, indexing, filing, and dispatching 1, 000 3,600 Practically the entire duty of these employees is in the recording, indexing, and filing of some 15 letters a day, with their relevant re- plies and papers, and the care of the document and index files of such recorded communications. In the opinion of this commission the work now being done by these three clerks can be adequately and efficiently performed by one clerk, the main work of whom would be the custody of the present files, the filing of correspondence (now being recorded and filed numerically) in flat vertical files arranged under a subjective self- OFFICE OF THE SIGNAL CORPS. 617 indexing classification, and the other work of folding and inclosing and checking inclosures incurred in the dispatching of some eight letters a day, and the keeping of the stationery stock and record of the Signal Office. The work incidental to the filing of the approximate number of some 15 letters a day would not seem reasonably such as to incur the services of three employees, even though the most punctilious care and attention be given thereto, even were the number of the com- munications handled greatly in excess of what they are, and in the opinion of this commission the duties and work devolving upon them could readily and carefully be performed by one clerk, who should also have considerable time to devote to other duties. The per capita work of three clerks in the mail and record section in recording, indexing, and filing some 15 letters a day, with their relevant replies, is functionally as follows : Per capita. — Five communications and five replies. Constructive functions: 1. Numbering 5 received communications. 2. Briefing 5 received communications. 3. Typevfriting 5 original record or index cards and making 5 carbon copies thereof for received communications. 4. Typewriting 15 original index cards (an approximate number of 3 per communication) for cross-index purposes. 5. Typewriting 5 original index cards and making 5 carbon copies thereof, for replies to communications. Maintenance junctions. 1. Filing 5 cards (record or index cards of communication) each in its individual alphabetical place in index files. 2. Filing 5 cards (duplicate record or index cards of communica- tions) each in its individual numerical order in document files. 3. Filing 15 cards (index, cross, or additional references) each in its individual alphabetical order in index files. 4. Filing 5 cards (index cards of replies to communications) each in its individual alphabetical order in index files. 5. Filing 5 cards (duplicate index cards of replies to communica- tions) each in its individual numerical order in document files. 6. Filing 5 received communications, each in its individual numeri- cal order in document files. 7. Filing 5 carbon copies of relevant replies thereto, each in its in- dividual numerical order in document files. Reference functions. 1. Searching index files for file number of desired papers. 2. Locating file of papers in document files by serial number. Under the proposed method constructive functions 2, 3, 4, 5, as enumerated, would be unnecessary, and consequently eliminated (ex- 618 EEPOETS OF COMMISSION" ON ECONOMY AND EPFICIEN'CY. cept that in some instances cross-reference cards would be made out) , and this would also eliminate maintenance functions 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, as enumerated. To a large degree reference function 1, as enumerated, would also be found unnecessary. Under the proposed method, the other functions enumerated would be changed as follows, and would constitute the whole functions of such method : Constructioe functions (comparative 1). — Classification of re- ceived correspondence. Maintenance functions (comparative 5). — Filing received com- munications in flat vertical self-indexing files in accordance with classification; (comparative 6) filing copies of outgoing commu- nications in flat vertical self-indexing files in accordance with classifi- cation. Reference functions (comparative 2). — Locating under character, subject or name, in accordance with classification, desired papers. Contingent in certain cases would be the following additional func- tions : Constructive. — Making cross-references. Reference. — Reference to classification. It will be noticed that of the 14 functions now being performed under the present method only 4 will be necessary in most cases, and 6 in any other, under proposed method. It will also be noticed that the functions eliminated comprise the major part of the work, in the briefing of every communication and the making out of the approxi- mate number of seven auxiliary records for every such communica- tion with its related reply, with the subsequent filing of such seven records. The functional objective in these eliminated functions is the ready reference and location of papers when filed and desired. Under the proposed method, as against the present method, these functions will not be necessary to attain the same objective, because: Briefing will not be necessary, as papers being filed flat the mat- ter thereof will show identity and subject. Record and index cards will not be necessary, as the original papers themselves will be filed under a logical arrangement of sub- ject, subsubject, or name, thereby constituting their own indexes, and reference to original papers themselves being made in place of any reference to record cards. Cross-index cards. — The papers themselves being filed under logi- cal divisions of main subjects, subdivided thereunder by subsub- jects or names, should tend to make cross-indexing unnecessary ex- cept in certain cases where two subjects might be referred to in one communication in such a way as to make a cross-reference necessary to preserve the harmony of the files under an established classifica- tion, whereas under the serial numerical system correspondence is OFFICE OF THE SIGNAL COEPS. ' 619 placed in files without regard to subject, subsubject, or names, thereby making its after location entirely dependent upon the man- ner of its indexing, which is not guided by an established classifica^ tion of correlated subjects. The nnahmg out of charge cards for received communications in the mail and record section is, in the opinion of this commission, con- sidered an extreme of care that under ordinary conditions should not be necessary. For every received communication now being recorded a charge card is made out upon its receipt, and held in a suspense file in the mail and record room pending the disposition thereof and consequent return for filing. This charge card shows the number, date, and a brief purport of communication, and is noted with the division or person charged with its proper attention, and is destroyed when related communication is returned for filing. This seems to be a precaution that could be safely dispensed with by the exercise of the usual care being bestowed toward seeing that letters are replied to and disposed of as called for by the communication, dependence on this being left to the proper people handling corre- spondence. If a rule be established that letters pending disposition or action be not kept in files or in desks, pending reply or attention thereto, it would seem that this dependence upon correspondents in the Signal Corps should be sufficient. The use of the daily report cards sent in from general supply depots to the Electrical and Telegraph Division. — A daily report card is sent in by the three general supply depots maintained at Fort Wood, New York Harbor; Fort Omaha, Nebr. ; and Fort Mason, Cal., showing the daily receipt and issue of certain property and the balance on hand of property affected thereby, it being the idea and purpose of same that this showing of balances of material as affected precludes possibilities of error between the stock cards of these de- pots as kept in the office of the Electrical and Telegraph Division and those kept at the gelieral supply depots, and also lessens the necessity of periodical inventories from the general supply depots to check the stock cards kept in this division of their stock. The daily report is substantiated with invoices, receipts, or vouchers, and at present items as shown thereon are copied on same in full. The present procedure of the Electrical and Telegraph Divi- sion is to check these invoices, receipts, or vouchers against the ac- companying daily report card and then to post from this daily report card to general supply depot stock carde, at the same time verifying balances of affected material as shown thereon with balances on stock cards. It is suggested and recommended by this commission that this prac' tice be discontinued, as the copying of items on daily report where 620 REPORTS OF COMMISSION OX ECONOMY AND EFFICIENCY. they are shown in full on submitted invoices, receipts, or vouchers is unnecessary duplication of work. The memorandum notations of balances could be made on such invoices, receipts, or vouchers direct, and posting" and verifying be made from such invoices, receipts, and vouchers, without the use of this intermediate record of the daily report. A daily report could be sent in from the general suj)ply depots showing the numbers of invoices, receipts, or vouchers, with the names of the consignors and consignees, this serving as an advice and check to the Electrical and Telegraph Division that all invoices, receipts, or vouchers sent in by the general supply depots have been duly received. It is understood that these invoices and receipts are num- bered in serial order by the general supply depots, and this will, of course, continue to be the practice. It is also suggested and recommended that invoices and receipts should be filed under names of consignees and not in serial order of their numbers, as is the present practice. In a great many in- stances property returns are filed in this office for audit in the interim of the semiannual returns called for on June 30 and Decem- ber 31, and at present there is no satisfactory check to see that such officers duly report all material received. It should also be required that all property officers making transfers of material, one to an- other, should send in invoices and receipts of transactions at the time of such transfer and not with the semiannual return, as is now being done. Before clearance certificate is issued there should be a check against this file under name of consignee to see that he has properly accounted for all material shipped to him. These invoices and receipts as checked against property returns should be transferred to another file, thus leaving all invoices and receipts to be accounted for in one file. The effect of putting this recommendation in force will be the clerical time saved at the three general supply depots in making out daily reports as at present, substituting therefor a brief memorandum of advice of invoices, receipts, or vouchers sent in, and the insuring of a more accurate audit of property returns sent in during the interim between semiannual property returns. Location of o-fflces of the Signal Corps. — The fact that the mail and record room in the Administrative Division of the Signal Corps is at some little distance from the other offices of the Administrative Division entails the spending of quite a considerable amount of time on the part of clerks and messengers of the Signal Corps in transit between, which would not be the case were these offices adjoining. This is also the case with the Electrical and Telegraph Division at 1710 Pennsylvania Avenue. Were the offices of this division situated OFFICE OF THE SIGNAL COEPS. 621 in contiguity to the other divisions of the Signal Corps a great deal of time now spent by messengers and. to a lesser degree, by the clerksy would be saved in this and other divisions of the Signal Corps. The work of the Electrical and Telegraph Division and the Disbursing Division in some respects is closely related, and were the offices of these two divisions contiguous to each other certain records now being kept in one of these divisions could be eliminated, as the same records are now being kept in both divisions. This notably is the case with the card record of material and prices, and with the photographic copies of orders placed by the Disbursing Division, now being sent to the Electrical and Telegraph Division. Attention is drawn to these existing conditions, but no specific recommendation is made, as the matter of- physical location of offices is now being separately considered by this commission and will be duly reported on. The adoption of these recommendations will make possible a sav- ing of $2,400 out of the total of $3,600 in salary expense in the Ad- ministrative Division of the Signal Corps of the War Department and will also save a considerable amount of clerical work at the general supply depots of the corps reporting to the Electrical and Telegraph Division. Eespectfully submitted. F. A. Cleveland, W. W. Waewick, Merritt O. Chance, Commissioners^ THE HANDLING AND FILING OF COR- RESPONDENCE IN THE OFFICE OF THE CHIEF OF ORDNANCE. 62c THE HANDLING AND FILING OF CORRESPONDENCE IN THE OFFICE OF THE CHIEF OF ORDNANCE. Introduction, with Summary of Recommendations of the Com- mission. The office of the Chief of Ordnance is made up of seven divisions, as follows: Mail and Record Division, Administrative Division, Small Arms and Equipment Division, Gun Division, Carriage Divi- sion, Property Division, Finance Division. The location, organization, and work of the Mail and Record Divi- sion are described in Section II of this report. Descriptive state- ments for the other divisions are not presented in this report, since no recommendations on the work of these divisions are made at this time. The critical comments and constructive suggestions of the commission are set forth in Section III. Briefly stated, the recommendations of the commission are: (1) That the recording of correspondence be discontinued; (2) that correspondence be filed flat, and as nearly as possible on a self- indexing basis. The saving which it is thought could be effected by making these changes is $10,000, or approximately 60 per cent of the present cost. II. Description of the Location, Work, Methods, Organization, AND Salary Expense of the Mail and Record Division. location. The Mail and Record Division and the files in its custody occupy two rooms and part of a third on the first floor of the State, "War, and Navy Building. The rooms are numbers 137, 139, and 141. The number of employees in these rooms is as follows : Rooms 137 and 139 15 Room 141 (part) ^ 1 16 72734°— H. Doc. 1252, 62-3 40 625 626 KEPOETS OF COMMISSION ON ECONOMY AND EFFICIENCY. FUNCTIONS AND WORK. Of the total incoming correspondence, estimated at 118,000 pieces annually, about 52,235 pieces come to this division for action. This incoming correspondence is classified as follows: (a) Miscellaneous letters 17, 875 <&) Letters from ordnance establishments 9,202 ^ on special articles which are not kept in stock, (c) To maintain a record ecif ^in- consumable property of the Department of Justice, (d) To receive a^J dis- tribute all publications of the Department of Justice ; also United States Re- ports and Digest, Federal Report and Digest, public acts, advance sheets Deci- sions Supreme Court, session laws, Statutes at Large, and law books purchased under the appropriation, "Books for judicial affairs." (e) To maintain a stock record. (/) To maintain a record of all requisitions, (g) To order, receive, and distribute all printed matter of the department, (h) Other mis- cellaneous duties. The administrative head of the division is a clerk of class 4. The force over which he has direction is a clerk of class 3 ($1,600), two clerks of class D ($900 each), a packer, and a laborer. General description of the loork of division. This office maintains its own files for incoming and outgoing correspondence. About 50 per cent of its correspondence goes direct to the division unopened. A large part of the remainder is opened in the Division of Mails and Files, a few scattered communications coming from other offices of the department. It is estimated that the volume of incoming correspondence per annum aggre- gates in the neighborhood of 15,000 communications. These may be divided into the following classes : Miscellaneous letters 2, 500 Letters received but not pertaining to the division 250 Memos from Division of Accounts 200 Memos, miscellaneous 200 Departmental requisitions for stationery and supplies 2, 500 Departmental orders and circulars 50 Notices of change from the appointment clerk • 75 Notes or bills, Form 9, D. C 1, 500 Examiners' reports -25 Requisitions for supplies. United States courts 1, 600 Receipted duplicates of requisitions for supplies. United States courts 1, 600 Worlc relating to incoming mail. Opening and distribution. — The incoming correspondence, opened and un- opened, is placed upon the desk of Mr. Sherwood, the clerk in charge. He opens that portion which has come direct and places upon the face of all communica- tions a stamp indicating the time of their receipt in the division. For the pur- pose of handling the correspondence he distributes the mail in baskets on his desk, indicating the clerk in the division to whom the respective division of mail should be referred for action. This division is divided into the following classes: (a) Requisitions for supplies for United States courts, judicial officers, and employees of the department at Washington; (&) vouchers for the above; (c) letters and communications concerning Government property. 72734°— H. Doc. 1252, 62-3 44 690 BEPOETS OF COMMISSION ON ECONOMY AND EFFICIENCY. Briefing. — No briefs of incoming mail are made in this office/ Indexing and recording. Requisitions for supplies. — It is estimated tliat 85 per cent of the incoming correspondence consists of requisitions for supplies and correspondence relat- ing thereto A statement furnished by this divsion shows that during the fiscal year 1911, 8,844 signed requests (that is, requisitions) were made for supplies. Ninety per cent of the requisitions received from judicial officers for supplies are made on printed forms (17-A amended) provided for that purpose. This form is 13| by 8J inches in dimension. On this requisition blank, in the spaces provided, are shown the quality of the article desired which is on hand, the c. antity required, and description of the article required. .Each requisition (whicn is made out in duplicate) carries a receipt. As above noted, about 10 per cent of the requisitions come in the form of letters. In such instances blank forms are filled out, to which are attached the original correspondence furnishing the authority. Requisitions for sup- plies as above described are referred to a clerk of class D (Mr. Brewer). He places a stamp on the two copies indicating " original " and " duplicate." As soon as the order is made out the clerk making out the order inserts his initials, the number of the order, and the date, in the blank space provided for that purpose. The purpose of this stamp is to show the articles have been ordered (and that steps have been taken to secure for the official sending in the requisition the article or articles desired). The fourth stamp is used to indicate that all the articles to be furnished from stock (or that are on the stock record) have been charged. The following is an illustration of the stamp used for this purpose: ENTEEBD IN Stock record Property record (After the article or articles included in the requisition have been taken from stock and shipped, a charge is made to the stock record and the clerk making the charge enters his initials and date of the entry in the blank spaces of the same.) Each requisition as above described is assigned an arbitrary serial number, each new requisition taking the next unassigned number. Recording and indexing (incoming correspondence). — The division maintains a " Record of requisitions " for supplies furnished the United States courts officials and a record of proofs, estimates, and bills received from the Public Printer. (The latter record, however, originates under the head of "Outgoing correspondence," inasmuch as the original records are made from requisitions on the Public Printer prepared in the division. The subsequent entries of records of proofs, estimates, and bills received are merely returns from the original requisitions sent out.) (a) Record of requisitions: The record of requisitions is a bound volume containing 100 pages, size 131 hy 16 inches. On a continuous line across the page provision is made for the following information : Requests made, date received, name of the official, title, official address, description of supplies desired, requisition returned for receipt, receipted requisition received. 1 It should also be noted that the Division of Mails and Files does not record all of that portion of the mail for this oflSce which it receives for distribution. The reason as- signed is that it is not of sufficient importance. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE. 691 The requisitions are numbered consecutivelj-, tlie puri)Ose of the numbering being to provide an easy reference to the requisition. Separate records are kept for each fiscal year, the numbering being continuous. The serial number, the date on which the requisition is made out, and the date on which it was received in the division, the name of the official, title, and description of supplies are transferred to this record as soon as the requisition is referred to the clerk in charge of this record (Mr. Brewer) for his attention. When all of the articles have been shipped, the packer making the shipment makes note of same on the face of the original requisition and refers the same to Mr. Brewer. The packer forwards the duplicate to the official for his receipt. Mr. Brewer then makes proper entry in the column " Duplicate sent for receipt." It will be noted that when the official has received all the articles asked for in his requisition he signs the receipt which the requisition carries and returns it to the department. The final entry is then made in this record under the title " Receipted requisition received." This final entry shows that the goods have been sent and receipted for and that a final disposition has been made of the matter. Keeping of subsidiary index. — A subsidiary index of the " Record of requisi- tions " is also kept. This is in a separate book of 26 leaves, one leaf — or two pages — being devoted to each letter of the alphabet. On a continuous line provision is made for marshals, attorneys, judges, clerks. This index, together with the original record of requisitions, enables the division to refer to the requisitions either by reference to the official making the request or by the number thereof. One entry of the name in the sub- sidiary index serves for all subsequent requests, in that the only additional entry which is necessary for a future request is the serial number of the requi- sition. When a requisition has been indexed a check is placed in the lower left-hand corner of the same opposite the number of the requisition. One volume of 100 pages is sufficient to maintain this record during each fiscal year. The foregoing recording and indexing is done by Mr. Brewer. His com- pensation per annum is $900 and, it is estimated, consumes about 25 per cent of his whole time. The net cost therefor per annum would be $225. or $28.12 per thousand. Work related to outgoing correspondence. Preparation. — It is estimated that in the neighborhood of about 16,000 com- munications are prepared annually in this division. The outgoing correspond- ence might be classified as follows : Per cent, (a) Miscellaneous letters and memos, for the Division of Accounts and other offices (dictated) 20 (&) Requisitions on the Public Printer (printed form filled in with pen) 10 (c) Requisition for supplies to United States courts (returned to officials by whom they were originally prepared) 10 {d) Orders for supplies to the United States courts (printed form filled in with ink) 5^ (e) Orders for supplies to the department at Washington (printed form filled in with ink) 6^ (/) Circular letters (printed) 22 ivision of Federal Court Investigation. Necessarily the control and direction of the field agents, accountants, and •employees in the prosecution of the investigations outlined is effected through -correspondence received and prepared in the office. This takes the form of reports, letters, telegrams, etc. The bureau maintains its own files for such correspondence, which is handled entirely independent of the central file in the Division of Mail and Files.* Work related to incoming correspondence. Receiving and opening. — The volume of correspondence received in this bureau aggregates 40,800 communications annually. This may be divided into the fol- lowing classes: Reports, letters, and telegrams from special agents^ 24,000 Reports, letters, and telegrams from examiners* 3,700 Reports, letters, and telegrams from bank accountants* 3, 700 Miscellaneous reports, letters, and telegrams " 9, 400 At least 95 per cent of the above mail is received by the chief clerk of the "bureau, Mr. Gardner, direct from the chief messenger. He, or his assistant, Mr. 1 The order of the Attorney General providing for the recording of all mail in the Division of Mail and Files expressly excepted the Bureau of Investigation. 2 There are 70 special agents who report daily. 3 There are 12 examiners who report weekly and at the conclusion of each general or special examination. * There are 20 accountants who report weekly and at the conclusion of each investi- gation. 5 From special employees of this bureau and other departments of the Government, chiefs of bureaus, and other officers of State and city governments, and from individuals throughout the country. Y04 EEPOETS OF COMMISSIOlSr ON ECONOMY AND EFFICIENCY. Jenkins, opens same and stamps it (together with the remainder of the incoming correspondence, 5 per cent, which, addressed to the Attorney General, is opened in the Division of Mail and Files) with the date of receipt. The following is an illustration of this stamp which is placed on the face of each incoming com- mnnication : bureau of investigation. DbpartmeJjt op Justice. March 1, 1911. RECEIVED. The chief clerk, or his assistant, inspects the mail to determine that the proper number of carbon copies have been furnished, and also that all inclosures mentioned are received. No recording or indexing or briefing is done in this oflSce, and hence the In- coming correspondence is classified by the chief clerk or his assistant for ref- erence and distribution to the persons or ofiicers in the bureau who are in charge of the department of work to which the letters relate. The incoming correspondence for this purpose is divided into the following classes: 1. Correspondence relating to the work of special agents. 2. Correspondence relating to the work of examiners. 3. Correspondence relating to the work of bank accountants. 4. Correspondence relating to applications for positions in connection with this bureau. 5. Miscellaneous correspondence. The reports from special agents (daily) and examiners and accountants (weekly) are required to be furnished in duplicate (unless additional copies are needed for special use). The duplicate originals or copies are separated from the originals and referred to the supervising special agent, supervising accountant, or supervising examiner, as the case may be. After action has been taken by the officer to whom the report is referred it is sent to the files, where it is filed under the name of the agent (as hereinafter described). The originals of the reports are then assembled in the order in which they are sub- mitted to the Attorney General on the morning following their receipt, a^z, by classes of cases. The reports so assembled are referred to the chief of the bureau, who reads them and makes marginal notations in red ink to assist the Attorney General in his study of their contents. An index to the reports so assembled is prepared. This index consists of a list of the cases on which reports are rendered, classified in the order in which they appear, and a list of the agents, accountants, and examiners (alphabetically arranged under each group) whose reports are assembled for the Attorney General's inspection.^ The index sheets to the reports, as hereinafter described, are detached from the original and retained by the chief clerk, who makes examinations of the statements of expense account and prepares all correspondence relating thereto. The foregoing reports from the special agents, accountants, and examiners are, under the present practice, furnished to this bureau on a form (the same form being used for all three classes of employees) specially provided for that ^ It should be noted that this is not a step required in the handling and filing of cor- respondence of this bureau. It has no reference to its flies and is of no value to its system of handling correspondence. It is solelj' for the convenience of the Attorney General. DEPAETMENT OF JUSTICE. 705 purpose. The initial sheet of the report, which is furnished on letter-size paper (8 by lOJ inches), is in the following form: " Report made by : Date for which made : Place where made : Date when made ; Title of case and offense charged or nature of matter under investigation: Statement of operations, evidence collected, names and addresses of persons interviewed, places visited, etc. : Cop5' of this report furnished to : This sheet contains: («) Index to the report; (6) statement of expense. The body of the report is made on paper with similar rulings. Miscellaneous or general correspondence is referred by the chief clerk to the chief of the bureau, who . personally inspects all mail of this character. It is either acted upon by him personally or referred by him to the assistant who has charge of the particular class of work to which the correspondence relates or the chief clerk who has charge of all correspondence relating to accounts, supplies, etc. Extra copies of the reports in all antitrust ca.ses are referred by the chief clerk immediately upon opening same to the special investigator and the assis- tant to the Attorney General who has charge of this work. The disposition of this incoming correspondence is fully considered under filing. 'Wor'k, related to outgoing correspondence. Preparation of correspondence. — The volume of correspondence prepared in this bureau aggregates 16,680 communications annually. The manner of prepa- ration is as follows : Per cent. Typewritten letters 75 Printed forms 5 Telegrams 20 The printed forms are forms used for the transmission of checks and for pay- ment of accounts. The telegrams are typewritten upon a form specially pro- vided for that purpose. The correspondence is dictated to the stenographer by the person to whom the original correspondence was referred. Outgoing communications are initialed by the stenographer preparing same and ths dictator to whom they are submitted for review. It is then referred to the chief of bureau, who either initials or signs same. Most of the correspondence emanating from this office is what might be called bureau correspondence, the original of which bears the autograph signature of the chief of bureau. Some 72734— H. Doc. 1252, 62-3 45 706 EEPOETS OF COMMISSIOIS^ ON ECONOMY AND EFFICIENCY. corresponclence, however, must be submitted to the Attorney General for his signature, in which case the chief of bureau, after reviewing same, initials and sends it to the chief clerk of the department to" be referred to the Attorney General. Letters transmitting checks or relating to auditing of monthly accounts are signed by the chief clerk of the bureau for the chief of the bureau. When- ever anything is promised in the letter which requires attention of the office In the future a " copy for tickler " is made. This copy is made upon a pale blue sheet of ordinary weight, letter size which bears its title at the top and at the right-hand corner a space for the date. This copy is prepared as would be an extra carbon copy of any correspondence. The one dictating the letter, after the correspondence is prepared, inserts in the right-hand corner the date when an answer should be received or the action indicated taken. This copy goes to the chief of the bureau with the original. It is inspected by him and referred to the filing clerk, who places it in the tickler file, as hereinafter described. When the date indicated on the copy for tickler has arrived the matter is called to the attention of the clerk who prepares the correspondence. This arrangement insures the closest supervision over the execution of orders and instructions of the office. Preparation of carbon copies. — Ordinarily but one copy is made of outgoing correspondence prepared in this office. Many exceptions are made to this rule in order to meet the requirements of the special cases which arise. The copy which is made of every letter or communication originating in this office is for the bureau files. Two carbon copies are made of letters relating to the work of the examiners, the extra copy being used by the examiner who is detailed to assist the chief of the bureau in supervising this work. In the case of letters signed by the Attorney General or an assistant attorney general, an additional copy is made for the central files, and generally a third copy for the files of the division of accounts. When letters relate to the prosecution of national-bank cases, a fourth carbon copy is made for the use of the assist- ant attorney general having charge of such cases. The following is a statement of the names and the salary of persons engaged in preparing correspondence and the estimated portion of the whole time of each consumed in such work: Name. Salary. Portion of whole time engaged upon work. Net cost. S. W. Finch, chief of bureau. A. B. Bielaski W. H. Ramsey J. W. Gardner, chief clerk . . . B. W. Andrews Mr. Jenkins, iitility clerk Mr. Gerhart, stenographer ' . Mr.. Wilsdorf , stenographer i. Miss Stevens, stenographer 2. $3, 000 2, 500 2,500 2,250 2, 250 1,400 900 900 900 Per cent. 5 33J 20 10 20 25 80 80 Total. $150 833 600 225 450 360 720 720 720 4,168 1 Stenographer for the chief of bureau, first assistant (Bielaski) and the chief clerk. 2 Prepares correspondence for the assistants supervising the work of examiners (Ramsey) and account- ants (Andrews). Press copying. — Press copying is not practiced, and at present a carbon copy filed' with the letter to which it is an answer serves as the only record of out- DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE. 707 going correspondence, except in those cases where additional copies are pre- pared. The preparation of the carbon copy has already been considered. Filing of correspondence (incoming and outgoing). — All the correspondence, both incoming and outgoing, is retained in the files of this bureau. A separate room is used for the files. A flat, vertical filing system is used exclusively ; the files are self-indexing,^ and the classification of files is simple and well adapted to the needs of the bureau. The duplicates of the daily reports of the special agents and other similar employees and the weekly reports of the examiners, special examiners, and accountants are filed in chronological order under the names of the different employees. The reports of special agents, examiners, and accountants, and carbon copies of office letters to such employees are filed in separate folders adjacent to the reports thereof. Division cards carrying the names of the employees are used. The originals of the summary or final reports of examiners or special exam- iners (who act as departmental inspectors of court officers and. who are engaged in the collection of evidence pertaining to same) are filed in the Division of Mail and Files. The extra copy of such reports, together with the copies of correspondence written by the bureau relating thereto, are filed in the exam- iners' or special examiners' files of this bureau. The files are arranged pri- marily by districts, within the districts by classes of officials, such as United States attorneys' letters, memorandums, and reports; United States marshals' letters, memorandums, and reports ; United States courts clerks' letters, mem- orandums, and reports; United. States commissioners' letters, memorandums, and reports. Miscellaneous correspondence from or to court officials is filed in the same manner as the general reports from examiners — that is, under the name of the district from which correspondence is received — special folders being used for marshals, attorneys, clerks, commissioners, etc. Department files. — Correspondence with the executive departments (the origi- nal letters from and carbon copies of letters to) and the officials thereof are filed under the different departments, respectively. Miscellaneous files. — Miscellaneous correspondence — that is, correspondence which can not be classified according to department or district — is filed in a separate file arranged alphabetically according to the name of the writer or address. This correspondence is with the chiefs of police and other officers of the city and State governments as well as other individuals throughout the country. Applicants' files. — Applications for positions in the bureau, together with correspondence relating thereto, is filed separately in the applicants' files. The files are divided primarily into those for special agents, accountants, and miscellaneous. Tickler file.- — We have spoken of the purpose of the tickler file. The pri- mary divisions of this file are the months of the year. Under each month the file clerk files the tickler copies chronologically according to the date in the right-hand corner. He examines the file daily and upon the arrival of the dates indicated, refers the correspondence to the clerk preparing same. We have already touched upon the separate files for each of the three classes of files for field employees, special agents, examiners, and special examiners, and bank accountants. These files contain the copies of the reports filed alpha- betically according to the name and under each name in chronological order. 5- Except the numerical file of cases. 708 EEPOETS OF COMMISBION ON ECONOMY AND EFFICIENCY. 'Numerical flic of cases. — Special agents and bank accountants are engaged in the collection of evidence in civil and criminal cases to which the United States is a party. An additional file is kept for all of their reports (both being treated in the same manner). The duplicates, as already indicated, are filed alphabetically according to the names of the employees. The originals, how- ever, are filed in the numerical file under the number of the case. Blue folders of heavy cardboard 9i by llf inches are used for all corre- spondence of letter size. Guide cards of a slate color 11^ by 9i inches, vs^ith a projection in the upper left-hand corner to indicate the case number, are used for the numerical files. For the other files containing letter-size corre- spondence similar folders are used with .manila guide cards. At the top of these in the center is a projection on which is indicated appropriate notations. The assignment of the number under which the cases are filed in this file is entirely arbitrary. The numbering is continuous from oue up and upon the institution of a new investigation the pending case is assigned the number nest after the one last used. Inasmuch as the cases are filed in the foregoing file by reference to an arbitrary number, it is not self-indexing. For this reason a card index is maintained to this file. The cai'ds are arranged alphabetically by individuals and subjects. Each case is elaborately cross referenced according to the name of the defendant in the case, character of the case, place, prosecuting wit- nesses, etc. Consultation of flies. — The file clerk is charged with the duty of securing from the files papers which any person in the bureau may desire to withdraw. He makes an appropriate charge of same to the person to whom they are delivered. Disposition of files. — When an investigation has been completed, the papers are withdrawn from the files containing current documents and placed in transfer cases. Files are not destroyed. Mr. Phillips, the file clerk, has chargs of the files and does all the filing for this bureau. It is estimated that in the neighborhood of 55,000 communications are filed annually. Mr. Phillips' salary is $900 per annum, which constitutes the net annual cost of this feature of the work. The equipment consists of Yawman & Erbe vertical filing cabinets and Yawman &, Erbe card index cabinets. Dispatching. — As soon as the bureau correspondence (that is the correspond- ence which is not submitted to the Attorney General for signature) is prepared and reviewed as before indicated, it is referred to the chief clerk of the bureau, by him and his assistant placed in addressed envelopes, sealed, and sent to the post oflSce with the other mail of the department. The envelopes are sealed by hand, the Peerless Envelope Moistener being used. It is estimated that 2 per cent of the time of the chief clerk and 5 per cent of his assistant's is con- sumed in the dispatching of the mail. This would make a net annual cost of $115. 6. ORGANIZATION AND METHODS, OFFICE OF APPOINTMENT CLERK. General statement pertaining to organization and duties. The ofiice of appointment clerk was created by act of Congress approved February 25, 1903. The administrative head of this oflSce is the appointment clerk whose annual compensation is $2,000. The office force consists of two clerks at $1,600 each. The appointment clerk has charge of all matters relating to applications, recommendations, and appointments, including certifica- tions by the Civil Service Commission. He conducts correspondence pertaining DEPAKTMENT OF JUSTICE. 709 to the foregoing, prepares nominations to be sent to llie Senate, commissions and appointments for officers and employees of the department in Washington, and for United. States judges, attorneys, marshals, and other otRcers. This office is also charged with the compilation of the register of the Department of Justice and with the preparation of data relating to that department for the official register of the United States. The office of the appointment clerk comes within the second classification mentioned; namely, those offices handling and filing their own correspondence to the extent that they maintain separate or subordinate files independent of the central files. Work related to incoming mail. Practically all of the mail is opened in the mail and files division (the chief messenger is considered for that purpose as an employee of that division) where it is stamped and recorded. The record there made is the same record which is made for all official mail that is handled by that division, except that the file and serial number are omitted. This record serves as an easy reference to a communication (indicating to whom it has been assigned for action) and as a charge for the same. After this mail is opened, stamped, and recorded in the division of mail and files, it is delivered to the office of the appointment clerk, being placed on his desk. All of the correspondence in this office relates to appointments — real or prospective. The communications falling under this head cover a great variety of subjects, such as applications, indorsements, cer- tifications, resignations, oaths, transfers, reinstatements, and requests for in- formation, etc. The volume of correspondence received and handled by this office annually is estimated at 26,000 communications. Of this number six-sevenths consists of applications for appointment and indorsements connected therewith. The remainder might be classified as: Oaths (resignations and letters accompanying) 1,000 Requests for information 1, 000 Miscellaneous 2,000 The appointment clerk (Mr. Sornberger) personally divides and distributes the incoming correspondence. It is divided into the following classes : (a) Matters to be noted in the notice of changes and afterwards filed, (&) indorsements to be filed, (c) letters to be answered and matters requiring in- vestigation, {(I) miscellaneous. It is estimated that this work of inspecting and distributing the mail con- sumes about 5 per cent of the appointment clerk's time ; the net salary cost therefor amounting to $100 per annum. Briefing. — The major portion of the correspondence is not briefed.^ A brief of all the papers of an applicant, or of all the papers of all the applicants, for a particular vacancy is frequently made. Such a brief usully shows the name, residence, and occupation of each indorser, and sometimes a summarj^ of his statement as to applicant. A few other communications are briefed in this office. These consist of letters and certifications from the Civil Service Com- mission, letters from wardens of United States penitentiaries, and letters and memorandums from officers of the Department of Justice. The briefs are made either by the appointment clerk himself or the indexing and recording clerk 1 It is true that, as a substitute for briefing, the names of the applicants and the posi- tions sought are underscored when the indorsements of applicants are examined. This is principally for convenience in filing. 710 EEPOETS OF COMMISSION ON ECONOMY AND EFFICIENCY. (Miss Wright). Tliis briefing consists of 10 or 15 words, made either by type- writer or pen, and shows the date, origin, or subject of the paper. A special form is used for briefing — 8 by lOf inches. At the top of the form the name of the department is printed, below which are the following items : Dated , 1912. Received , 1912. From : Civil Service Commission. Subject : Has temporary employment of John Smith been termi- nated? Referred to . Action : . Answered December 27, 1910. The items underlined, talcen from the exhibit furnished, show the character of the information indicated on this form. When folded, the form of jacket upon which this brief is made talies the form of a document 8 by 3% inches, completely inclosing the correspondence briefed, and is ready for the files. The names and salaries of persons engaged in briefing correspondence and the estimated portion of the whole time of each consumed in this work and the cost thereof is as follows: Name. Annual sala^J^ Portion of whole time engaged upon work. Net cost. Wright, Elizabeth $1,600 2,000 Per cent. 5 5 $80 Sornborger, C. B 100 Total net cost 180 Recording and indexing. — A card index is kept for new applicants. On receipt of each new application an index card 3 by 5 inches is filled out, show- ing the name and address of the applicant, position sought, and the date filed. These cards are arranged alphabetically, a new index being commenced with each new presidential administration. Each application is aknowledged (if not already acknowledged by the President) and the application is placed in a jacket or file cover, hereinafter to be described, in which are placed other indorsements as received. Pursuant to an order of the Attorney General of February 18, 1910, a birth record is kept of every employee in the Department of Justice. This is also a card-index record alphabetically arranged. A third card-index record is kept for the offices and field deputy marshals, stenographers, and messengers to the district judges. Information for this record is obtained from the Division of Accounts, and hence, strictly speaking, the work does not fall under indexing and recording of correspondence. Tliis card index is arranged according to districts, and under the districts the cards are filed according to the rank of the officer or clerk. Changes in the appointments records indicated by the incoming correspondence (as well as by the carbons of outgoing letters and other papers) are placed in a basket as received, and from these and press-copy books a notice of changes DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE. 711 in appointments is prepared on the typewriter every few days. Tlie form and character of this record is as follows : Department of Justjce, Office of the Appointment Clerk, Xo. 42. Fehmary 10, 1911. Changes and information regarding appointments are certified as follows : United States Penitentiary Service: Thomas S. Johnson, superintendent of construction, McNeil Island Penitentiary; appointed February 7, 1911 (by transfer from master mechanic. Lighthouse Service, Dept. C. & L. ) ; compensation, $5 a day, commencing with e. o. d. (C. S. Cert. 12011). Oliver Grimes, guard, Atlanta Penitentiary; appointed February 7, 1911 (by transfer from watchman, Int. Dept.) ; salary, $840 per aimum, connneneing on e. o. d. (vice H. J. Abbey, resigned). John L. Wallace, guard ; McNeil Island ; oath and e. o. d., Feb. 1/11. William P. Graham, guard ; ^IcNeil Island ; oath and e. o. d., Feb. 1/11. Jasper A. E. Clark, guard ; Leavenworth ; oath and e. o. d., Feb. 1/11. John L. Rigney, temporary guard: McNeil Island; service termi- nated at close of January 31, 1911. William F. Muehe, temporary guard ; McNeil Island ; service terminated at close of Januaiy 31, 1911. Copies of this notice are distributed to the various offices of the department for general information and the correction of registers. In the recording and indexing of correspondence, it is estimated that about 1,500 cards are used annually. These records are made by Miss Wright, who devotes about 5 per cent of her time on such work. Her annual salary is $1,600, which makes the net salary cost $80 per annum. Work related to outgoing mail. Preparation. — It is estimated that 4,000 communications are prepared annually in the office of the appointment clerk. The character of this corrv^- spondence, of course, agrees with that of the incoming correspondence, which has already been classified. Ninety per cent of the communications are type- written, about 10 per cent consisting of communications on printed forms. Most of this correspondence is dictated to stenographers by the appointment clerk. The letters when written are initialed in typewriting by the stenographers. These initials show the person who dictated the letter and the person who wrote it. The letter is then initialed with a pen by the appointment clerk and by such officer, if any, who may have responsibility or interest in the matter. One carbon is made of all correspondence, and if the matter relates to some subject of which the Division of Mail and Files maintains a file, an extra copy is made and turned over to that division. But a small part of the correspondence of this office, however, relates to such matters. The cor- respondence thus prepared is press-copied in this office and the press copy bound as hereinafter indicated. 712 KEPOKTS OF COMMISSION OlST ECONOMY AND EFFICIENCY. The names and salaries of persons engaged in preparing tlie correspondence and tlie estimated portion of the whole time of each consumed in this work and the cost thereof is as follows : Name. Annual salary. Portion of whole time upon wori:. Net cost. Kenyon, Fodie B . , Somborger, C. B . . Wright, Elizabeth. Total net cost. f 1, 600 2,000 1,600 Per cent. 50 25 10 S800 500 160 1,460 Recording, indexing, and press copying {outgoing correspondence) . Appointment record. — Records and indexes of several kinds are kept of the outgoing mail. In the first place a card index is kept as a record of appoint- ments and changes in appointments. This record is kept on 3 by 5 inch cards, which are arranged primarily by grades of salary and under each grade alpha- betically, according to the name of the appointee. Upon the card provision is made for the following information: Name, . Position, ; vice, ■ . Appropriation of office, . Original appointment, . Oath, . Salary, ; per . Where born. — ; State, Date of birth, district, Legal residence. county. ; congressional Office record, Carbon-copy record. — An index is made of such carbon copies as affect the appointment records. This is made on loose leaves of letter size which have special rulings and columns provided for the details of the outgoing letters. The following illustrates the character of the data furnished on this form, together with its arrangement : Date. Subject. 1911. Jan. 5. . . Jan. 7... Atkins, M. C... Akerman, Alex. Resignation accepted (guard Atlanta) Grand jury authority W. H. Wynne, prosecutions . One carbon copy of each communication so indexed and the loose-leaf index are bound in book form every six months. This is retained in the office for a per- manent record. Carbon copies of letters which do not make, amend, or Indi- rectly affect appointments are filed with the letters answered. Two carbon books were bound in 1910, one of SOO pages and one of 750 pages, with loose- leaf indexes of 33 and 31 pages, respectively. Press copying. — All the outgoing correspondence relating to this office, whether written by the Attorney General, appointment clerk, or other officers in the department, are press copied in the appointment office by a department mes- senger. It should be noted that when the letter relates also to a subject in the general files of the department which is indicated by the file number or assigned to it, it is also press copied in the general file book. The press copying is done in a bound copy book containing 500 pages. Each book is indexed. Each index contains the name of the person to whom the letter press copied is addressed and the page on which it appears. Ten press copy books of 500 pages each were used in this office in 1910. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE. 713 The names and salaries of persons engaged in recording and indexing out- going correspondence and press copying, and the estimated portion of the whole time of each consumed in this work and the cost thereof is as follows : Name. Annual salary. Portion of whole time upon work. Net cost Wright, Elizabeth Kenyon, Fobie B Department messenger. Total net cost Per cent. $1,600 1,600 720 S800. 00 32.00 21.60 853. 60 Filmg of correspondence. Equipment. — One room is devoted to filing. A case containing 120 drawers, each 10 by 5 by 16, including one drawer for each judicial district, is used for pending presidential appointments. The filing is flat horizontal. A set of 27 drawers, for vertical filing, is used for applications for presidential appoint- ments which have been disposed of. These drawers, 16 by 12 by 24 inches, are manufactured by the Globe Co. A set of 42 document file jackets 12 by 12 by 5 inches, made by the Globe Co., is used for filing other applications and papers. Filmg system. — Applications and indorsements for presidential oflices are filed fiat in jackets provided especially for that purpose. The size of these jackets is 14* by 9 inches. On the front of the jacket space is provided for the name of the applicant, address, position sought, and date. A similar jacket is used for protests against the appointment sought and for miscellaneous com- munications. On the last two" similar information appears upon the face of the jacket. In the files for the pending applicants the jackets are filed fiat and horizontally; in the files of applicants which have been disposed of ver- tical filing prevails. As indicated, a separate drawer is used for each judicial district. Within each drawer the jackets are arranged alphabetically according to the names of candidates. For each candidate the files would contain the application of the applicant, together with indorsements in the one jacket, protests against that appointment in another jacket, and in a third jacket is filed the miscella- neous correspondence. It is to be noted, however, that all of the information or correspondence relating to the appointment is not filed in the files of this office. If charges are furnished against a person in oflice, such charges (after hav- ing been stamped and recorded by the general file) come to the appointment clerk for action, after which they are returned to the files for permanent filing. Again, in the case of application for appointment as special agent of the department, the bureau of investigation sends out a form of application, and upon receipt of same refers it to this ofiice for action, after which it is again returned to that office for permanent filing. The bond furnished by a United States marshal after he has qualified is filed in the special files of the Division of Accounts. Applications for other positions in the Department of Justice are filed in folded jacket documents. This jacket is letter size, v,^hite in color, on which (when folded) appears the following information: Applicant, residence, posi- 714 KEPOETS OF COMMISSION ON ECONOMY AND EFFICIENCY. tion sought, date. These jackets are arranged alphabetically (according to the name of the applicant) in boxes devoted to the particular office sought. The classification of these files is as follows : (a) Notary public (District of Columbia). (&) Special agents — accountants, etc. (Bureau of Investigation). (c) Administrative officer and clerks. id) Messengers and laborers. Miscellaneous letters and memoranda are filed in jackets similar to the foregoing. The follovping information is contained on the face of these jackets when folded : DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE. Date , 1910. Eec'd — , 1910. From : . Subject : ^ — . Referred to : . Action : . Separate folded document files are kept for the miscellaneous correspondence which comes from the various officers of the department. This correspondence pertains to recommendations for promotion, discharge, transfer, etc. One drawer is assigned to each year, the correspondence being filed alphabetically. Resignations from the judicial districts are filed by districts and alphabeti- cally under each district. Those from the department proper alphabetically. Department letters and memoranda and letters from the Civil Service Com- mission and from other departments are filed chronologically. Certificates from the Civil Service Commission are filed according to the number. Separate folded document files, similar to the above, are kept for corre- spondence with the three United States penitentiaries. Separate files are maintained for each of the three penitentiaries, and for each penitentiary the correspondence is classified as follows: (a) Letters from the warden (regarding changes, promotions, appointments, and termination of service, etc.). (6) Applications from various persons for appointment in the penitentiary service. (c) Oaths and resignations of persons who are appointed. Other folded files are maintained for continuing orders, such as executive orders and orders bearing upon some civil service law or regulation or for letters (from heads of departments, etc.) which do not find resting place else- where. A set of 10 drawers is kept for blank sheets, forms, etc. No other index is kept to the file than that referred to in recording and indexing of incoming correspondence. Consultation of flies. — An applicant may examine and withdraw his appli- cation and endorsement at any time until appointment. After appointment his papers are retained in the files. When such withdrawal is made, memo- randum is placed in the files showing when and by whom. Files are divided into " current " and " storage," the divisions being made according to admlnisti-ation. No files have been destroyed, although the matter of doing away with some of the old files that are very cumbersome and ap- parently useless is being discussed. It is estimated that in the neighborhood of 25,000 communications are filed annually. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE. 715 Miss Wright, the indexing and recording clerk, files all comiuunications and spends 15 per cent of her whole time on this work. Her annual salary Is $1,600, which would make the net cost for filing $240 per annum. 7. ORGANIZATION AND METHODS, DIVISION OF ACCOUNTS.^ General statement pertaining to organisation and functions. The Division of Accounts is charged with the examination and recording of the accounts of district attorneys, marshals, clerks, and other officers of the courts of the United States and accounts of other persons, under authority of section 368, Revised Statutes, as effected and enlarged by section 13 of the act of July 31, 1894. The administrative head of this division is the chief, Division of Accounts. The immediate supervision of the books and records, showing the receipt, action upon and disposition of accounts, requisitions for funds,, etc., is vested in the chief bookkeeper and record clerk (head of the bookkeeping section). From the viewpoint of the methods followed in the handling of correspondence in this division (using the term "correspondence" in its broadest sense), the incoming mail may be classified into : (a) General correspondence. (&) Accounts, requisitions for funds and weekly re>ports of receipts and dis- bursements, etc. The former, for the most part, comes through the Mail and Files Division (where it is recorded), is handled initially by the chief of the division and after action by this division referred back to the Division of Mail and Files for permanent disposition. The latter comes direct, unopened, from the chief messenger of the department to the bookkeeping section, and is handled initially by the chief bookkeeper (or one designated by him) and after action of the division is i>ermanently filed in the files maintained in that section. These two classes of correspondence must therefore be treated separately. Handling of general correspondence. Ninety per cent of the general or miscellaneous correspondence, the volume of which aggregates not more than 10,000 communications per annum, is opened by the chief messenger, recorded, and distributed from the Division of Mail and E^les. The balance comes unopened to this division by reason of the fact that it is addressed to the chief of the Division of Accounts. Miscellaneous corre- spondence concerns a variety of subjects, such as authorization of expenditures of various officials, appointments of office deputy marshals, fixing of the com- pensation of the deputy clerks and office deputy marshals, employment of stenog- raphers and messengers to the United States judges,^ purchase of law books for the Circuit Court of Appeals, leasing of quarters for United States courts and the officials thereof, bonding of clerks of United States courts, authorizing a great many expenditures from the appropriation " Miscellaneous expenses^ United States courts," preparation of numerous memoranda for the Attorney General, authorization of expenses by clerks of United States courts, proposed changes on legislation, etc. This mail is initially handled by the chief of the division, who retains letters of unusual importance (such as those concerning proposed changes in legislation) for consideration and action in person. The balance is classified by the chief of the division for distribution among the clerks in his office proper or to the chief of the bookkeeping section, who handles 1 This division made no report to the commission in re methiods of handling its flies and correspondence. 716 KEPOKTS OF COMMISSION ON ECONOMY AND EFFICIENCY. personally or through assistants correspondence relating to accounts, advance- ment of funds, appointment of marshals, etc. Recording and indexing. — As already indicated, practically all of the general correspondence is recorded and indexed in the Division of Mail and Files before it is sent to this division. The balance, vphich comes direct, and is therefore unrecorded, is referred back to the Division of Mail and Files for the making of this record in the event its importance vparrants It. Briefing {incoming correspondence). — There is no briefing done in this office. Preparation of correspondence. — It is estimated that in the neighborhood of 12,000 communications ai-e prepared annually in this division. All outgoing mail, without exception, passes over the desk of the chief of the division for signature or initialing, as the case may be. The correspondence relating to accounts current and requisitions for funds is prepared in the bookkeeping section either by the chief bookkeeper or his assistants. The rest of it is prepared in the office proper of the chief of the division by the chief of the division personally or by his assistants (two clerks at $1,400 each). The time of these clerks is devoted almost entirely to the handling and preparation of correspondence. Preparation of car'bon copy. — At least two carbon copies are prepared for all outgoing communications — one is for the Division of Mail and Files where the incoming correspondence is filed, the other is for the files of outgoing corre- spondence which is maintained in this office. The regular initialing of letters by the stenographer is observed. In addition, after each communication has gone out, the chief of the division reviews the carbon copy retained in this office, and with pen initials it to indicate that the communcation has gone through. Press copying. — No press copies are prepared in this office.^ Briefing {outgoing correspondence). — A rather odd practice prevails of brief- ing each communication in the margin of the letter. This brief is a short ab- stract of the subject of the letter, such as " Relative to the clerk of the district court furnishing new bond, etc." which is a copy of the brief on an exhibit furnished this office. Filing of correspondence. — As already indicated, separate files are maintained for the outgoing correspondence; that is, for a second copy of each and every outgoing letter or communication prepared in this division. Carbon copies sent to this division by other divisions or offices, which directly or indirectly affect the business of this office, are also filed here. Equipment : A Yawman & Erbe flat-filing cabinet is used for the system of filing. The arrangement of this file is as follows: {a) Letters to the Senate and House and officials of each executive depart- ment classified as to department and official. (6) Letters to United States attorneys, United States marshals, clerks in United States courts classified as to districts and officials within each distx'ict. (c) Letters of clerks of circuits courts of appeals by circuits. {d) Letters to United States commissioners, alphabetically arranged. (e) Letters to United States judges, alphabetically arranged.' (/) Miscellaneous letters, alphabetically arranged. {g) Sheets showing disallowances in accounts, alphabetically arranged. 1 Inasmuch as all this coi-respondence passes through the Division of Mail and Files, press copy is there made of each outgoing communication. 2 The primary arrangement is not by judicial district ; it is solely alphabetical. This is due to the fact that the judges are shifted from one district to another, and the practice now in vogue of arranging their files in alphabetical order was found to be most con- venient. DEPAKTMENT OP JUSTICE. 717 A flat vertical system of filing prevails; no index to tlie file is necessary, as it is self-indexing. The files are divided into the old and current. Tvi'o sections, containing six drawers each, are maintained for the current correspondence, which dates back to July, 1909. The same arrangement prevails in both the current and " dead " files. Dispatching. — A clerk of class 3 ($1,600) handles the filing and briefing of outgoing coi-respondence. She estimates that it takes about an hour and a half a day of her time. This would make a net annual cost of $320 for briefing and filing of correspondence. The correspondence is not dispatched from this office. One of the department's messengers takes it at stated times of the day from the desk of the chief of the division to the Division of Mail and Files, where it is treated as hereinbefore described. Handling of accounts, requisitions for funds and weekly reports of receipts 000 Provers (fit) SOO Provers (unfit) 800 Provers (odds) 9^ METHODS OF KEEPING EPEICIENCY RECORDS. 777 (3) STANDARD FOR RECOGNITION FOR SPECIAL SKILL. We are informed by the chief of the agency that with increasing experience clerks become more expert in the detection of counter- feit notes. We believe that this special ability developed by years of service should be rewarded, and we have accordingly provided for a bonus of 0.6 per cent of whatever salary the clerk earns for each year of service up to a maximum of 10 per cent for 20 years of service or more. (4) STANDARD FOR PENALTIES FOR ERRORS. We have adopted, without modification, the penalties now in force in the agency for errors in the various classes of work, as described on page 762 of this report. We reject the theory, however, that abso- lute accuracy is impossible and propose that full credit shall be given where work is found to be without error. (5) STANDARD FOR PENALTIES FOR TARDINESS. We have also adopted, without modification, the penalties now in force for tardiness. We have done so because under these penalties the record for punctuality for the office as a whole is excellent, and because we are not informed that any serious complaint has been made of their severity. (e) STANDARD FOR PENALTY FOR ILLNESS. In the penalty for extension of leave on account for sickness we can not concur, for the reason that the penalty now imposed is so severe as to hopelessly destroy the record of a clerk who might- be so unfortunate as to be absent but a few days on account of illness. Since the purpose of an efficiency record is to measure as accurately as possible the value of the clerk's services, it follows that the amount that should be deducted for extension of leave is the value of the service she would have rendered if she had been present, and this only while her pay continues. We accordingly recommend that the penalty for extension of leave on account of illness be fixed on this basis, and since a working year consists of 270 days, we recom- mend that while the clerk's pay continues that the annual value of her work, as expressed on her efficiency record, be decreased by •2-YTr for each working day absent. Forms recommended for heeping of records. — Having adopted these standards for a day's work, compensation, and penalties for errors, we have modified the forms now used by the agency for 778 REPORTS OF COMMISSION ON ECONOMY AND EFFICIENCY. recording daily the quantity of work done by the clerks in such a way as to have them present facts at the end of each month that will readily enable the office to express in terms of money the value of the services rendered by each clerk. These forms are given and ex- plained in Appendix A. From them a monthly record can be pre- pared which will show the following totals : (1) The total number of notes handled by each clerk of each class during the month; (2) The total number of hours and minutes employed by each clerk during the month on each class of work ; and (3) The total number of straps made by each clerk on each class of work. These monthly totals should be carried forward at the close of each month to Form F following: (Form F.) National Bank Redemption Agency. Record of work done. Name Class of work^ Group or section. 191—. Number of Time. Num berof Number of errors. Month. notes. Hours. Minutes. straps. S. MU. P. M. .. Total.. Total brot. Grand total •(a) n )) ( c) ((i1 (( )) Total number of hours employed (c)+ -gQ (f)- Total number of 6-hour days employed -^ (g). (b) Average number of notes handled per day present t-t (b) (g) Average number of notes handled per 6-hour day (e) Average number of straps per 6-hour day t-t Average number of hours employed per day ,^ (f) .(h). ..(i). ■ 0). I Use separate form for each of the classes, groups, and sections shown on the eflficiency record. METHODS OF KEEPING EFFICIENCY KECOEDS. 779 This form, when filled out completely, will show a record of the clerk's accomplishments during a full year as follows : (1) The total number of days she was employed during the period (that is, the actual number of days present) ; (2) The total number of notes handled by her; (3) The total time, in hours and minutes, she was actually em- ployed, and the total number of six-hour days she was employed; (4) The total number of straps made by her; and, (5) The total number of errors of each kind made by her. From these totals the following daily averages may be deduced in regard to the clerk's work: (1) The average number of notes handled by her during each day she was present (calculated by dividing the total number of notes that she handled by the actual number of days she was present) ; (2) The average number of notes handled by her during each six-hour day (calculated by dividing the total number of notes han- dled by the number of six-hour days she was employed) ; (3) The average number of straps made by her each day (calcu- lated by dividing the total number of straps which she made by the number of six-hour days she was employed ; and, (4) The average number of hours she was actually employed each day. Your committee believes it highly important that the semiannual ratings should be based on the work performed during the whole period rathe^ than on the record made during a single month of the year, as is done at present. Furthermore, your committee believes that the daily average should be computed on the basis of the number of hours employed, six hours constituting a full day, rather than as is now the case on the basis of the days present, without reference to the number of hours employed. The clerks of the National Bank Redemption Agency are in the office about seven hours or a little less, and are engaged in counting and sorting on the average about six hours a day, the remaining hour being consumed in receiving the money from the tellers and returning it to them. Your committee finds that under the present system a strong tendency exists among the clerks to spread over the entire day whatever amount of work may be given them, so that it is difficult to determine with accuracy the capacity of any particular clerk. It is proposed, therefore, that the clerk should be charged only with the time the notes are in her possession, and that her daily average should be determined by divid- ing the total number of notes handled by her during a given period by the number of six-hour days she has been employed during that period. The number of six-hour days she was employed would be 780 EEPOETS OF COMMISSION ON ECONOMY AND EFFICIENCY. calculated by dividing the total number of hours she was actually employed by six. The average number of notes handled each day would be calculated by dividing the total number of notes handled during any period by the number of six-hour days so calculated. The daily average number of notes so calculated will be the number of notes that will be required to occupy the clerk for six hours each day. If her average daily task consumed more or less than six hours each day that fact will be disclosed by item (k) of Form F given above. It is apparent that under the proposed plan a clerk's record will in no way be affected by the quantity of work given her, since she will be charged only with the time the notes are in her possession and her record for quantity will be based upon her rapidity rather than upon the average amount of work performed each day present. Your committee recommends this change in the method of rating on quantity in the belief that each clerk should be rated on her capacity, as that depends upon herself rather than upon the average number of notes handled by her each day, a circumstance which depends upon the amount of work given her, a matter over which she has no control. For another reason it is very important that the records of work should be reduced to the form of daily averages. It makes conveni- ent the calculation of the annual value of services rendered by clerks who are employed for various lengths of time. Adopting the two factors of daily average and annual salary as a basis for calculation, because they are the most easily understood, a coefficient may be de- rived from them which can be readily used in calculating the annual value of any clerk's services, whatever her daily average may be. This coefficient is obtained by dividing the annual salary which has been adopted as a standard by the daily average also adopted as a standard. Thus, if the average number of notes handled per day by the counters during a given period was 17,500 and this number is adopted as our standard of what a $1,000 clerk should do in a day, the value of counting one note per day per year can be obtamed by dividing $1,000 by 17,500. Multiplying any clerk's daily average by this coefficient, we have the annual value of her services. Table A following shows how this calculation is made. Table B shows how the value of making one strap per day per year is calculated. METHODS OP KEEPING EFFICIENCY EECOEDS. 781 Table A. — Showing method of calculating the value {in dollars) of counting or sorting 1 note per day per year {1 year = 210 working days of 6 hours each). Class of work. Total working time per day. Time em- ployed in making straps. (Table B, col. d). Average time em- ployed on work (in minutes) b-c). Stand- ard day's work. Stand- ard annual salary for stand- ard day's work. Value of time em- ployed on work per day, Hours. Mins. ax 60 (0) (&) (c) (d) (e) (/) (g) 6.00 17,500 $1,000 $1,000,00 710.00 6.0 360.0 40.5 319.0 10,000 800 6.0 360.0 40.5 319.5 11,000 800 710. CO 6.0 360.0 40.5 319.5 10, 500 800 710. 00 6.0 360.0 44.2 315.8 10,000 900 789. 50 6.0 360.0 44.2 315.8 7,500 900 789. 50 6.0 360.0 44.2 315.8 8,500 900 789.50 6.0 360.0 42.9 317.1 8,000 1,000 880. 83 6.0 360.0 42.9 317.1 9,000 1,000 880.83 6.0 360.0 42.9 317.1 7,000 1,000 880. S3 6.0 360.0 42.9 317.1 6,000 1,000 880.83 6.0 6.0 6.0 360.0 360.0 360.0 5,625 11,770 11,770 800 800 900 800. 00 800. 00 900.00 Value of 1 per day per year. Counters First assortment: V's X's All others Second assortment: All denominations — New England section. Middle section All others Third assortment: One denomination- Groups 2and4 Group 99 All others More than one denomina- tion — All groups Proving: Fit Unfit Odds (ft) $0. 0571 . 0710 .0645 .0676 .0789 .1053 .0929 .1101 .0979 .1258 .1468 .1422 .0680 .0765 Table B. — Showing method of calculating the value (in dollars) of making 1 strap per day per year (1 year=270 working days of 6 hours each). Class of work. Time (in sec- onds) per strap. Aver- age num- ber of straps per day. Total time per day in making straps aXb. Stand- ard sal- ary for stand- ard day's work of class. dXe. Value of making (b) straps per day per year. 360 Value of 1 strap per day per Seconds. Minute. c 60 year, g b First assortment (a) 22.5 22.3 15.8 (6) 108 119 163 (c) 2,430 2,654 2,575 (d) 40.5 44.2 42.9 $800 900 1,000 (/) 32,400 39,780 42,900 (9) $90.00 110.50 119. 20 (ft) 0. 8333 Second assortment .9286 .7313 In connection with Form F must be considered Form G, which shows the number of errors from overs and shorts. This form is the one used in the office and will serve the purpose of the new record. 782 EEPOETS OF COMMISSIOlSr ON ECONOMY AND EFFICIENCY. Errors other than overs and shorts are kept in memorandum form, which will also answer the purpose of the new record.
(- X.. X.. X... Value of work times days on each class of work. ie) Total annual value. (Note: If emploj^ed on but one group or section of work — straps are not a group or section — enter the total of column (c): if employed on more than one group or sec- tion of work, enter the quotient obtained by dividing the total of column (e) by the total of colunin (d) '■ Experience: Add 0.5 per cent of above total for each completed year of service prior to January lor July 1 for which this record is made (but not to exceed a maximum addition of 10 per cent) Total annual credits : Deduct for errors: In counting In first assortment In second assortment In third assortment In settling In making up In proving In miscellaneous Deduct for tardiness: (Enter the-amount derived from Form H) Deduct for extension of leave: (Enter the amount derived from Form H) X 0.3333= X .01.33= X .007.5= X .0833= X .2667= X ,1333= X .6667= X .1333= Value of work per j^ear %.. 1 Enter total number of days employed on alt groups or sections within class, but do not include in the total of column (d). 72734— H. Doe. 1252, 62-3- -50 786 REPORTS OF COMMISSION ON ECONOMY AND EFFICIENCY. THE READJUSTMENT OF COEFFICIENTS. As stated, the coefficients shown in Form I accompanying this report are based on the experience of the agency and the record for the month of May with regard to the amount of daily work per- formed by the ditferent classes of workers. It is probable that, under the proposed system, the work will be handled by the clerks somewhat more rapidly than under the present system, and therefore these coefficients should be adjusted frora time to time. This readjustment will be readily accomplished by adding together the total number of notes for all of the clerks in a given class, as shoAvn on Form F, and dividing that total by the total number of six-hour days, which will give the average number of notes per clerk per six- hour day for that class. By dividing the standard salary for the work by this average so obtained, a new coefficient wdll be derived that can be substituted for the coefficient given in Form I. In calcu- lating the average number of notes per six-hour day, the records of clerks whose averages are extremely low should be omitted. NEED OF READJUSTMENT OF SALARIES SHOWN BIT NEW RATINGS. We recommend the adoption of the system of efficiency records wliich we have prepared and described in the foregoing pages. A readjustment of salaries follows necessarily. Under this system of keeping the record the value of each clerk's services will be accu- rately measured in terms of money, so that each clerk may be given as nearly what she earns as the number of salaries appropriated by Congress at the ditferent rates will permit. Appendix B at the end of this report shows the results to be accomplished by the application of the proposed system. In column (c) of this appendix is given the annual salary of each clerk on May 30, 1912; in column (g) is given the annual value of the service of each clerk, based upon her work during the month of May, 1912; and in column (h) is given the dif- ference between her annual salary and the value of her work. The clerks with their ratings are arranged in this appendix in the order of the difference between their salaries and the value of their serv- ices. At the head of the list is given the clerk earning the greatest excess above her salary, and therefore most entitled to promotion, and at the bottom of the list is given the clerk paid the greatest excess above her worth, and therefore most deserving of demotion. The clerks between the two are arranged in the relative order of their differences. While this table is based on the record of work for the single month of May, it is yet sufficiently representative of the whole year's work to show the extreme need of an immediate readjustment of salaries. Your committee can see no justification for paying one METHODS OF KEEPING EFFICIEZSTCY EECOKDS. 787 clerk $493 a year less than her work is actually worth to the Govern- ment while paying another $732 more than she earns. We have com- pared the results shown in this table with the record of work done in previous years, as recorded during the month of January in each year, and have come to the conclusion that justice to the clerks re- quires us to recommend the following : (1) That all who are earning less than 60 per cent of their salaries be reduced immediately to the next lower grade of pay, and that their salaries be given to the clerks in the next lower grade who are earn- ing the greatest amount in excess of their present salaries. Ap- pendix C shows the clerks who will be affected by these changes. (2) That on January 1, 1913, all clerks who earn less than 70 pei* cent of their salaries during the remainder of November and the month of December, 1912, be reduced to the next lower grade, and that the salaries of the clerks so reduced be given to the clerks in the next lower grade who are earning the greatest amount in excess of their present salaries. (3) That a similar readjustment be made on the 1st of July and January in each year thereafter and that at such times all clerks be reduced who earn less than 85 per cent of their salaries, and that their salaries be given to the ckrks in the next lower grade who are then earning the greatest amount in excess of their salaries at that time. At the end of Appendix B are the names of two clerks who have been assigned to miscellaneous work in proving which could not be rated. These clerks receive $1,200 each, which is the maximum salary of the office. In order that their proper standing may be determined, we recommend that they be transferred to one of the regular classes for a period of six months in order that their efficiency may be established, and that during this time other clerks Avhose ability rating has been fixed in the accompanying record be assigned to that work. With the clerks arranged as shown in Appendix B it is easy to determine who is receiving more compensation than her services justify and who is receiving less. Since the number of salaries at . the various grades is fixed arbitrarily by Congress, the most that . can be accomplished toward readjustment is to transpose the sal- aries as we have indicated above. Appendix C shows the clerks that would be affected if all clerks shown in Appendix B who were earning less than 60 per cent of their salaries were reduced one grade, and the clerks in the next lower grade earning the greatest amount in excess of their salaries were promoted to the salaries so released. Appendix C should be considered as illustrative only for 788 BEPORTS OF COMMISSION ON ECONOMY AND EFFICIENCY. the reason that since this rating- was made certain clerks shown on Appendix C have resigned or have been transferred to the clerical work of the office not covered by this system of efficiency records. "We believe that in the interests of good administration these changes should be made gradually as we have indicated, and that at all times promotions and demotions should be made one grade at a time. DISTRIBUTION OF WORK. In closing, your committee desires to emphasize two points that should never be lost sight of in the distribution of the Avork: (1) The work should be distributed to the clerks according to their recorded capacity in a C-hour day, as shoAvn under the pro- posed system. Each clerk must be given her capacity of work for a G-hour daj^, so that, as nearly as possible, all clerks Avill be em- ployed a like number of hours. When work is light care should be exercised to reduce pro rata the quantity of work given to the different clerks. (2) The packages of money for distribution to the counters should be arranged strictly in the order in Avhich ihej are received, and they should be given out to the clerks in precisely that same order, except that toward the close of the day the counters should be given such sized packages as will enable them to close their work at the proper time. When, in order to accomplish this, it is necessary to pass over the package that stands first for deliveiy, then the first package foUoAving of appropriate size should be given. If this rule is folloAved each clerk will, on the aA^erage, receive her share of good and bad notes, and no just cause for complaint will arise. COST OF KEEPING RECORD. We have made a careful estimate of the time required to keep the efficiency record proposed in this report and believe that it will take not more than the time of one efficient clerk at $1,200 per annum. The Avork involved in keeping the present records consumes a little less than the time of one clerk at $1,200 a year. We feel that the many advantages to be derived from the proposed system Avill offset this additional labor many times. METHODS OF KEEPING EFFICIENCY RECORDS. 789 ACKN O WLEDG MEN T. Your committee desires to express its indebtedness to the chief of the agency for his assistance and hearty cooperation during the v.-hole of this investigation. Res]3ectfully submitted. E. A. GoNGWER, Chairman. Lydia S. Shoemaker. R. S. Tower. Herbert D. Brown. Washington, D. C, November 19^ 1912. Appendix A. The following form is the one nsed for recording the work done by the coun- ters, and will answer the purpose of the new record by the addition of the time the clerk begins and ends her work, as indicated at the head of the sheet. The space for entering the time may be added to the present stock of forms by the use of a small rubber stamp'. Count. Time : National Bank Redemption Agency. Report of icork done. m. to m. Name: -, 191- Case number. I's. 2's. 5's. lO's. 20's. SO's. lOO's. Total. Eeeeivinj; clerk's signature. To!e I The following form is proposed in order to expedite the woi'k at the close of the month. On this form the counter may enter from day to day the amount of the bills handled by her. The use of this form will make it unnecessary for the time clerk to handle the daily rejiorts of the counters. 790 REPORTS OF COMMISSION ON ECONOMY AND EFFICIENCY. Monthly record of work done. (Form B.) Name : Class of work Month I's. 2's. 5's. lO's. 20's. oO's. lOO's. Total. Time. 'igi-* Hours. Mins. 1 3 4 6 7 s g 10' 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 IS 19 20 * 21 22 23 24 '>o 2(i 27 28 29 30 31 Total.. .. In order that the value of the diflerent classes of work iiivolved in sorting may be accurately shown, it will be necessary to discontinue the use of the following form and to use in its place the two forms immediately following. Form C will be used for recording the work of first assorters and Form D for recording the work of second and third assorters. METHODS OP KEEPING EFFICIENCY EECOEDS. 791 National Bank Redemption Agency. Report of icork done. assortment. ., 191- Day. Section or Group. 5's. lO's. i 1 1 ! 20's. SO's. : lOO's. i Total. i ■ 1 i ! Receipt. 1 i 1 1- j Total 1 1 1 i 792 KEPORTS OF COMMISSION ON ECONOMY AND EFFICIENCY. C^ O K METHODS OF KEEPING EFFICIENCY EECOEDS. 793 fi^ ft ft ft m s ^3 6 i i i o K "3 o o o ■-1 o ■o o C>1 o «3 22 1 .3 bi PqC a ft •2 3 o :::::::::::::; a 3 o O 03 •'d~ III C t, o "S ^ "■' o go C C » ^ O t« f^3-r ° S J3 w O +^ 2 ri C ft 794 REPOETS OF COMMISSION ON ECONOMY AND EFFICIENCY. The followiug form will answer the purposes of the new record for provera if the necessary space on which to enter the time of beginning and ending work, as indicated at the head of the form, is stamped at the top. National Bank Redemption Agency. Report of work done. Proof : Time : -, 191. M to M Name Group. Baiik No. 5's. lO's. 20's. 50'S. lOO's. Total. Delivery clerk's signature. i I'" T( )tal . . . Appendix B. Table 1. — Showing the counters, sorters, and probers in the National Bank Redemption Agency May 31, 1912, their annual salaries, the annual value of th'Hr services, and the difference between their salaries and the value of their services (arranged in order of differences) . Name. Class of work.i Present salary. Amount earned. Allowance for experience. Total. Difference. (g)-(c). Years. Amount. (a) A (6) P P C P 2 2 P 2 2 2 2 3 3 2 3 P C 3 1 2 3 3 1 2 1 (c) $900 700 1,000 1,200 700 700 800 700 800 800 800 900 1,000 800 1,000 900 1,000 900 700 800 1,000 900 700 800 700 (d) $1,266 919 1,148 1,262 836 822 913 818 888 863 879 958 1,003 847 996 938 1,012 929 715 815 975 882 721 816 716 («) 20 12 9 34 9 12 10 8 11 14 9 11 21 12 22 11 16 13 26 16 22 18 11 11 12 (/) $127 69 62 131 39 51 46 33 49 63 41 55 101 53 101 56 81 63 73 72 101 85 40 45 43 (?) $1,393 978 1,200 1,393 875 873 959 851 937 926 920 1,013 1,104 900 1,097 994 1,093 992 788 887 1,076 967 761 861 759 (ft) $493+ B 278+ C 200+ D 193+ E 175+ F 173+ G 159+ H 151+ I 137+ J 126+ K 120+ L 113 + M 104+ N 100+ 97+ P Q R S 94+ 93+ 92+ 88+ T 87+ U 76+ V 67+ W 61+ X 61+ Y 59+ C=counting; l=first assortment; 2=second assortment; 3=third assortment; P=proving; 0=odds. METHODS OF KEEPING EFFICIElsrCY KECOEDS. 795 Appendix B — Continued. Table 1. — Showing the counters, sorters, and provers in the National Bank Redemption Agency Mag 31, 1912, etc. — Continued. Allowance for expe- Name. Class of work. Present salary. Amount earned. rience. Total. Difference. Years. Amount. (S)-(C). Z (&) 2 3 2 1 2 3 3 2 3 2 3 2 3 3 2 3 2 3 3 P 2 2 1 1 3 3 3 1 3 3 1 (c) 800 900 900 700 900 1,000 1,000 800 900 900 1,000 900 1,000 900 900 900 800 1,000 900 800 800 900 800 800 900 1,000 1,000 800 900 1,000 800 792 905 900 702 875 990 971 786 871 878 931 886 929 869 881 880 767 967 870 737 759 833 72-1 723 833 903 937 734 844 922 732 14 10 11 12 14 10 14 13 14 13 20 10 20 13 10 9 14 9 8 17 11 16 21 22 15 20 12 16 11 14 15 (/) 61 45 50 44 70 51 69 51 64 57 102 45 99 58 46 42 55 46 37 67 44 67 73 73 63 92 • 57 59 47 66 56 (<7) 853 950 950 746 945 1,041 1,040 837 935 935 1,033 931 1,028 927 927 922 822 1,013 907 804 803 900 797 796 896 995 994 793 891 988 788 53+ A A 50+ AB 50+ AC 46+ AD - 45+ AE 41 -f- AF 40+ AG ■ 37+ AH 35+ AI 35+ A J 33+ AK 31+ AL 28+ AM 27+ AN 27+ AO 22+ AP 22+ AQ 13+ AR 7+ AS 4+ 3+ AU 3— AW 4— AX 4- AY 5— AZ 6— B A 7— BB 9- BC 12— BD 1^- BE 1 800 740 13 4S 788 12- BF P 1,000 934 10 49 983 17- BG 3 1,000 916 14 65 981 19- BH P 1,000 900 Ifi 72 972 28- BI P 900 796 IS 74 870 30- BJ 3 900 812 13 55 867 33- BK. 1 800 724 11 40 764 36- 3 1, 000 873 22 90 963 37- BM 3 900 819 10 42 861 39- BN 3 2 1,000 SOO 906 70S 12 14 55 52 961 760 39— BO 40— BP 1,200 1,054 40 306 1.160 40— BQ 1 SOO 697 17 62 759 41- BR 1 SOO 707 14 52 759 41- 796 KEPOETS OF COMMISSION ON ECONOMY AND EFFICIENCY. Appendix 1> — Coiitiiuied. Table 1. — Shoiving the counters, sorters, and pro-vers in the National Bank Redemption Agency May 31, 1912, etc. — Continued. Name. Allowance for expe- Class of Present salary. Amount earned. rience. work. Years. Amount. (6) P (c) 700 id) 619 12 «40 1 800 686 IS 69 i SOO 708 11 40 1 700 613 11 34 1 800 692 14 51 1 800 710 9 32 C 1,200 1,034 36 107 3 1,000 911 6 28 3 1,000 890 10 48 2 900 801 8 34 P 1,000 883 12 52 2 900 794 10 40 C 1,000 869 14 63 C 1,000 877 12 54 1 700 601 9 27 3 900 772 12 SO 1 800 671 14 49 3 900 745 19 75 3 1,000 867 12 52 3 1,000 831 17 76 1 800 667 11 39 3 1,000 841 15 64 2 900 764 10 40 P 900 725 21 78 C 1,200 1,000 35 103 2 900 750 13 49 3 1,000 821 18 77 2 900 763 8 32 3 900 743 13 51 1 900 759 9 34 3 900 732 14 57 C 1,200 1,014 14 74 3 1,000 832 12 55 P 800 665 6 21 1 900 711 22 72 3 1,000 842 6 27 C 1,200 968 37 98 P 700 531 10 27 3 900 720 10 38 3 1,000 808 12 49 Total. (a) BS BT BU BV BW BX BY BZ CA CB CC CD CE CF CG CH CI CJ CK CL CM CN CO CP CQ CR CS CT CU CV CW CX CY CZ DA DB DC DD DK DF (?) ?6o9 755 748 647 743 742 1,141 939 938 835 935 834 932 931 628 822 720 820 919 907 706 905 804 803 1,103 799 898 795 794 793 789 1,088 887 686 783 869 1,066 558 758 857 METHODS OF KEEPING EFFICIENCY EECOEDS. 797 Appendix B — Continued. Table 1. — Showing the counters, sorters, and probers in the National Bank Redemption Agency May 31, 1912, etc. — Continued. Name. Class of work. Present salary. Amount earned. Allowance for expe- rience. Total. Difference. Years. Amount. (g)-(c) (a) DG (&) 3 P 3 3 P 3 C 1 C 1 P P 1 3 P 3 3 3 3 P C P P P C P C C p p p p p 1 p (c) 900 1,000 1,000 1,200 1,000 1,000 1,200 800 1,200 700 1,000 800 900 900 1,000 1,200 1,200 1,200 1,000 900 1.200 900 1,000 800 1,000 1,200 1,000 1,200 1,200 1,200 1,200 1,000 - 1,200 1,200 1,200 1,000 1,000 1,200 1,200 1,200 id) 710 791 797 967 754 777 929 559 924 468 734 569 662 625 730 888 928 892 716 624 867 601 638 454 605 755 562 701 696 682 682 494 667 625 605 307 291 424 12 15 12 14 22 12 33 20 23 20 23 12 10 17 14 23 8 16 12 11 37 9 26 10 16 42 24 37 37 23 17 14 17 13 29 8 5 20 24 12 (/) 43 60 53 68 78 49 97 61 95 47 77 36 34 60 53 94 40 73 46 35 90 27 67 24 48 76 58 72 70 71 58 36 62 44 61 12 7 44 (?) 753 851 850 1,035 832 826 1.026 620 1.019 515 811 605 696 685 783 982 968 965 762 659 957 628 705 478 653 831 620 773 766 753 740 530 729 669 666 319 298 468 (ft) 147 DH 149 DI 150 D J 165 DK ■-. 168 DL 174 DM 174 DN 180— DO 181— DP 185 DQ 189— DR 195— DS 204— DT 215— 217— 218— DW 232— DX 235— DY 238— 241— 243— EB :... 272— EC 295— ED 322— 347— 369— EG 380— EH 427— EI 434— 447— EK 460— EL 470— EM 471— EN 531- EO 534- EP 681- EQ 702- ER 732- ES 798 EEPORTS OF COMMISSION ON ECONOMY AND EFFICIENCY. Appendix C. Table 1. — Shoiving the counters, provers, and sorters in the National Bank Redemption Agency %oho earned less than 60 per cent of their salaries during the month of May, 1912, and the promotions that should lie made if those earning less than 60 per cent of their salaries are demoted one grade. Demotions. Promotions. Name. ER EO EN EQ EP. EL, ED From— To— U, 200 1,200 1,200 1,000 1,000 1,000 800 81,000 1,000 1,000 900 900 900 700 Name. C. M O A L. P. B. From— To $1,000 1,000 1,000 900 900 900 700 $1,200 1,200 1,200 1,000 1,000 1,000 800 REPORT ON THE ELECTRIC LIGHTING OF FEDERAL BUILDINGS OF THE DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY. 799 LETTER TO THE PRESIDENT. November 25, 1912. The President : Herewith we are transmitting for your considera- tion a report on the electric lighting of Federal buildings. We sug- gest that this report be sent to the Secretary of the Treasury, with the request that he report to j^ou not later than December 10 on the recommendations of the commission, and, specifically, whether or not, in his opinion, any reduction should be made in the estimates for the operation and maintenance of public buildings on the ground of the possible savings which may be realized during the next fiscal year. Very respectfully^ F. A. Cleveland, Ghaiinnan. 800 REPORT OF THE COMMISSION ON ECONOMY AND EFFICIENCY ON THE ELECTRIC LIGHTING OF FEDERAL BUILDINGS. The President: The Commission on Economy and Efficiency has the honor to submit the following report on the electric lighting of Federal buildings. This report gives the results of a detailed investigation made by the commission of the electric-lighting systems as now installed in the Chicago, Cleveland, Cincinnati, Chattanooga, Knoxville, Birming- ham, and Macon post offices, court, and custom houses. As a result of this investigation the commission recommends as follows : First. That complete investigations be made of the electric-lighting systems in use in all the Federal buildings throughout the United States which are under the control of the Treasury Department where the annual cost of operating the same is $500 or over per year. Second. That detailed plans be made and specifications be drawn showing and covering the changes which should be made to bring the electric-lighting systems in said Federal buildings up to date and to present recognized standards of efficiency and economy. Third. That such modifications and changes in the present electric- lighting systems in said Federal buildings as are found to be neces- sary to obtain the required efficiency and economy be made by th• , We find that it is the concensus of opinion almost everywhere that these lights ai'e unsatisfactory from many points of view, and that they are being removed and tungsten units are being substituted therefor, a better distribution of light being thus obtained, and more or less lamps can be turned on and off at will, a result which can not be obtained by the Cooper-Hewitt lamps, unless a very large number are used, especially when there are a large number of letter cases and bags to be illuminated, in which case the wattage consumption by the Cooper-Hewitt lamps is prohibitive; we therefore recommend, as regards the Chicago building, that the remaining Cooper-Hewitt lamps be removed. SERIES LIGHTING. As regards the special illumination in the workrooms there is a great deal, in our opinion, that can be done, looking to greater efliciency of operation and economy of current consumption. This applies especially to the cases and bags where letters, papers, and parcels are sorted and distributed. We annex hereto drawings Nos. 2 and 3 showing the general arrangement of these cases and bags. It is absolutely necessary that the lighting at these points shall be of high candlepower and of a character which enables colors to be readily distinguished so that the work of distribution can be readily and quickly accomplished. Mr. Richardson, chief electrician of the Chicago Federal Building, has devised a system of tungsten lighting for these cases and bags which, in our opinion, leaves little to be desired as regards efficiency of illumination and economy of operation. Heretofore each double-letter case has been equipped with four 25-watt carbon lamps, mounted on adjustable arms and provided with metal, spoon-shaped re- flectors; this consumed 100 watts of current and by photometric measurement was found to give about 2 candlefeet at the sorting level. Mr. Richardson has substituted for these four lamps a series of ten 5-watt, 4-candlepower, lli-volt tungsten lamps, each provided with a D'Olier holo- phane bowl-shaped metal shade of special form, the series consuming a total of 50 watts and giving by photometric measurement 6 candlefeet at the sorting level, thus increasing threefold the illumination and cutting down the current consumption ' one-half. The same general arrangement has also been tried on the bag-sorting frames with equally satisfactory results, and this series system of lighting has been found to be very satisfactory in several other locations, notably in a number of locker rooms and conveyer shafts, and can be made available for letter file and case lighting with equally satisfactory results. We suggest, therefore, that all of the letter-sorting cases and bag frames in the workrooms be equipped with this series tungsten system of lighting. 816 EEPOETS OF COMMISSION ON ECONOMY AND EFFICIENCY. it being, in our opinion, tlie most economical and efficient manner in wliich this lighting can be clone. ELECTRIC ENGINEERfNG FORCE. Mr. Richardson states that he has an inadequate force of help to enable him to properly take care of and carry on the necessary work in this building. Mr. Richardson's force of help at the present time consists of: Mr. Richard- son, at $1,600 per year ; one lamper, at $840 per year ; two assistant electricians, at $1,200 each, $2,400^ per year; one wireman, at $900 per year. This would appear to be too small a force to properly take care of so large a building with so many lamps and other apparatus to handle, and should, in our opinion, be sufficiently increased to enable Mr. Richardson to do the work required of him in an efficient manner. As- it is it is all he can do to take care of the actual necessaries, leaving other important matters, such as the cleaning of the reflectors, lamps, and panel boards, to be taken care of as the opportunity presents. He needs one laborer to clean glassware, etc., at $720 per year, and two wire- men, at $900 each, $1,800 per year; with which additional help he states he can keep all glassware and cut-out panels clean, keep up- all motors, dumb- waiters, conveyors, and other apparatus in shape, and make all alterations and repairs in addition to the other regular work required. RECOMMENDATIONS. Lighting of entrance loays, corridors, rotunda, stairs, etc. — As previously stated, the lighting of these portions of the building is primarily to furnish adequate illumination for public needs, and secondary, to bring out the archi- tectural features of these portions of the building, and we recommend that the lighting of these parts shall be kept up to the high standard now in opera- tion, and in some instances we have recommended certain changes and increase in this respect, all of which we have set forth in detail in this report and in Table No. 1, which see. Exterior lighting. — We recommend that a suitable bracket be provided with an approved shade and a 500-watt tungsten lamp, and installed on the outside and over the middle door of each main entrance, and that the two standards omitted at each outside corner of the building be installed. These to be similar in all respects to those already in place. Ceiling fixtures. — For general illumination in- the offices and workrooms, replace the present chandeliers with Unit fixtures as already described and in accordance with the detailed schedule hereto annexed. Table No. 1. This applies to nearly all rooms except where artistic considerations are paramount, such as court rooms, .judges' chambers, and rooms having fixtures with pendent spheres. In these cases the existing arrangements for lighting should be retained. Shades and lamps for ceiling fixtures. — All fixtures should be equipped with holophane intensive satin-finish reflectors, or with other makes of reflectors which give a similar light distribution. The lower edge of shades in all cases, unless otherwise noted, should be 8 feet 6 inches above the floor. All lamp sockets on Unit fixtures should be provided with a chain pull. Lamps should be tungsten, bowl frosted, of a voltage to bui-n between medium and maximum efficiency. ELECTRIC LIGHTING OF FEDERAL BUILDINGS. 817 Desk porta'bles. — For special ilkiruiiiation in the office and workrooms, all portables should be of the Dale type, or other equal, with arm bent so that the shade recommendetl shall be not less than 16 inches above the working level. This requires the bending of the arm of 597 Dale portables now in use, and the purchase of 512 additional Dale portables to take the place of the existing Universal type of portable, for which they should be substituted as far as possible. Shades and lamps for desk portafiles. — Tantalum lamps, 25-watt, clear, should be used in all portables. All the glass and metal shades now in use on portables should be removed and the new type of holophane metal shade No. 460, or equal, substituted therefor. Shades should be aluminum finish inside, with exterior finished as may be desii-ed. These shades should be beaded on their lower edge to insure rigidity against deformation. Rigid taMe standards and pendents over tables. — In general the present glass shades in use on these fixtures should be replaced with the shade recommended for desk portables, using either the 25-watt tantalum, or 25-watt tungsten lamps, depending on the height of suspension. If point of suspension is high, or if better artistic effect is desired, the wide mouth green enameled glass shades now in use may be retained with a 25-watt tungsten. Color of tvalls and ceilings. — The present color finish of the walls and ceil- ings is too dark to properly diffuse the general illumination. Refinishing with white or cream-colored ceilings and light neutral-tinted walls is recommended. Such refinishing materials should be used as will give a nonglaring matt surface and permit of the walls and ceilings being readily cleaned. Gleaning of reflectors, lamps, toalls, and ceilings. — ^All glass reflectors and shades, all lamps, all walls, and ceilings should be cleaned at regular and fre- quent intervals, so as to permit the full value of the illumination to be obtained. Overhead-cord connection to fans and portables. — All cord connections to fix- tures for fans and desk, lights should be removed and floor, base, or wall out- lets provided for the same. The unsightly appearance of a cobweb of hanging wires is apparent, and the danger from fire from short circuits is a menace. Series lighting for letler cases, hag racks, etc. — The installation of the series tungsten-lighting system begun by the chief electrician on sorting cases, sort- ing tables, bag racks, etc., in the Post Office Department should be continued and all sorting cases, tables, bag racks, etc., should be so equipped. When com- pleted this will greatly reduce the lamp wattage, while increasing the illumi- nation on the working plan from 1* to 2 feet candles to 5 or 6 feet candles, or about 300 per cent. Mercury-vapor lamps. — All the remaining mercury-vapor lamps should be removed and Unit lights, either pendents or fixtures, should be substituted therefor. Paper used for vequisiMons, statements, reports, etc. — The finish of a large portion of the paper used for these various purpose should receive consider- ation. The paper in use has a smooth reflective surface, reflecting the light glaringly to the eyes, especially so when wintten upon with the indelible lead pencils commonly used. In some oases it is almost impossible to distinguish the writing without shift- ing the paper about. Several of the operatives complained of their eyes aching constantly, and the continuation of such conditions can not but result in serious injury to eyesight and consequent impairment of the efficiency of the operator. It is recommended that paper with a dull-finish nonreflective surface be substituted. ' 72734— H. Doc. 1252, 62-3- 52 818 REPORTS OF COMMISSION ON ECONOMY AND EFFICIENCY. GeneraU'i/. — All lamps should be renewed as soon as they reach the " smash- ing point," thus obtaining fujl light return for the current consumed; all reflectors and lamps should be kept clean; the panel cabinets should be cleaned; care should be exercised to see that the lamps are turned off when not required for use, and that only as many lights are used during the daytime as are absolutely necessary. A notice should be sent by the custodian of the building to each oflace to the effect that " care should be exercised to see that lamps are turned off when not required for use, and that only as many lamps are used during the day as are absolutely necessary," and this should be insisted upon, and supervision used to see that it is carried out. Electrical engineering force. — This force should be sufficiently increased to enable the chief engineer to do all of the work required to keep this installation in good running order. CONCLUSION. It will be seen by the annexed table, No. 1, that the full lamp wattage of this building at the present time is about 346,500 watts, and that by making the changes suggested by us this will be reduced to about 304,000 watts, a decrease of 12.2 per cent in the wattage required for lighting. It is not likely or probable that all of the lamps in this building will ever be in operation at any one time, so that it is quite difficult, if not impossible, to say what the exact total wattage at any given time is, but the above per cent ratio will practically hold good in either event. In addition, a still further reduction in lighting wattage can be made by a careful supervision of the use of the lights, seeing that they are turned off when not required and only used in such numbers and positions as is necessary, so that we feel safe in saying that, in our opinion, a saving of at least 15 per cent of the lighting wattage, and consequently the cost of lighting current, in this building can be made, or about $2,800 per year, if the recommended suggestions are carried out, and at the same time the efficiency of lighting and operation very greatly increased, and this at a minimum of expense in making the required changes. Respectfully submitted. E. R. Knowles, Chief Engineer. A. L. Parsons. March 16, 1912. RECOMMENDATIONS IN DETAIL. It will doubtless be found that in some cases the present fixtures have not been listed correctly and that the recommendations may need some modifica- tions to suit siDecial conditions. It can be readily understood that the large expense involved has prevented preparing of exact plans showing the existing arrangement of rooms and outlets and the checking of each individual room after the report had been completed. In some cases small rooms containing one light have been listed as one 40-watt tungsten. In certain instances they may be 25 watts. If the smaller lamps are satisfactory they should be retained. The list of desk portables and other recommendations relating thereto have not been given under the various floors but under a separate heading. This also applies to " series lighting " for cases, bag racks, and sorting tables on the first and second floors. ELECTEIC LIGHTING OF FEDEEAL BUILDINGS. Table No. 1. 819 Wattage of laiJips. Present. Recom-, mended. StJMMARY OF 'WATTAGE. 1 Exterior lights Entrances Rotunda Corridors Basement First floor Second floor Third floor Fourth floor Fifth floor Sixth floor Seventh floor Eighth floor Ninth, tenth, and eleventh floors. Thirteenth floor Fourteenth floor Series lighting Cases, racks, etc Desk portables 8,000 14,045 26,345 22,040 25,025 34,545 21,130 18,950 20,900 13,540 34,775 15,330 12,500 3,935 3,395 3,210 .41,105 27,725 Total. 346,495 304,090 Net reduction (12.2 per cent) . 42,405 EXTERIOR LIGHTS. Entrances (4): 2 art standards with translucent ball, with 1 SOO-watt tungsten at each entrance. . Add 1 hanging art ball bracket over each entrance, with 1 500- watt tungsten each. Comers (4): 2 art standards with translucent ball, and 1 SOO-watt tungsten at each corner Add 2 art standards at each corner like those now in place with 1 500- watt tungsten in each. (These standards were originally provided for but never installed.) . . 4,000 ENTRANCES. 1,050 1,600 200 420 380 14,000 13,280 25,990 16,400 22,500 29, 405 19, 130 12, 010 « 17,190 12,060 34,800 15,620 10,585 3,935 2,900 2,810 23,750 27,725 304,090 4,000 2,000 4,000 4,000 Adams Street {north wing). First vestibule: 4 1-light brackets, large ball, with 2 60-watt tungstens 480 Change to 1 150-watt tungsten, each fixture 600 Second vestibule: 4 arches equipped with a total of 23 40-watt and 25 25-watt tungstens 1, 545 Replace above arches with 2 semi-iadirect bowls equipped with 6 100-watt tungstens each 6 alcove cornice lights with 7 25-watt tungstens each Third vestibule: 2 alcoves with 32 25-watt tungstens each 1 alcove with 8 25-watt tungstens each 7 alcoves with 1 holophane hemisphere, each with 1 60-watt tungsten 1 alcove with 4 60-watt tungstens, 1 40-watt tungsten, and 1 100-watt tungsten.. Change to 3 series of 10 5-watt tvmgstens each 1 passage with 1 holophane hemisphere with 1 100-watt tungsten 100 1 The wattage in various parts of the building was increased by a total of 12,825 watts and decreased b/ a total of 55,230 watts. 1,200 1,050 1,600 200 420 150 100 820 BEPORTS OF COMMISSION ON ECONOMY AND EFFICIENCY. Table No. 1 — Continued. Wattage of lamps. Present. ENTRANCES— continued. Clark Street (west wing). First vestibule: 4 l-light brackets, large ball, equipped with 2 60- watt tungstens Change to 1 150-watt tungsten each Second vestibule: 3 arches equipped with a total of 9 40-'watt and 25 25-watt tungstens Replace with 1 semi-indirect bowl equipped with 6 lOO-watt tungstens . 4 alcove cornice lights equipped with 6 25-watt tungstens Add over desks on the north side of entrance 2 2-light brackets with 1 100-watt tungsten Third vestibule: Three arches, equipped with a total of 17 40- watt and 26 25-watt tungsten lamps. Replace with 2 semi-indirect bowls equipped with 6 100-watt tungstens and 4 60-watt tungstens 2 alcove cornice lights equipped with 20 25-watt tungstens each 1 alcove with 8 25-watt tungstens 1 passage equipped with 1 holophane hemisphere with 1 100-watt tungsten Dearborn Street (east wing). First vestibule: 4 1-light brackets with large ball equipped with 2 60-watt tungstens... Change to 1 150-watt tungsten each bracket , Second vestibule: 2 arches with total of 27 25-watt tungstens , Replace with 1 semi-indirect bowl with 6 lOO-watt tungstens , 2 alcove cornice lights with 12 25-watt tungstens each Third vestibule: 1 arch with 9 40- watt tungstens Replace with 2 semi-indirect bowls with 4 €0-watt tungstens each . 2 alcove cornices with 16 25-watt tungstens each 1 cornice with 8 40-watt tungstens Change to 8 25-watt tungstens 4 alcoves with 1 holophane hemisphere with 1 60-watt tungsten each. . 1 passage with 1 holophane hemisphere with 1 lOO-watt tungsten ROTUNDA. First floor: 8 pendant art-globe brackets with 12 40-watt tungstens, each Souvenir stand with 20 25-watt carbons Cigar stand with 2 40-watt tungstens, 7 25-watt carbon sign lamps Remove sign lamps Elevators, 6 25-watt carbons 2 Newell standard art globes with 6 40-watt tungstens each Change to 25-watt tungstens 16 hanging art-globe brackets on the back of columns with 6 40-watt tungstens each Third floor, 168 clear 25-watt tantalum lamps in cornice (no change except that the lamps shall be bowl frosted) Fifth floor, 168 clear 25-watt tantalum lamps in cornice (no change except that the lamps shall be bowl frosted) Seventh floor, 8 ast-pendant brackets, colored, with 6 25-watt clear tantalum lamps and 12 40-watt tungstens each ., 480 1,330 1,000 200 100 480 675 600 360 320 240 100 3,840 500 255 150 3,840 4,200 4,200 5,040 ELECTRIC LIGHTING OF FEDERAL BUILDINGS. Table No. 1 — Continued. 821 Wattage of lamps 2,560 kotuNd A— continued . Eighth floor, 96 40- watt clear tungstens in lunettes (no change except that lamps shall be howl frosted) First floor. (See under Entrance and Rotunda.) Second floor: Corridor around rotunda. 16 4-Iight brackets equipped with 1 large upright holophane sphere and 3 small pendent stalactites with 4 40-watt tungstens each fixture Change to 1 25-watt tungsten, large ball, and 1 25-watt tantalum each, small balls Wings — No lights. Third floor: Corridor around rotunda — 16 4-light brackets same as second floor , Change to 1 25-watt tungsten, large ball, and 1 25-watt tantalum each, small balls North wing — All fixtures, 1 holophane pendent sphere, 1 large at entrance to north wing, with 2 40-watt timgstens Change to 2 25-watt tungstens 8 small, with 1 40-watt tungsten each Change to 1 25-watt tungsten each East wing — 1 large, at entrance to wing, with 2 40-watt tungstens . Change to 2 25-watt tungstens 7 small spheres with 1 40-watt tungsten each Change to 1 25-watt tungsten each South wing — 1 large sphere at entrance to wing with 2 40-watt txmgstens Change to 2 25-watt timgstens 5 large balls with 1 40-watt tungsten each Change to 2 25-watt tungstens each COEEIDOES. South v/ing — 2 small spheres with 1 40-watt tungsten each Change to 1 25-watt tungsten each West wiag— 1 large sphere at entrance to wing with 2 40-watt tungstens. Change to 2 2o-watt tungstens 1 smaller sphere with 1 40-watt tungsten Change to 1 25-watt tungsten Fourth floor: Corridor around rotunda — 16 4-light brackets, the same as second floor Change to North wing — 1 large sphere at entrance to wing with 2 40-watt tungstens. Change to 2 25-watt tungstens 2 large balls with 1 40-watt tungsten each Ch^Vige to 2 25-watt tungstens East wing — 1 large sphere with 2 40-watt tungstens Change to 2 25-watt tungstens 320 280 200 2, .560 SO 1,600 50 200 SO 175 50 250 1,600 50 100 50 822 REPORTS OF COMMISSION" ON ECONOMY AND EFFICIENCY. Table No. 1— Continued. Wattage of lamps. Present. Recom- mended. CORRIDORS — continued. Fourth floor— Continued. South wing — 1 large sphere at entrance to wing with 2 40-watt tungstens Change to 2 25-watt tungstens West wing - 1 large ball at entrance to wing with 2 40-watt tungstens Change to 2 25-watt tungstens 4 small spheres with 1 40-watt tungsten Change to 1 25-watt tungsten each Fifth floor: Corridor around rotunda — 16 wall brackets, the same as second floor Change to North wing — 1 large sphere at entrance to wing with 2 40-watt tungstens Change to 2 25-watt tungstens Fifth floor: 10 small spheres with 1 40-watt tungsten each Change to 1 25-watt tungsten each East wing — 1 large sphere at entrance to wing with 2 40-watt tungstens 3 spheres with 1 40-watt tungsten each Change to 2 25-watt tungstens South wing — 1 large sphere at entrance to wing with 2 40-watt tungstens Change to 2 25-watt tungstens 4 large spheres with 1 40-watt tungsten Change to 2 25-watt tungstens each 5 small spheres with 1 40-watt tungsten each Change to 1 25-watt tungsten each West wing— 1 large sphere at entrance to wing with 2 40-watt tungstens Change to 2 25-watt tungstens 2 large spheres with 1 40-watt tungstens each Change to 2 25-watt tungstens each Sixth floor: Corridor around rotunda — 16 wall brackets, the same as the second floor, except that these fixtures have 1 40-watt and 3 25-watt tungstens each Change to North wing — 6 fixtures in this corridor with 1 large holophane sphere and 4 small stalactites each fixture. Fixtures have 1 40-watt tungsten ball (2 in first fixtures),! 25- watt carbon each stalactite Change to 1 25-watt tungsten each ball (2 in first fixture) and 5 wall-series lamps in stalactite East wing— 1 fixture at entrance to wing has no stalactite; other fixtures same as north wing. . Change to 2 25-watt tungstens in the first sphere; 1 25-watt tungsten and 4 series 5-watt lamps in other fixtures 50 SO 160 50 100 2,560 1,600 80 50 400 120 250 80 150 80 160 200 50 200 126 80 50 100 1,840 740 360 1,600 300 150 ELECTRIC LIGHTING OF EEDEEAL BUILDINGS. 823 Table No. 1 — Continued. Wattage of lamps. Present. Reeom- mended. CORRIDORS— continued. Sixtli floor— Continued. South wing — Same as north wing Change to West wing- Same as east wing Change to Seventh floor: Corridor around rotunda — 16 wall brackets with 4 pendent holophane stalactites each with 1 25-watt tantalum Use 25- .vatt tungsten lamps in place of the tantalum lamps North wing— 1 fixture with 1 holophane hemisphere and 4 pendent stalactites with I 40-watt tungsten in hemisphere and no lamps in stalactites Change hemisphere and put 25-watt tantalum in each stalactite 2 hemispheres, no stalactites, with 1 40-watt tungsten each 3 wall brackets with holophane spheres with 1 40-watt tungsten each Change to 25-watt tungstens East wing — 1 fixture at entrance, same as north wing Change to South wing — 1 fixture at entrance, same as north Aving Change to 3 hemispheres, no stalactites, with 1 40-watt tungsten each Sfe West wing — 1 fixture at entrance, same as north wing Change to Kighth floor: Corridor around rotunda — 16 1-Ught vertical brackets with holophane hemispheres with 2 40-watt tung- stens each North wing — ' 1 holophane hemisphere at entrance with 2 40-watt tungstens 3 spheres with 2 4C-watt tungstens each Change to 2 25-watt tungstens each East wing — 1 sphere at entrance with 2 40-watt tungstens South wing — 1 sphere at entrance \yith 2. 40-watt tungstens each 5 smaller spheres with 2 40-watt tungstens each Change to 1 40-watt timgsten each 2 smaller spheres vv ith 1 41-watt tungsten each West wing— 1 holophane sphere at entrance with 2 40-watt tungsten lamps each 4 spheres with 2 40-watt tungstens each Change to 2 25-watt tungstens each Add on stairways between each floor, beginning with second and third, pendent bracket with holophane ball and 1 40-watt tungsten; total brack- ets 12, with 40-watt tungstens 360 1,600 80 120 40 40 120 40 1,280 80 240 80 400 320 300 150 1,600 140 75 140 140 120 140 1,280 80 150 80 80 200 SO 200 480 824 REPORTS OF COMMISSION OX ECONOMY AND EFFICIENCY. Table No. 1 — Continued. Wattage of lamps. BASEMENT. Nearly all Units are single-cord pendents. The number of lamps of the various sizes are as follows: 40-watt tungstens 358 26-watt tantalums 151 60-watt tantalums 3 50-watt carbon 8 Mercury vapor (estimated) 14 oO-watt series 25 In general the arrangement of the lights is satisfactory. Such changes as may be required should be made by the chief electrician to suit local conditions. Remove mercury vapor lamps and substitute tungsten pendents. Change carbon and tantalum lamps to tungsten lamps. Furnish holophane satin-flnish intensive or equivalent shades wherever old type shades are used. Estimated wattage 25, 025 FIRST FLOOR. Sub treasury: 1 art ball with 4 40-watt tungsten; 1 art ball with 1 IOC-watt tungsten; 2 brackets with 4 stalactites each, 8 2o-watt tungstens; 8 brackets with 8 2E-watt tungstens; 20 bracket pendents with 20 25-watt tungstens; 23 cord pendents with 23 25-watt tungstens; 4 art balls~with a total of 800 watts tungsten 7 art brackets in lobby with *pendent stalactites and 1 upright ball each 35 40- watt tungstens Put 1 60-watt in each ball in place of 1 40-stalactite. No change Registry division: Lobby— 3 fixtures with 5 pendent spheres each \vith 15 40-watt tungstens and 4 brackets with 1 pendent sphere each with 4 40-watt tungstens Offices — 4 6-light fixtures with 21 40-watt tungstens Change to 4 1-light fixtures with 4 100-watt tungstens General workroom — 8 60-watt tungsten pendent with focusing holophane shades Pendents over tables and cases with 55 40-watt tungstens and 100 25-watt carbons . Change carbon lamps to tungstens as contemplated by chief electrician 10 mercurj' vapor, estimated wattage : Change to tungsten pendents, estimated wattage Cashier (post office): Lobby — 6 6-light fixtures with 36 40-watt tungstens Change to 25-watt tungstens, keeping fixture as at present 6 2-hght desk standards with 12 40-watt tungstens Change to 25-watt tungstens Offices— 8 40-watt pendents 2,535 1,400 760 840 480 4,700 3,700 1,440 480 ELECTEIC LIGHTIiSrCT OF FEDERAL BUILDINGS. 825 Table No. 1— Continued. "Wattage of lamps. Present. Recom- mended. FIRST FLOOR— continued. Cashier— C ontinued . Vault— 1 3-liglit with 3 40-watt tungstens; 1 portable with 1 -10-watt tungsten General workroom — 3 6-light fixtures with 18 40-watt tungstens Change to about 9 60-watt pendents 8 60-watt pendents and 4 40-watt pendents Inquiry division and customs m.a;l: Lobby — 8 fixtures with 5 pendent spheres each, and 25 40-watt tungstens; 5 brackets with 1 sphere each and 5 40-watt tungstens : Private office: 1 6-Ught fixture with 2 40-watt tungstens Change to 1 1-hght fixture with 1 60-watt tungstens General workroom; 6 6-light fixtures with 20 40-watt tungstens; 1 4-nght fixture with 3 40-watt tung- stens; 1 3-hght fixture with 3 40-watt tungstens Change to unit pendents suitably spaced, estimated wattage 3 100-watt tungsten pendents Add about 200 watts for the area 15 cord pendents with 15 40-watt tungstens, 5 shelf pendents with 5 40-watt tung- stens 2 mercury vapor lamps over customs mail not used as series lighting gives suf- ficient general illum in ation Take out Open space next to customs mail (no Ughts) Add 2 250-watt tungsten units Examining tables, custom mail and cases. Inquiry Division. {See under Series Lighting.) Mail sorting and distributing rooms, Jackson Street side of building: Offices — 1 6-light fixture with 6 40-watt tungstens; 1 4-light fixture with 4 40-watt tung- stens : . . Change to 2 1-light fixtures with 2 60-watt tungstens Letter distributing room — 4 4-light fixtures with 16 40-watt tungstens Change to 4 1-light fixtures with 4 60-watt tungstens 14 60-watt pendents with 14 60-watt tungstens Lamps about open space; 1 500- watt pendent; 10 60-watt brackets Change to 4 250-watt units about 20 feet suspension with clear lamps and holophane intensive satin finish or equivalent shade 12 mercury vapor lamps, estimated wattage Take out and substitute tungsten units with an estimated wattage of Registry, postage, and directory section — 14 pendents over desk with 14 25- watt tungstens City distributing section — 3 4-light fixtures with 12 40-watt tungstens Change to 3 units with 3 60-watt tungstens 3 60-watt pendents, 4 40-watt pendents with 3 60-watt tungstens and 4 40-watt tungstens 160 720 640 1,040 300 soo 4,400 160 540 640 1,200 j 1,200 I 80 60 800 500 SOO 500 120 640 ' ! 240 840 840 1,100 , 1,000 : 4,000 350 I 350 480 I 180 340 340 826 BEPOETS OF COMMISSION ON ECONOMY AND EFFICIENCY. Table No. 1— Continued. Wattage of lamps. Present. Recom- mended. FiEST FLOOR— continued. Mail sorting and distributing rooms, Jackson Street side of building— Continued. City distributing section— Continued. Around open space: 6 60-watt brackets and 2 mercury vapor lamps, estimated Omit mercury vapor lamps and brackets and substitute 4 250-watt tungsten units about 20 feet suspension with holopbane intensive satin flnish shades or equivalent 9 mercury vapor lamps, estimated wattage Substitute tungsten units, estimated wattage SECOND-FLOOR ROOMS. This floor is used for the sortmg of mail, and the different sections have not been listed separately. The wattage of the lamps is as follows: General working space: .353 40-watt tungstens, cord pendents, old-type glass shades, suspended 9 feet 6 inches above the floor 14 miscellaneous 40-watt timgsten pendent fijctures 15 60-watt tungsten pendents with L. holophane shades, satin finish, suspended at various heights for trial 26 cord pendents, with 25-watt carbon lamps 8 pendents with 25-watt tantalum lamps , Total The above pendents are fairly well located for general illumination. Such changes as are now being made by the chief electrician are in the right direc- tion and should be proceeded with as experience may indicate. Substitute modem type, holophane satm finish, intensive shades, or equiva- lent for type now in use. Change lights in macMne shop for tungstens, same wattage, total wattage. . . 11 mercury- vapor lamps estimated to have a wattage of about 370 watts per lamp. Take out all mercury-vapor lamps and change to pendents with 40 or 60 watt tungstens; holophane or intensive or equivalent shades. Estimated wattage for general illumination to rephuje al)o^■e Corridor: 9 1-light fixtures with 9 40-watt; 4 1-light fixtures with 4 25-watt tungstens Offices: 2 3-light fixtures with 3 40-watt; 2 1-light fixtures with 2 60-watt tmigstens Change to 4 1-Mght fixtures with 4 60-watt tungstens Total wattage for second floor, except as noted below. Lighting of cases, bag racks, sorting tables: The above figures do not include local lighting for cases, bag racks, and tables. See under separate heading for these items for the first and second floors. THIRD-FLOOR ROOMS. North wing: Nos. 308 and 309— 1 5-light fixture with 5 40-watt tungstens; 1 4-light fixture with 4 40-watt tung- stens Change to 4 1-light fixtures with 4 6()-watt tungstens No. 307— 6 60-watt tungstens in 1 1-light pendents Change to 4 1-light fixtures with 4 60-walt tungstens 1,100 3,300 1,000 2,500 14, 120 560 900 050 200 16, 430 ,000 460 240 21,130 360 2,000 460 240 19, 130 240 240 ELEOTEIC LIGHTING OF FEDBKAL BUILDINGS. Table No. 1 — Continued. 827 Wattage of lamps. Present. Recom- mended. THiED-FLOOR BOOMS— Continued. North , wing— Continued. No. 307-A- 1 1-light fixture with 1 40-watt tungsten Change to 1 1-light fixture with 1 60-watt tungsten No. 30&— 2 4-light fixtures with 8 40-watt tungstens Change to 2 1-Iight fixtures with 2 60-watt tungstens Nos. 304 and 305— 4 5-light fixtures with 20 40-watt tungstens; 6 4-light fixtures with 24 40-watt tungstens Change to 10 1-light fixtures with 10 60-watt tungstens No. 310- 4 4-light fixtures with 16 40-watt tungstens; 1 1-light pendent sphere with 1 40-watt tungsten Change to 5 l-light fixtures with !> 60-wa(t tungstens No. 311— 2 l-light cord pendents with 2 100-watt tungstens Change to 2 1-light fixtures with 2 60-watt tungslens No. 312— 2 l-Ught cord pendents with 2 100-watt tungstens Change to 2 1-light fixtures with 2 GO-'w att tungstens No. 303— 1 5-light fixture with 4 40-watt tungstens: 3 4-light fixtures with 12 40-watt tungstens Change to 4 1-light fixtures with 4 60-watt tungstens No. 313— 2 4-light fixtures with 8 40-watt tungstens Change to 2 1-light fixtures with 2 60-watt tungstens No. 302— 1 5-light fixture with 5 40-watt tungstens; 2 3-light fixtures with 4 40-watt tung- stens; 2 4-light fixtures with 6 40-watt tungstens ■ Change to 4 1-light fijctures with 4 60-watt tungstens Remove the 2 3-light fij!;tures and replace with 1 unit. No. 314— 2 5-hght fixtures with 10 40-watt tungstens Change to 2 1-hght fixtui'es with 2 100-watt tungstens No. 315— 2 4-light fixtures with 8 40-watt tungstens Change to 2 1-Ught fixtures with 2 60-watt tungstens No. 301— 3 series of 50 watts each No. 30a-A— 13 pendents with 13 40-watt tungsten lamps No change except install shades It is possihle that series can be installed for part of the Ughting No. 300— 6 3-light fixtures with 8 40-watt tungstens Change to 6 1-light fixtures with 6 40-watt tungstens Men's toilet— ' 3 3-light fixtures with 3 40-watt tungstens Change to 3 1-light fixtures with 3 40-watt tungstens 1 Estimated. 320 1,760 200 200 640 320 600 320 150 720 320 120 828 KEPORTS OF COMMISSION ON ECONOMY AND EFFICIENCY. Table No. 1 — Continued. Wattage of lamps. Present. East wing' thikd-flook eooms— continued. No. 325— 3 1-light fixtures with 3 40- watt tungstens 1 6-light fixture with 5 40-watt tungstens Change to 1 1-Ught fixture with 1 100- watt tungsten 1 3-light-flxture with 3 40-watt tungstens Change to 1 l-light fixture with 1 60-watt tungsten No. 326— 1 4-light fixture with 3 40-watt tungstens Change to 1 1-light fixture with 1 60-watt tungsten No. 327— 1 5-light fixture with 5 40-watt tungstens Change to 1 1-light fixture with 1 100-watt tungsten No .328— 1 5-light fixture with 5 40-watt tungstens Change to 1 1-light fixture with 1 100-watt tungsten No. 329— 1 5-light fixture with 5 40-watt tungstens Change to 1 1-light fixture with 1 100-watt tungsten No. 330- 2 5-light fixtures with 10 40-watt tungstens Change to 2 1-light fixtures with 2 100-watt tungstens No. 331— 1 4-light fixture with 4 40-watt tungstens Change to 1 1-light fixture with 1 60-watt tungsten No. 332— 1 5-light fixture with 5 40-watt tungstens Change to 1 1-light fixture with 1 100-watt tungsten No. 333— 1 4-light fixture with 4 40-watt tungstens Change to 1 1-light fixture with 1 60-watt tungsten , No. 334— 2 5-light fixtures with 10 40-watt tungstens , Change to 2 1-light fixtures with 2 100-watt tungstens , No. 335— 2 4-light fixtures with S 40-watt tungstens Change to 2 1-light fixtures with 2 60-watt tungstens 4 1-ligljt fixtures with 4 40-watt tungstens No. 336— 1 3-light fixture with 3 40-watt tungstens; 2 4-light fixtures with 8 40-watt tung- stens Change to 3 1-light fixtures with 3 100-watt tungstens 2 1-light fixtures with 2 40-watt timgstens Change to 2 1-Ught fixtures with 2 00-watt tungstens 3 cord pendents with 3 40-watt tungstens No. 338— 1 3-light fixture with 1 40-watt tungsten; 2 4-Ught fixtures with 8 40-watt timg- stens; 1 1-light fixture with 1 40-watt tungsten Change to 4 l-light fixtures with 4 60-watt tungstens 5 cord pendents over cases with 8 40-watt tungstens No. 330— 1 1-liglit fixture with 1 40-watt tungsten Change to 1 1-light fixture with 1 00-watt tungsten 120 200 120 120 200 200 200 400 160 160 400 320 160 "440 80 120 400 320 40 ELECTEIC LIGHTING OP FEDERAL BUILDINGS. 829 Table No. 1 — Continued. Wattage of lamps. Present. Recom- mended. THIRD-FLOOR ROOMS— continued . West wing: Toilet— 5 3-liglit fixtures with 15 40- watt tungstens; 3 2-light fixtures with 6 40-watt tung- stens Change to 6 1-light fixtures with 1 40-watt tungsten; 2 2-light fixtures with 4 40-watt tungstens No. 376— 1 o-light fixture with 3 40-watt tungstens Change to 1 1-light fixture with 1 100- wat t tungsten No. 377— 1 S-light fixture with 3 40-watt tungstens , Change to 1 l-light fixture With 1 100-watt tungsten No. 377a— 1 4-light fixture with 3 40-watt tungstens Change to 1 1-light fixture with 1 100-watt tungsten No. 379— 2 l-light fixtures with 2 40-watt tungstens; 3 fixtures, 1 pendent sphere each with 3 40-watt tungstens; 5 3-light fixtures with 11 40-watt tungstens and 1 5-light fixture with S 40-watt tungstens and 1 4-nght fixture with 4 40-watt tungstens. Change as foUows: 3 pendent spheres O. K.; change 1 1-hght fixture and 1 3-light fixture in file room to 2 1-light fixtures with 2 40-watt tungstens. Install 60-watt units in other 7 outlets No. 380— 1 1-Ught fixture with 1 40-watt tungsten; 13 cord pendents with 13 40-watt tung- stens Change to 13 1-Ught fixtures with 13 60-watt tungstens, 1 1-llght fixture with 1 40-watt tungsten South wing: No. 350— 1 1-light fixture with 1 40-watt tungsten '. Change to 1-hght fixture with 1 60-watt tungsten No. 351— 1 6-light fixture with 6 40-watt tungstens Change to 1 1-Ught fixture with 1 100-watt timgsten No. 352— 1 4-Ught fixtiu-e with 4 40-watt tungstens Change to 1 1-Ught fixture with 1 100-watt tungsten No. 353— 1 3-Ught fixture with 3 40-watt tungstens Change to 1 1-Ught fixture with 1 60-watt tungsten No. 354— 2 4-Ught fixtures with 8 40-watt tungstens Change to 2 1-Ught fixtures with 2 60-watt tungstens No. 354A— 1 1-Ught fixture with 1-40 watt tungsten Change to 1 1-Ught fixture with 1 60-watt tungsten No. 355— 2 3-Ught fixtm-es with 2 40-watt tungstens Change to 2 1-Ught fixtures with 2 60-watt tungstens 120 120 1,000 560 40 240 160 120 320 40 830 REPOETS OF COMMISSION ON ECONOMY AND EFFICIENCY. Table No. 1 — Continued. Wattage of lamps. Present. Recom- mended. THiRD-FLOOE EOOMS— Continued. South wing— Continued. No. 356— 1 S-light fixture with 5 40- watt tungstens Change to 1 1-light fixture with 1 60-watt tungsten 1 1-light fixture with 1 40-watt tungsten No. 357— 1 5-light fixture with 6 40-watt tungstens Change to 1 1-light fixture with 1 100-watt tungsten No. 357A— 2 fixtures with 5 pendent spheres, each with 9 40-watt timgstens No. 358— 3 fixtures with 1 pendent sphere with 6 40-watt timgstens; 3 fixtures with hemi- spheres with 6 40-watt timgstens; 1 2-light fijcture with 2 40-watt tungstens No. 358 A— 4 fixtures with 4 pendent spheres with 8 40-watt tungstens No. 359— 1 fixture with 5 pendent spheres with 5 40-watt tungstens No. 360— 1 4-light fixture with 4 40-watt tungstens Change to 1 1-light fixture with 1 60-watt tungsten No. 361— 1 3-light fijcture with 2 40-watt tungstens Change to 1 1-light fixture with 1 60-watt tungsten No. 362— 2 5-light fixtures with 9 40-watt tungstens Change to 2 1-light fixtures with 2 100-watt tungstens 2 1-light fixtures with 2 40-watt tungstens No. 362 A— 1 1-light fixture with 1 40-watt tungsten Change to 1 1-light fixture with 1 60-watt tungsten No. 363— 2 6-light fixtures with 4 40-watt tungstens Change to 2 1-light fixtures with 2 100-watt tungstens 1 1-light fixture with 1 40-watt timgsten Change to 1 1-light fixture with 1 60-watt tungsten 1 3-light fixture with 3 40-watt tungstens Change to 1 1-light fixture with 1 60-watt tungsten No. 363A— 3 3-light fixtures with 9 40-watt tungstens Change to 3 1-light fixtures with 3 60-watt tungstens FOUBTH-FLOOK ROOMS. No. 401— 1 1-light fixture with 1 100-watt tungsten lamp 1 3-light fixtm-e with 3 40-watt tungstens Change to 1 1-light fixture with 1 100-watt tungsten No. 402— 3 3-light fixtures with 7 40-watt tungstens Change to 3 1-light fixtures with 3 60-watt tungstens No. 402A— 2 3-light fixtures with 6 40-watt tungstens; 2 1-light fixtures with 2 40-watt tung- stens Change to 4 1-light fixtures with 2 60-watt and 2 40-watt tungstens 200 40 240 360 560 320 200 160 60 80 60 360 200 80 40 80 60 160 200 40 60 120 60 360 180 100 120 280 320 ELECTEIO LIGHTING OP FEDERAL BUILDINGS. Table No. 1 — Continued. 831 Wattage of lamps. Present. Recom- mended. FOURTH-FLOOR ROOMS— Continued. South wing— Continued. No. 403— 13 brackets with 13 25-watt carbon lamps; 8 brackets with 8 10-watt carbon lamps. Change to 25-watt tantalum lamps 34 4rlight fixtures with 74 40-watt tungstens; 2 1-light fixtures with 2 40-watt timgstens Change to 25 1-light fixtures with 25 100- watt tungstens No. 403 (main room) — Omit the four existing fixtures and change the location of the four others as indicated on the plans: 2 1-light fixtures with 2 60- watt tungstens in small room No. 403-A; 2 1-light fixtures with 2 60-watt tungstens in vault; 3 1- light fixtures with 3 100- watt tungstens in lobby 16 2-light desk standards with 32 25-watt lamps; 14 1-light cord pendents with 14 25-watt lamps; 20 adjustable standards over cases with 20 25-watt lamps No change with the possible exception of substitution of series lamps for ad- justables over cases No. 404— 1 3-light fixture with 1 40-watt tungsten Change to 1 1-light fixtm'e with 1 60-watt tungsten No. 404A— 4 3-light fixtures with 8 40-watt tungstens Change to 4 1-light fixtures with 4 60-watt tungstens No. 405— 1 1-light fixture with 1 40-watt tungsten Change to 60-watt tungsten No. 406— 4 1-light fixtures with 4 40-watt tungstens ; Change to 3 60-watt and 1 40-watt tungsten Toilet— 1 3-light fixture with 1 40-watt tungsten; 3 2-light fixtures with 3 40-watt tung- stens Change to 4 1-light fixtures with 4 60-watt timgstens East wing: No. 246 (lobby)— 2 fixtures with 1 pendent sphere and 1 40-watt tungsten each; 5 fixtures with 3 pendent spheres and 3 40-watt tungstens each No. 426A— 2 fixtures with 4 pendent spheres with 4 40-watt tungstens each; 1 fixture with 3 pendent spheres with 3 40-watt tungstens each; 1 1-light fixture with 1 40-watt tungsten No. 426 (vault)— 1 1-light fixture with 1 40-watt tungsten No. 426 (file room)— 1 4-light fixture with 2 40-watt tungstens; 1 1-light fixture with 1 40-watt tungsten. Change to 2 1-light fixtures with 2 60-watt tungstens ■. . . No. 426 (main room) — 25 4-light fixtures with 43 40-watt tungstens Change to 25 1-light fixtures with 25 60-watt timgstens No. 426 (corridor)— 3 1-light desk standards and 4 2-light desk standards with 11 40-watt tungstens. . Change to 25-watt tungstens 405 3,040 1,650 320 40 160 160 680 480 49 120 1,720 440 2,500 3,040 1,650 60 240 60 220 240 680 40 120 1,500 275 832 KEI'OETS OF COMMISSION ON ECONOMY AND EFFICIENCY. Table No. 1 — Continued. FOURTH-FLOOR ROOMS— Continued. East wing— Continued. Toilet— 4 2-light fixtures with 4 40-watt tungstens Change to 4 1-Ught fixtures with 4 40-watt tungstens West wing: No. 475— 1 1-light fixture with 1 40-watt tungsten i 9 4-llght fixtures with 27 40-watt tungstens Change to 9 1-hght fixtures with 9 60-watt tungstens 40 cord adjustables over cases with 1 25 wall lamp each Change to 8 series of 50 watts each Change 3 cord pendents to portable lamps No. 475— 2 4-light fixtures with 4 40-watt tungstens Change to 2 1-light fixtures with 2 100-watt tungstens No. 477— 2 4-light fixtures with 8 40-watt tungstens Change to 2 1-light fixtures with 2 60-watt tungstens 1 fixture, 4 pendent spheres with 4 40-watt tungstens No. 478— 4 4-Iight fixtures with 4 40-watt tungstens Change to 1 1-light fixture with 1 60-watt tungsten No. 479— 3 4rlight fixtures with 12 40-watt tungstens Change to 3 1-light fixtures with 3 60-watt tungstens No. 480— 2 4-light fixtures with 6 40-watt tungstens Change to 2 1-light fixtures with 2 60-watt tungstens 1 fixture, 4 pendent spheres with 4 40-watt tungstens 1 1-light flLxture with 1 40-watt tungsten ; No. 481— 2 4-light fixtures with 6 40-watt tungstens; 1 1-light fixture with 1 40-watt tungs- ten Change to 3 1-light fixtures, with 3 60-watt tmigstens No. 482— This room has case file and the present lights are cord pendants in rows between the cases. The present arrangement is satisfactory; it may, however, be ad- vantageous to substitute series lights in place of the 21 40-watt pendants. (This should be worked out by the chief electrician on the ground) South wing: No. 450 (corridor) — 8 fixtures with 1 pendant sphere each with S 40-watt tungstens 13 1-light brackets with 13 25-watt tantalum lamps No. 450 (main room) — 3 cord pendants with 3 40-watt tungstens 29 4-light fixtures with 68 40-watt tiuigstens ." Change to 29 1-light fixtures with 29 CO-watt tiuigstens 2 2-light desk standards with 4 40-watt timgstens No. 450 (cage)— 4 pendent spheres with 4 40-watt tungstens Wattage of lamps. Present. 160 40 1,080 1,000 160 320 160 160 240 160 40 280 840 320 325 120 2,720 160 ICO ELECTRIC LIGHTING OF FEDERAL BUILDINGS. 833 Table No. 1 — Continued. Wattage of lamps. Present. Recom- mended. FOURTH-FLOOR ROOMS— Continued. South wing — Continued. No. 450 (vaults and toilets) — 2 Might fixtures and 1 2-light fixture with 4 40- watt tungstens . Change to 3 1-light fixtures with 3 40-watt tungstens No. 451— 4 4-light fixtures with 8 40-watt tungstens Change to 4 1-light fixtures with 4 60-watt tungstens No. 451- A— 2 3-light fixtures with 4 40-watt tungstens Change to 2 1-light fixtures with 2 60-watt tungstens No. 452 - 1 4-Iight fixture with 2 40-watt tungstens Change to 1 1-Jight fixture with 1 60-watt tungsten No. 454— 1 l-)ight bracket with 1 40-watt tungsten 1 1-light bracket with 1 60-watt tungsten 1 3-Iight fixture with 3 40-watt tungstens Change to 1 1-light fixture with 1 40-watt tungsten 2 4-light fixtures with 8 40-watt tungstens Change to 2 l-light fixtures with 2 60-watt tungstens 1 5-light fixture with 3 40-watt tungstens _. Change to 1 1-light fixture with 1 100-watt tungsten 2 fixtures, 1 pendent sphere each, with 2 40-watt tungstens 2 fixtures, 5 pendent spheres each, with 10 40-watt tungstens. . FIFTH-FLOOR ROOMS. North wing: No. 500— 2 1-light fixtures with 2 40-watt tungstens 4 4-light fixtures with 4 40-watt tungstens Change to 4 1-light fixtures with 4 60-watt tungstens No. 501— 2 4-light fixtures with 4 40-watt tungstens Change to 2 1-light fixtures with 2 60-watt tungstens No. 502— 2 4-light fixtures with 4 40-watt tungstens Change to 2 1-light fixtures with 2 60-watt tungstens No. 503— 2 4-light fixtures with 4 40-watt tungstens Change to 2 1-light fixtures with 2 60-watt tungstens No. 504— 1 1-light fixture with 1 40-watt tungsten 1 6-light fixture with 4 40-watt timgstens Change to 1 1-light fixture with 1 100-watt timgsten No. 505— ' 1 5-light fixture with 2 40-watt tungstens Change to 1 1-light fixture with 1 60-watt tungsten No. 506— 1 5-light fixture with 3 40-watt tungstens; 1 4-light fixture with 3 40-watt tung- stens Change to 2 1-light fixtures with 2 100-watt tungstens 72734— H. Doc. 1252, 62-3 53 160 320 160 SO 40 60 120 320 120 80 400 160 160 160 40 160 834 REPORTS OF COMMISSIOISr ON ECONOMY AND EFFICIENCY. Table No. I — Continued. Wattage of lamps. Present. Recom- mended. FIFTH-FLOOK ROOMS— Continued. North wing— Continued. Nos. 507 and 508— 4 4-llght fixtures with 8 40-watt tungstens Change to 4 1-light fixtures with 4 60-watt tungstens No. 50^— 4 5-llght fixtures with 8 40-watt tungstens Change to 4 1-light fixtures with 4 60-watt tungstens No. 510— 1 5-light fixture with 3 40-watt tungstens Change to 1 1-light fixture with 1 100-watt tungsten 1 1-light fixture with 1 40-watt tungsten No. 510a— 6 4-light fixtures with 12 40-watt tungstens Change to 6 1-light fixtures with 6 60-watt tungstens No. 511— 1 1-light fixture with 1 pendent cord with 2 40-watt tungstens Change to 2 1-light fixtures with 2 60-watt tungstens No. 512— 3 1-light fixtures with 3 40-watt tungstens • Change to 3 1-light fixtures with 3 60-watt tungstens No. 513— 12 4-light fixtures with 24 40-watt tungstens Change to 12 1-light fixtures with 12 60-watt tungstens 6 pendents with 6 40-watt tungstens East wing: No. 525— 3 1-light fixtures with 3 40-watt tungstens Change to 3 1-light fixtures with 3 60-watt tungstens No. 520— 3 4-light fixtures with 6 40-watt tungstens Change to 3 1-light fixtures with 3 60-watt tungstens No. 526a— 1 5-light fixture with 2 40-watt tungstens Change to 1 1-light fixture with 1 60-watt tungsten No. 526b— 1 1-light fixture with 1 40-watt tungsten Change to 1 1-light fixture with 1 60-watt tungsten No. 527— 1 5-light fixture with 2 40-watt tungstens; 2 4-light fixtures with t 40-watt tungs- tens Change to 3 1-light fixtures with 3 60-watt tungstens No. 628- 4 5-light fixtures W'th 10 40-watt tungstens Change to 4 1-light fixtures with 4 lOO-wtitt tungstens 1 4-light fixture with 2 40-watt tungstens Change to 1 1-light fixture with 1 100-watt tungsten 3 l-light fixtures with 3 40-watt tungstens No. .529- 1 1-light fixture with I 40-wntt tungsten 3 3-light fixtures with 4 40-watt tungstens, ixivl 3 4-light fixtures with 6 40-watt tungstens Change to 6 1-light fixtures with (i 60-watt tungstens 320 120 40 80 120 960 240 120 240 40 240 400 120 40 400 ELECTKIG LIGHTING OF FEDERAL BUILDINGS. 835 Table No, 1 — Continued. Wattage of lamps. Present. Recom- mended, East wing-Continued, fifth-floor ROOMs-continued. No. 529— Continued. 2 5-light fixtures with 4 40-watt tungstens Change to 2 Uight fixtures with 2 100-watt tungstens No, 530— 1 1-light fixture with 1 40-watt tungsten; 3 4-light fixtures with 6 40-watt tung- stens Change to 3 1-light fixtures with 3 60-watt tungstens No. 531— 3 4-light fixtures with 6 40-watt tungstens Change to 3 1-light fixtures with 3 60-watt tungstens Toilet— 4 3-light fixtures with 4 40-watt tungstens Change to 4 1-light fixtures with 4 40-watt tungstens West wing: No. 57.5— 3 4-light fixtures with 8 40-watt tungstens; 1 3-light fixture with 1 40-watt tung- sten Change to 4 l-light fixtures with 4 60-watt tungstens 1 2-light fixture with 2 40-watt tungstens Change to 1 1-light fixtiu'e with 1 40-watt tungsten No. 575a— 2 4-light fixtures with 4 40-watt tungstens and 1 60-watt tungsten Change to 2 1-Ught fixtures with 2 60-watt tungstens No. 576— 1 4-light fixture with no lamps Change to 1 1-light fixture with 1 60-watt tungsten No. 577— 1 3-Ught fixture with no lamps 2 4-light fixtures with 3 40-watt tungstens Change to 3 1-Ught fixtures with 3 60-watt tungstens No. 579— 1 1-Ught fixture with 1 40-watt tungsten , 1 2-light fixture with 1 40-watt tungsten Change to 1 1-light fixture with 1 40-watt ttmgsten 1 3-light fixture with 1 40-watt tungsten Change to 1 1-light fixtvire with 1 60-watt timgsten 1 5-light fljcture with 3 40-watt tungstens Change to 1 1-light fixture with 1 100-watt timgsten No. 580- 2 fixtures with 5 pendent spheres each with 10 40-watt tungstens No. 581— 1 3-Ught fixture with 1 40-watt tungsten Change to 1 1-light fixture with 1 60-watt tungsten No. 582— 2 4-light fixtures with 4 40-watt tungstens , Change to 2 1-light fixtures with 2 60-watt tungstens No. 583— 1 2-light fixture with 2 40-watt tungstens; 4 4-Ught fixtures with 8 40-watt timg- stens; 1 1-Ught fixture with 1 40-watt tungsten Change to 6 1-Ught fixtures with 6 60-watt tungstens 280 240 360 220 120 40 120 400 40 160 440 200 180 180 160 240 40 120 60 180 40 40 60 100 400 60 120 360 836 REPORTS OF COMMISSION ON ECONOMY AND EFFICIENCY. Table No. 1 — Continued. Wattage of lamps. Present. West wiDg-Continued. ™th-floor ROOMS-continued. No. 584- 1 1-light fixture with 1 40-watt tungsten No. 584— 1 6-light fixture with 2 40-watt tungstens Change to 1 1-light fixture with 1 100-watt tungsten No. 585— 2 3-light fixtures with 2 40-watt tungstens Change to 2 1-light fixtures with 2 40-watt tungstens No. 586— 2 3-Ught fixtures with 2 40-watt tungstens Change to 2 1-Ught fixtures with 2 60-watt tungstens No. 587— 3 4-light fixtures with 6 40-watt tungstens Change to 3 1-Ught fixtures with 3 60-watt tungstens Storeroom— 2 3-light fixtures with 2 40-watt tungstens Change to 2 1-light fixtures with 2 60-watt tungstens South wing: No. 550— 1 2-light fixture with 2 40-watt tungstens; 1 3-light fixture with 1 40-watt tung- sten; 4 4-Ught fixtures with 9 40-watt tungstens; 1 5-light fixture with 3 40-watt tungstens Change to 7 1-light fixtures with 6 60-watt tungstens and 1 100-watt tungsten for the 5 1-light fixtures Nos. 551-552— 2 l-Ught fixtures with 2 40-watt tungstens 2 3-light fixtures with 2 40-watt tungstens; 4 4-light fixtures with 8 40-watt tung- stens Change to 6 1-Hght fixtures with 6 60-watt tungstens No. 553— 2 3-light fixtures with 2 40-watt tungstens , Change to 2 1-light fixtures with 2 60-watt tungstens , 1 l-Ught fixture with 1 40-watt tungsten No. 553A— 1 1-Ught fixture with 1 40-watt tungsten No. 554— 2 1-light fixtures with 2 40-watt tungstens Change to 1 60-watt and 1 40-watt tungsten 2 4-light fixtures with 2 40-watt tungstens Change to 2 1-light fixtures with 2 60-watt tungstens No. 555— 1 1-light fixture with 1 40-watt tungsten 2 4-light fixtures with 4 40-watt tungstens Change to 2 1-light fixtures with 2 60-watt tungstens No. 556— 2 4-light fixtures with 4 40-watt tungstens Change to 2 1-light fixtures with 2 60-watt tuugstens No. 557— 1 4-light fixture with 2 40-watt tungstens Change to 1 l-light fixture with 1 60-watt tungstrti 1 1-light fixture with no lamps Install 1 40-watt tungsten 240 600 80 400 40 160 ELECTRIC LIGHTING OF FEDERAL BUILDINGS. Table No. 1 — Continued. 837 FIFTH-FLOOR ROOMS— continued. South wing— Continued. No. 558— 1 B-light fixture with 3 40-watt tungstens Change to 1 1-light fixture with 1 100-watt tungsten 1 1-light fixture with 1 40-watt tungsten No. 559— 1 3-light fixture with 2 40-watt tungstens Change to 1 1-light fixture with 1 60-watt tungsten No. 560— 2 4-light fixtures with 4 40-watt tungstens '. Change to 2 1-light fixtures with 2 100-watt tungstens •No. 561— 1 1-light fixture with 1 40-watt tungsten 2 4-light fixtures with 4 40-watt tungstens Change to 2 1-light fixtures with 2 60-watt tungstens No. 562— 1 1-light fixture with 1 40-watt tungsten 1 3-light fixture with 1 40-watt tungsten: 2 5-light fixtures with 4 40-watt tung- stens Change to 3 1-light fixtures with 3 60-watt tungstens No. 563— 1 1-light fixture with 1 40-watt tungsten 1 3-light fixture with 1 40-watt tungsten; 2 4-light fixtures with 4 40-watt tung- stens Change to 3 1-light fixtures with 3 60-watt tungstens No. 564— 1 1-Ught fixture with 1 40-watt tungsten 1 3-Iight fixture with 1 40-watt tungsten: 2 1-light fixtures with 1 40-watt tung- sten Change to 3 1-light fixtures with 3 60-watt tungstens No. 565— 2 1-light fixtures with 2 40-watt tungstens 1 3-light fixture with 2 40-watt ttingstens; 2 4-light fixtures with 4 40-watt tung- stens Change to 3 1-light fixtures with 3 60-watt tungstens •. No. 566— 2 1-light fixtures with 2 40-watt tungstens 2 4-light fixtures with 8 40-watt tungstens: 1 3-light fixture with 3 40-watt tung- stens Change to 3 1-light fixtures with 1 60-watt and 2 100-watt tungstens No 567— 1 3-light fixture with 3 40-watt tungstens; i 4-light fixtures with 9 40-watt tung- stens Change to 4 1-light fixtures with 1 50-watt and 3 100-watt tungstens North wing: No. COO— 1 1-light fixture with 1 40-watt tungsten; 8 4-light fixtures with 1 6-40- watt tungs- tens Change to 9 1-light fixtures with 9 60-watt tungstens.. No. 601— 3 5-light fixtures with 4 40-watt tungstens Change to 3 1-light fixtures with 3 100-watt tungstens. Wattage of lamps. Present. 120 40 80 160 40 160 40 200 40 200 440 480 160 Recom- mended. 100 40 60 200 40 120 40 180 40 180 40 180 180 80 260 350 540 300 838 EEPORTS OF COMMISSION ON" ECONOMY AND EFFICIENCY. Table No. 1 — Continued, Wattage of lamps. Present. Recom- mended. FIFTH-FLOOR ROOMS — continued. North wing— Continued. No. 602— 2 2-light fixtures with 3 40-watt tungstens Change to 2 1-llght fixtures with 1 60- watt tungsten and 2 40-watt tungstens. 2 S-light fixtures with 2 40-watt tungstens Change to 2 1-light fixtures with 2 lOG-watt tungstens No. 604— 2 fixtures, 3 pendent spheres; 1 fixture, 5 pendcno spheres; a table standard with a total of 12 40-watt tungstens No. 602a— 2 4-light fixtures with 4 40-watt tungstens Change to 2 1-light fixtures with 2 100-watt tungstens 1 2-light fixture with 1 40-watt tungsten Change to 1 1-light fixture with 1 40-watt tungsten 2 1-light fixtures with 2 40-watt tungstens Change to 1 1-light fixture with 1 40-watt tungsten No. 605— 2 4rlight fixtures with 4 40-watt tungstens, 1 6-light fixture with 2 40-watt tung- stens Change to 3 1-light fixtures with 3 100-watt tungsten lamps No. 606— 3 4-light fixtures with 6 40-watt tungstens Change to 3 1-light fixtures with 3 100-watt tungstens 1 2-light fixture with 1 40-watt tungsten Change to 1 1-light fixture with 1 40-watt tungsten No. 606— 2 l-hght fixtures with 2 40-watt tungstens East wing: No. 625— 2 4-light fixtures with 6 40-watt tungstens Change to 2 1-light fixtures with 2 100-watt tungstens 1 2-hght fixture with no lamps. Remove. No. 625A— 2 1-light fixtures with 2 25-watt carbon lamps , Change to 2 2S-watt tungstens , 2 4-light fixtures with 4 40-watt tungstens Change to 3 1-light fixtures with 3 60-watt tungstens, adding 1 fixture No. 626— 2 fixtures, 4 pendent spheres; 1 fixture, 6 pendent spheres; with a total of 14 40- watt tungstens 3 1-light fixtures with 3 40-watt timgstens No. 628— 3 4-light fixtures with 6 40-watt tungstens , Change to 3 1-light fixtures with 3 100-watt tungstens 1 1-Ught fixture with 1 40-watt tvmgsten , No. 629— 2 4-light fixtures with 4 40-watt tungstens Change to 3 1-light fixtures with 2 60-watt tungstens and 1 40-watt tungsten, adding 1 fixture 1 1-light fixture with no lamps No change except install 1 25-watt timgsten 120 80 480 160 40 80 240 240 40 240 50 160 560 120 240 40 160 ELECTEIC LIGHTIXG OF FEDEEAL BUILDINGS. 839 Table No. 1 — Continued. Wattage of lamps. Recom- mended. FIFTH-FLOOR KOOMS— Continued. East wing — Continued. Toilet— 1 3-light fixture; 2 4-llght fixtures with 2 40- watt tungstens Change to 3 1-light fixtures with 3 40-watt tungstens West wing: No. 675— 2 4-Iight-flxtures with 8 40-watt tungstens Change to 2 1-ligbt fixtures with 2 100-watt tungstens No. 67.5- A— 2 1-light fixtures with 2 25-watt carbon lamps Change to 2 1-hght fixtui-es with 2o-watt tungstens 3 4-light fixtures with 7 40-watt tungstens ^ Change to 3 1 -light fixtures with 3 100-watt tungstens No. 676 - 6 fixtures with 3 pendent spheres each with 18 40-watt tungstens 4 1-light fixtures with 3 40-watt tungstens Remove one fixture in toilet; others O. K 1 table standard with 1 40-watt tungsten No. 678- 2 1-light fixtures with 2 25-watt carbon lamps Change to 2 1-light fixtures with 2 25-watt tungstens 4 3-light fixtures with S 40-watt tungstens Change to 4 1-light fixtures with 4 60-watt tungstens No. 679— 6 3-light fixtures with 12 40-watt tungstens Change to 6 1-light fixtures with 6 60-watt tungstens South wing: No. 650— 1 3-light fixture with 2 40-watt tungstens: 7 4-light fixtures with 14 40-watt tung- tens Change to 9 1-light fixtures with 9 60-watt tungstens; add one fixture 4 2-l;ght desk standards with 8 40-watt tungstens Change to S 25-watt tantalum lam33S No. 651— 1 3-light fixture with 1 40-watt tungsten and 2 5-light fixtures with 4 40-watt tung- stens Change to 3 1-Ught fixtures mth 3 100-watt tungstens No. 652— 2 2-light fixtures with 3 40-watt tungstens Change to 2 1-hght fixtures with 1 40-watt and 1 60-watt tungsten lamp 2 S-hght fixtures with 4 40-watt tungstens Change to 2 1-light fixtures with 2 100-watt tungstens No. 654— 2 fixtures with 3 pendent spheres, 1 fixture with 5 pendent spheres, 1 table lamp, making a total of 12 40-watt tungstens No. 654a— 2 l-hght fixtures with 2 40-watt tungstens Remove 1 fixture and leave 1 40-watt tungsten 1 2-light fixture with 1 40-watt tungsten Change to 1 1-Ught fixture -with 1 40-watt tungsten 2 4-fight fixtures with 4 40-watt tungstens Change to 2 1-hght fixtures with 2 100-watt tungstens 320 720 120 40 50 320 480 640 320 120 160 40 160 840 REPORTS OF COMMISSION ON ECONOMY AND EFFICIENCY. ' Table No. 1 — Continued. Wattage of lamps. Present. FIFTH-FLOOR ROOMS— Continued. South wing — Continued. No. 655— 2 4-light fixtures \vithi 4 40-watt tungstens and 6 1-light fixtures with 2 40-watt tungstens Change to 3 1-light fixtures with 3 100-watt tungstens No. 656— 1 2-light fixture with 1 40-watt tungsten Change to 1 1-Ught fixture with 1 40-watt tungsten 1 1-light fixture with 1 25-watt carbon lamp Change to 1 25-watt tungsten Court rooms — 20 6-light wall brackete with 5 25-watt carbon lamps and 1 60-watt tungsten; center fights, 36 40-watt tungstens in ceiling; side lights, 22 60-watt tungstens in ceiling; total for each court room, 6,460, or for the 4 court rooms (these rooms are e.xcellently lighted and no change should be made) 240 North wing: seventh-floor rooms. Nos. 700 to 702— Not seen Nols. 703 to 706— 1 2-light fixture with 2 40-watt tungstens .• 3 3-hght fixtures with 3 40-watt tungstens; 21 4-light fixtures with 35 40-watt tung- stens Change to 24 1-Ught fixtures with 24 60-watt tungstens 2 fixtures, hemispheres, with 2 40-watt tungstens 3 fixtures with 3 spheres each with 9 40-watt tungstens 3 1-light fixtures in vault with 3 40-watt tungstens No . 705. Rigid shelf pendent with no lamps East wing: No. 725— 6 4-light fixtures with 12 40-watt tungstens Change to 10 l-Ught fixtures with 10 60-watt tungstens, adding 4 fixtures 1 3-light fixture with 1 40-watt ttingsten Change to 1 1-Ught fixture with 1 60-watt tungsten 1 l-hght fixture with 1 40-watt timgsten No. 725A— 1 2-light fixture with 1 40-watt tungsten Change to 2 25-watt tungstens 2 fixtures, 5 spheres with 10 40-watt tungstens No. 726— 2 3-Ught fixtures with 2 40-watt tungstens; 1 2-light fixture with 1 40-watt tungsten. Change to 3 l-hght fixtures with 3 60-watt tungstens No. 727— 1 4-light fixture, with 1 40-watt tungston Change to 1 1-light fl.xture with 1 6T-watt tungsten 4 cord pendants, with 4 40-watt tungstens Change to 4 1-light fixtures with 4 40-watt tungstens No. 728— 1 4-light fixture with 4 40-watt tungstens Change to 1 l-light fixture with 1 (lO-watt tungsten 8 cord pendants with 8 40-watt tungstens - Change to 8 1-light fixtures with 8 40-watt tungstens • Estimated. 25,840 ' 400 80 1,520 80 360 120 480 40 40 40 400 120 40 160 160 320 ELECTRIC LIGHTING OF FEDERAL BUILDINGS. Table No. 1 — Continued. 841 Wattage of lamps. Present. Recom- mended. South win"- seventh-floor rooms— continued. No. 750— 2 Wight fixtures with 2 40-watt tungstens 1 3-light fixture with 1 40-watt tungsten Change to 1 1-light fixture with 1 60- watt tungsten No. 751— 2 1-light fixtures with 2 25-watt tungstens 2 fixtm'es, 3 spheres each, with 6 40-watt tungstens No. 752— 2 1-light fixtures with 2 25-watt tungstens 2 fixtures, 3 spheres each, with 6 40-watt tungstens , No. 763— 2 1-light fixtures with 2 25-watt tungstens , 2 fixtures, 3 spheres each, with 6 40-watt tungstens No. 755— 2 1-light fixtures with 2 25-watt tungstens No. 755— 2 fixtures, 3 spheres each with 6 40-watt tungstens No. 756— 1 1-light fixture with 1 40-watt tungsten , 1 2-light fixture with 2 25-watt tungstens , 1 3-light fixture with 2 40-watt tungstens Change to 1 1-light fixture with 1 100- watt tungsten No. 754— 4 3-light fixtures with 8 40-watt tungstens Change to 4 1-light fixtures with 4 60- watt tungstens 8 4-light fixtures with 16 40-watt tungstens Change to 8 1-ligh t fixtures with 8 100- watt tungstens 1 1-light fixture with 1 40-watt tungsten West wing: No. 775— 4 fixtures with 4 spheres each with 16 40-watt tungstens 1 desk portable with 1 40-watt tungsten No. 776— 2 fixtures, 1 hemisphere each, with 2 40-watt tungstens No. 777— 6 fixtures, 3 spheres each, with 10 40-watt tungstens Change by installing spheres and lights now left after making change 18 40-watt tungstens No. 778— 2 4-light fixtures with 4 40-watt tungstens '. Change to 2 1-light fixtures with 2 60- watt tungstens 2 1-light fixtures with 2 40-watt tungstens No. 779— 2 4-light fixtures with 4 40-watt tungstens Change to 2 1-light fixtures with 2 100-watt tungstens No. 780— 4 3-light fixtures with 11 40-watt tungstens; 1 1-light fixture with 1 40-watt tung- sten Change to 5 1-light fixtures with 5 60-watt tungstens 1 court room: This room is estimated to contain the same wattage of lamps as the court room on the sixth floor. (This room is excellently lighted and no change should be made.) 40 50 240 50 240 50 240 50 240 320 640 40 640 40 400 160 80 160 0,460 842 REPORTS OF COMMISSION ON ECONOMY AND EFFICIENCY, Table No. 1 — Continued. EIGHTH-FLOOR ROOMS. North wing: No. 805— 2 4-liglit fixtures with 4 40- watt tungstens Change to 2 1-light fixtures with 2 60- watt tungstens 2 1-light fixtures with 2 40- watt tungstens , No. 804a— 4 4-light fixtures with 16 40-watt tungstens Change to 4 1-light fixtures with 4 100- watt tungstens 2 1-light fixtures with 2 40-watt tungstens . No. 804b— 1 3-light fixture with 3 40-watt tungstens; 1 1-light fixture with 1 40-watt tung- sten Change to 2 1-light fixtures with 2 40-watt tungstens No. 804c— 1 3-light fixture with 3 40-watt tungstens Change to 1 1-light fixture with 1 60-watt tungsten 5 1-light fixtures with 5 40-watt tungstens Change to 4 25- watt tungstens and 1 40-watt tungsten No. 804d (machinery room)— 4 portables No. 804— 4 4-light fixtures with 8 40-watt tungstens; 3 3-light fixtures with 9 40-watt tung- stens; 1 5-light fixture with 4 40-watt tungstens , Change to 8 i -light fixtures with 8 100-watt tungstens 3 1-light pendents No. 806— 3 fixtures with 4 spheres each with 12 40-watt tungstens No. 807— 4 1-light fixtures with 4 40-watt tungstens Change to 2 40-watt tungstens and 2 60-watt tungstens No. 901— 5 l-light fixtures with 5 40-watt tungstens Change to 3 40-watt tungstens and 2 00-watt tungstens No. 801a— 2 1-light fixtures with 2 40-watt tungstens; 1 4-light fixture with 4 25-watt carbons . Change to 3 1-light fixtures with 2 60-watt and 1 40-watt tungstens No. 804— 1 1-light fixture with 1 40-watt tungsten No. 802— This room is fixed for indirect lighting, total watts Change to 3 1-light fixtures with 3 100-watt tungstens 10 glass transparencies illuminated with 4 40-watt tungstens at the bottom of each picture Change to 2 series of 50 watts each at bottom of each picture, or 1 at bottom and 1 at top, preferably the latter. Place lamps in continuous trough reflectors No. 803— 4 4-Iight fixtures with 8 40-watt tungstens; 2 1-light fixtures with 2 40-watt tung- stens Change to 4 1-light fixtures with 4 100-watt tungstens and place 2 25-watt tungstens in the 1-light fixtures Wattage of lamps. Present. 160 80 640 200 100 840 480 160 200 ISO 40 720 1.600 400 Recom- mended. ELECTEIC LIGHTING OP FEDEEAL BUILDINGS. Table No. 1 — Continued. 843 Wattage of lamps. Present. Recom- mended. EiQHTH-FLOOK EOOMS— Continued. South wing: No. 850— Not seen; estimated to contain 8 40-watt tungstens Change to 4 1-Iight fixtures with 4 100-watt tungstens No. 851— 2 3-light fixtures with 4 40-watt tungstens ^ Change to 2 1-light fixtures with 2 60-watt tungstens No. 852— 2 3-light fixtures with 2 40-watt tungstens Change to 2 1-light fixtures with 2 60-watt tungstens No. 853— 2 3-light fixtures with 2 40-watt tungstens Change to 2 1-light fixtures with 2 60-watt tungstens ■ No. 854r- 1 4-light fixture with 2 40-watt tungstens Change to 1 1-light fixture with 1 60-watt tungsten No. 855— 1 4-Ught fixture with3 40-watt tungstens ■- Change to 1 1-light fixture with 1 100-watt tungsten No. 856— 1 4^Ught fixture with 3 40-watt timgstens Change to 1 l-light fixture with 1 100-watt tungstens No. 857— 2 4-light fixtures with 4 40-watt tungstens and 1 CO- watt tungsten Change to 1 1-light fixture with 2 100-watt tungstens 2 3-light fixtures with 2 40-watt tungstens Change to 1-light fixtures with 2 60-watt tungstens No. 858— 2 2-Ught fixtures with 1 40-watt tungsten; 1 3-Ught fixture with 1 40-watt tungsten; 2 4-hght fixtures with 4 40-watt tungstens Change to 5 1-light fixtures with 5 60-watt tungstens Machinery room — 4 portables No. 859— 2 4-light fixtures with 6 40-watt tungstens; 1 3-light fixture with 2 40-watt tungstens Change to 3 1-light fixtures with 3 60-watt tungstens East wiag: No. 875— 5 5-light fixtures with 9 40-watt tungstens Change to 5 1-light fixtures with 2 60-watt and 3 iO watt tungsten lamps 1 2-Iight and 1 1-light fixture with 2 40-watt tungstens Fill all outlets with 25-watt tungsten lamps No. 876— 2 4-light fixtures with 2 40-watt tungstens Change to 2 1-light fixtures with 2 100-watt tungstens No. 877— 1 1-light fixture with 1 60-watt tungsten No. 878— 2 1-light fixtures with 2 40-watt tungstens 5 3-light fixtures with 15 40-watt tungstens; 2 3-light fixtures with 6 40-watt tung- stens Change to 7 1-light fixtures with 2 100-watt and 6 60-watt lamps 320 120 120 220 80 240 100 320 360 80 60 840 844 REPORTS OF COMMISSION ON ECONOMY AND EFFICIENCY. Table No. 1 — Continued. Wattage of lamps. Present. EIGHTH-FLOOR ROOMS— Continued. East wing— Continued. No. 880— 1 4-Iight fixture with 2 40- watt tungstens Change to 1 1-light fixture with 1 60- watt tungsten 1 1-light fixture with 1 40- watt tungsten Machinery room — 4 cord portables No. 881— 3 3-light fixtures with 3 40-watt tungstens Change to 3 1-light fixtures with 3 60- watt tungstens Toilet— 2 3-light fixtures with 2 40-watt tungstens Change to 2 1-light fixtures with 2 60- watt tungstens 1 2-light fixture with 1 40-watt tungsten Change to 1 1-light fixture with 1 40-watt tungsten West wing: No. 825— 3 4-light fixtures with 4 40-watt tungstens Change to 3 1-light fixtures with 3 60- watt tungstens No. 826— 5 4-light fixtures with 10 40-watt tungstens; 2 3-light fixtures with 4 40-watt tung. stens Change to 7 1-light fixtures with 7 60-watt tungstens 6 1-light fixtures with 40-watt tungstens No 827— 1 4-light fixture with 3 40-watt tungstens Change to 1 1-light fixture with 1 100- watt tungsten No. 828— 1 3-light fixture with 2 40-watt tungstens Change to 1 1-light fixture with 1 60-watt tungsten No. 829— 1 4-light fixture with 2 40-watt tungstens Change to 1 1-light fixture with 1 100-watt tungsten No. 830— 1 5-light fixture with 3 40-watt tungstens Change to 1 1-light fixture with 1 100-watt tungsten No. 831— 1 fixture with 4 spheres with 4 40-watt tungstens No. 832- ■ 1 fixture with 4 spheres with 4 40-watt tungstens 1 1-light fixture with 1 40-watt tungsten No. 833— 2 5-light fixtures with 3 40-watt tungstens Change to 2 1-light fixtures with 2 60-watt tungstens 1 1-light fixture with 1 25- watt tungsten No. 826b— 2 3-light fixtures with 2 40-watt tungstens Change to 2 1-light fixtures with 2 GO-watt tungstens '. 1 1-light fixture with 1 40-watt tungsten No. 826c— 2 3-light fixtures with 4 40-vvatt tungstens Change to 2 l-light fixtures with 2 60-watt tungstens No. 826d— 2 4-light fixtures with 4 40-watt tungstens Change to 2 1-light fixtures 2 60-watt timgstens 160 560 240 120 80 80 120 160 160 40 200 25 40 160 160 ELECTRIC LIGHTING OF FEDERAL BUILDINGS. 845 Table No. 1 — Continued. Wattage of lamps. Present. Recom- mended. NINTH-FLOOR ROOMS. This floor includes gallery around rotunda, machinery rooms, and storage places. 2 3-light fixtures; 3 2-light fixtures; 16 2-light brackets and 12 cord drops; these fixtures contain 1 40- watt tungsten and 47 25-watt carbons TENTH-FLOOR ROOMS. This floor contains gallery aroimd dome only. 10 2-light fixtures with 32 2.5-watt carbons (there are approximately 200 outlets around the open space for illuminating the sky around the rotunda; these lights havfi been omitted and should not be replaced) ELEVENTH-FLOOR ROOMS. Railway Mail Service: 6 2-light fixtures; 3 6-light fixtures; 2 3-light fixtures; 5 1-light fixtures; 27 cord pendents, total wattage THIRTEENTH-FLOOR ROOMS. Civil Service Commission: 3 2-light fixtureSjWith 3 25-watt carbons; 19 3-light fixtures,with 67 40-watt tung- stens; 2 4-light fixtures, with 8 40-watt tungstens; 4 1-light fixtures, with 4 40- watt tungstens; 1 5-light fixture, with 5 40-watt timgstens; 2 2-light brackets, with 4 40-watt tungstens; 5 cord pendents, with 5 40-watt tungstens Change as follows: Lay out examination rooms with 1-light fixtures, with 1 40-watt tungsten, bowl frosted with holophane or equivalent I shades, satin finish. Pendents to be arranged so that the distances between them each way will be 6 to 7 feet; suspension above floor, 8 feet 6 inches. The arrangement of the fixtures in the other rooms is satisfactory. Estimated that the above arrangement will decrease the wattage of lamps on this fioor about 400 to 500 FOURTEENTH-FLOOR ROOMS. Weather Bureau: 23 3-light fixtures, with 38 40-watt tungstens: 6 4-light fixtures, with 18 40-watt timgstens; 1 5-Ught fixture, with 5 40-watt tungstens; 10 1-light fixtures, with 10 25-watt lamps; 13 cord pendents, with 13 40-watt tungstens Change as follows: Instrument in exhibit room, install 11 1-light fixtures in place of the present 3 and 4 light fixtures; equip each fixture with 1 100-watt tungsten, bowl frosted, and 1 holophane or equivalent I shade, satin finish. Suspension 8 feet 6 inches above the floor. Exhibit office: Use 3 l-light fixtures, with 60-watt tungstens General oflice: Use 4 1-light fixtures, with 4 60-watt tungstens Private office: Use 3 l-light fixtures, with 60-watt tungstens Research room: Use 1 1-light fixture, with 1 100-watt tungsten Mailing room: Use 2 1-light fixtures, with 2 60-watt tungstens Composing room: • Use 2 1-light fixtures, with 2 60-watt tungstens The 1-light fixtures recommended for the above rooms are to take the place ol the present 3 5-light fixtures. The existing 1-light fixture pendents and fixtures in the hallway should remain as at present 1,215 800 1,920 1,215 1,920 3,395 2,900 3,210 2,810^ 846 EEPOETS OF COMMISSION ON ECONOMY AND EFFICIENCY. Table No. 1 — Continued. Wattage of lamps. Present. Recom- mended. FIFTEENTH AND SIXTEENTH FLOOR ROOMS. These two floors are used for storage purposes and have but few fixtures were not examined and have not been listed. They SERIES UGHTING FOR BAG RACKS, LETTER-SORTING CASES, MAIL-SORTING TABLES, AND EXAMINING TABLES, ETC. First and second floors. Letter cases, secoud floor: 22 sets of cases on which series lighting has been installed; original wattage, esti- mated Present wattage with series 46 sets of cases wired, but not in use- Present wattage When in use with series 109 on which work has not been started — Present wattage Estimated wattage when in use with series Of the above 109, about 39 are equipped at present with two 25-watt carbon lights each. A large number of these can not be changed over advantageously, as the cases are not adjacent to each other. This has been allowed for in the estimated wattage. Equip such cases with fixed brackets and 25-watt tung- sten lamps. Letter cases: 21 sets of cases on which series lighting has been installed — Original wattage, estimated Present wattage with series 143 sets of cases on which series can be installed, but on which work has not been started — Present wattage, 511 25-watt carbon lamps Estimated wattage when in use with series, 143 50-watt tungstens Special cases, inquiry division, first floor: Present wattage, 14 25-watt carbons Install 4 series of 50 watts Bag racks, second floor: 2 racks on which series have been installed; original wattage, estimated Present wattage with series 61 racks on which series can be installed, but on which work has not been started . . Estimated wattage with series (some racks will probably require more than 50 watts each) , Bag racks, first floor: 13 racks on which series can be installed but on which work has not been started — Present wattage Wattage when in use with series Sorting tables, second floor: 1 table on which series has been installed — Estimated wattage Present wattage with series 14 tables on which series can be installed but on which work has not been started — Present wattage *. Estimated wattage with series Tables under carrier, second floor: 7 tables on which series can be installed but on which work has not been started — Present wattage Wattage with series 2,000 3,700 9,725 12, 275 350 200 5,600 1,550 950 700 ELECTKIC LIGHTING OF FEDEEAL BUILDINGS. Table No. 1 — Continued. 847 Wattage of lamps SERIES LIGHTING FOE BAG RACKS, LETTER-SORTING CASES, MAIL-SORTING TABLES, AND EXAMINING TABLES, ETC.— Continued First and second ^oors— Continued . Tables, customs examining, first floor: 3 single tables and 6 double tables are in process of having series installed (3 of these tables are now in use) — Original wattage Wattage with series 1,000 DESK PORTABLES. Rigid standards on counters and desks and pendents over desks are included under the rooms in question. This applies also to such portables as have been fastened to letter distributing cases, etc. These have been considered under "Series lighting." Two types of desk portables are used: The Dale with green enameled glass shades, with two sizes of shades, and the Universal with small metal shades, aluminum finish inside. The fixtures in use by floors are as follows: [Where connected to fixture by cords they are preceded by the word " Cord." When connected to floor, wall, or baseboard outlets, they are preceded by the word "Base."] Cord Dale. Base Dale. Cord Uni- versal. Base Uni- versal. 3 4 5 44 82 36 12 16 33 4 None. 2 1 7 5 25 77 29 6 15 18 37 1 First floor 81 41 2 Thi^'d floor 74 106 57 2 1 31 86 Fourth floor 74 Fifth floor 25 Sixth floor 8 Seventh floor 24 Eighth floor 20 Ninth floor Tenth floor Eleventh floor 6 Twelfth floor 1 1 Thirteenth floor 1 3 3 Total 242 355 221 291 Total number of Dale portables Total number of Universal portables. Total number of portables with cord connection to fixture. Total number of portables with connection to base outlet.. Change o^ described in body of report. 597 512 1,109 463 646 Present wattage: 109 25-watt carbon or tantalum lamps . Wattage as recommended: 109 25-watt tantalum lamps . 1,109 27,725 27,725 848 REPORTS OF COMMISSION ON ECONOMY AND EFFICIENCY, Table No. 2. — Motors on jpoicer meter. Num- ber of motors. Capacity. Class of service. Hours used daily. ?il horsepower i Mail lift 3 horsepower | Economizer... do I Mail conveyor. do I do do ' do do ' Mail lift do ■ Mail carrier... do do 2 horsepower Pump .do. .do. .do. .do. .do. .do. .do. .do. .do. .do. .do. .do. .do. .do. ....do 1^ horsepower. ....do ....do ....do ....do ....do 1 horsepower. - do-. ....do J- horsepower.. ....do ....do do do do do ....do do ....do \ horsepower . ....do 3o horsepower ....do ....do 30 horsepower ....do 20 horsepower 1 Used occasionally. Mail conveyor. do do Pump Paper cutter . . do Mail carrier. . . do Mail lilt Printing ....do Pump do Mail carrier. .. In storage Ventilation ....do ....do ....do Paper cutter Printing Mail carrier Machine work Printing Ventilation ....do ....do Floor lift ....do ....do Machine work Printing ....do Canceling machine . Printing Motor generator Air compressor ....do Blower Air washer Ventilation ....do Hours. 24 24 13 13 13 10 10 10 Is 13 13 13 (0 8 16 8 4 ^ 1 2 8 8 8 1 8 2 5 1 2 9.1 s In 2 days. Second floor. Boiler room. Under sidewalk. Do. Do. Second floor. Do. Do. Boiler room Under sidewalk. Do. Do. Do. Room No. 300. Subtreasury. Second flooi-. Do. Do. Post-office subway divisioti. Weather bureau. Ninth floor. Do. Fourth floor, j)ost-oftice money- order division. Ninth floor. Custom office. Registry division, basement. First floor, city division. Post-office supply division. Do. Room No. 300. Second floor. Basement. AVeather bureau. Subtreasury. Do. Do. Do. Do. Do. Carpenter shop. Post-office supply division. Weather bureau. Subtreasury. Room No. 300. Pneumatic tubes. Pump room. Do. Bagroom. Pump room. Ninth floor. Do. 3 Per week. ELECTEIC LIGHTING OF FEDEEAL BUILDINGS. 849 Table No. 2. — Motors on power meter — Continued. Capacity. Class of service. Hours used daily. Location. Hours. 12 Ninth floor. 24 Pump room. 21 Do. 24 Do. 24 Do. 24 Do. 24 Do. 12 Do. 12 Do. H Do. 8J Do. 8 Ninth floor. 8 Do. 8 Do. 8 Do. 8 Do. 8 Do. 8 Do. 16 Second floor. 16 Do. 16 Do. 16 Do. n Bag room. IJ Pump room. 12 Do. 12 Do. 8 Boiler room. 0) Do. 4 Pump room. 0) Do. 2 24 Boiler room. 4 Carpenter shop. 14 Second floor. 14 Do. 0) Do. 24 First floor, city division. 1 Boiler room. 61 Basement, machine shop. 10 Second floor, machine shop. 10 Do. 6 Second floor. 6 Do. 10 Ninth floor. 9^ Second floor. 18 First floor. 18 Ninth floor. 7 Cashier's oflice. 1 Subtreasury. 8 Second floor. 8 Do. 8 Do. 4 In oflaces. 2 For 3 months. 19 horsepower. 17 horsepower. do do do do do do do 13 horsepower. do do do... ....do ....do ....do ....do 11 horsepower. 10 horsepower. ....do ....do do do do ....do ....do ....do ....do 7i horsepower. ....do ....do ....do do do do Ventilation . do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do Mail lifts do do do Blower Pump do do Ventilation.. .....do Pump do Ventilation . . Circular saw. Mail carrier. do do ... .do ' Mail lift 5 horsepower | Ash hoist do j Machine work do [ do do I do do ' Mail carrier do j Pneumatic tubes do j Ventilation 1 horsepower Mail carrier do do f horsepower i Elevator signals do Printing J horsepower ' Canceling machine . . . do ; Pump do ' Mail conveyors do j Mall carrier do ', Envelope openers 1 Used occasionally. 72734— H. Doc. 1252, 62-3 54 .J 850 EEPOKTS OF COMMISSION ON ECONOMY AND EFFICIENCY. Table No. 2. — Motors on power meter — Continued. Num- ber of motors. 25 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 24 2 2 3 105 38 1 1 1 1 1 2 2 2 73 1 1 1 1 1 Capacity. § horsepower. . J horsepower.. do do i horsepower. - J horsepower.. A horsepower. J horsepower.. do J horsepower., fff horsepower. do do do 4 ampere.. 2§ ampere. 14 ampere. 2 ampere.. 11 cell 3ceU 2 cell J ampere.. 50 watt do do 3 horsepower. 1 horsepower. Class of service. Canceling machine Breast drill Machine work Port buffer Shade washer Printing Breast drill Addressograph Telegraph motor generator . Addressographs Adding machine Envelope sealer Folding machine Electric phonographs 16-inch fans 12-inch fans 8-inch fan SteriUzer Stereopticon machtae . . Electric heater do Storage batteries do do Magnet coils for elevator signals. Triple register Single register Telegraph termoscope Floor groover Hours used daily. Hours. First and second floors. Electrician's shop. Pneumatic tube room. Electrician's shop. Do. Post-office supply depot. Mail box repair shop. Weather bureau. Second floor. Room No. 70t). In offices. Do. Do. Do. Do. Do. Do. Room No. 575. Reclamation Service. Basement. Registry Division. Second floor. Fourteenth floor. Do. Ninth and sixteenth floors. Fourteenth floor. Do. Do. Electrician's shop. ELECTEIC LIGHTING OF FEDERAL BUILDINGS. 851 Table No. 3. — Light and power. [Consumption kilowatts.] Months. July August September . October November. December.. January . . . February . . March April May June Total. Value. 1912 98,840 100,340 105, 860 117, 240 115,590 127,080 123,970 $15, 533. 19 Fiscal years — 1911 88, 690 93,535 98,830 106,040 112,360 121,590 111,980 111,510 109,960 102,980 110, 480 106, 250 1,274,205 $25,810.79 1910 94,620 88, 150 97,000 100,270 108, 140 124,720 120,730 106,290 103, 110 97, 850 96,520 92, 580 1,229,980 $25,377.34 1909 103,250 97,910 98,300 111, 790 116,830 129,890 131, 580 120,070 131,200 127,630 106,510 101,060 1,376,020 2,8&5.32 86, 280 87,460 86, 110 99,650 104,870 112,940 129, 190 124,840 123,650 123,670 112, 250 139,560 1,330,470 $40,000.20 1907 130, 130 118,580 108,840 98,500 86,010 83,320 625,380 3, 728. 20 1906 wattage not kept, $44,102.69. FISCAL YEAR 1907 1906. July August September. October November. December.. Kilowatt hours. 124,250 136, 290 Amount. $2,783.30 2,876.40 3, 012. 00 3,480.00 3,727.50 4,088.70 1907. January. . February . March April May June Total. Kilowatt hours. Amount. 130,130 $3,903.90 118,580 3,657.40 108,840 3,265.20 98,500 2,955.00 86,010 2,580.30 83,320 2,499.60 38, 728. 20 FISCAL YEAR 1908. 1907. July August September October November December 86,280 87,460 86,110 99,650 104,870 112,940 $2,588.40 2, 623. 80 2,683.30 2,989.50 3, 146. 10 3, 388. 20 1908. January . . February. March April May June Total. 129,190 $3,875.70 124,840 3,745.20 123,650 3,795.60 123,670 3,710.10 112,250 3,367.50 139,560 4,186.80 40, 000. 20 Minimum bill $40,000 to be paid whether used or not; current, 3 cents net. 852 EEPOETS OF COMMISSION ON ECONOMY AND EFFICIENCY, Table No. 3. — Light cmd poner — Continued. FISCAL YEAR 1909. 1908, July August September October November December Kilowatt hours. 103, 250 97,910 98,300 111,790 116, 830 129, 890 Amount. 83,097.50 2, 497. 95 2.502.51 2, 660. 30 2,719.31 2, 872. 12 1909. January . . February. March April May June Total. Kilowatt hours. 131,580 120,070 131,200 127, 630 106,510 101,060 $2,891.89 2, 757. 23 2, 887. 44 2,845.67 2,598.57 2,634.80 32,865.32 Minimum bill the same as 1908; 3 cents straight per kilowatt hour. FISCAL YEAR 1910. 1909. July August September October November December 94, 620 88, 150 97,000 100,270 108,140 124,720 32, 016. 01 1,934.49 2, 040. 00 2, 087. 20 2, 186. 36 2,395.27 1910. January.. February. March April May June Total. 120,730 82,345.00 106,290 2,163.05 103,110 2,122.99 97,850 2,056.71 96,520 2,039.95 92,580 1,990.31 25,377.34 Commonwealth Edison Co., Chicago, III.: For electric current for lighting and power purposes at the following rates: Primary charges. — Up to and including 20 kilowatts of the monthly maximum demand, $3.20 per month per kilowatt; next 30 kilowatts of the monthly maximum demand, $2.50 per month per kilowatt; excess over 50 kilowatts of the monthly maxi- mum demand, $2.20 per month per kilowatt. Secondary charges. — Up to and including 2,000 kilowatt hours consumption in any month, 6 cents per kilowatt hour; next 3,000 kilowatt hours consumption per month, 3 cents per kilowatt hour; excess over 5,000 kilowatt hours per month, 1.4 cents per kilowatt hour; 10 per cent discount on secondary charge for payment of bill within 10 days. Consumption to be measured by meters owned and installed by the company. Monthly maximum demand to be ascertained by a maximum recording meter or meters owned and installed by the company. The department reserves the right of four annual renewals at the above rates. ELECTRIC LIGHTING OF FEDERAL BUILDINGS. 853 Table No. 3. — Light and power — Continued. FISCAL YEAR 1911. 1910 July August September October November December Kilowatt hours. 88, 690 93, 535 98,830 106, 040 112, 360 121,690 Amount. $1,941.29 2, 002. 34 1,967.86 2, 058. 70 2,296.74 2, 386. 63 1911. January . . February . March April May June Total. Kilowatt hours. 111,980 111,510 109,960 102,980 110,480 106,250 Amount. $2,298.55 2,220.03 2,211.50 2,152.15 2, 125. 65 2,149.35 25,810.79 Commonwealth Edison Co., Chicago, III.: For electric current for lighting and power purposes at the following rates: Primary charges. — Up to and including 20 kilowatts of the monthly maximum demand, 13.20 per month per kilowatt. Next 30 kilowatts of the monthly maximum demand, |2.50 per month per kilowatt; excess over 50 watts (kilo) of the monthly maximum demand, |2.20 per month per kilowatt. Secondary charges. — Up to and including 2,000 kilowatts hours consumption in any month, 6 cents per kilowatt. Next 3,000 kilowatt hours consumption per month, 3 cents per kilowatt hour; excess over 5,000 kilowatt hours per month, 1.4 cents per kilowatt hour. Ten per cent discount on secondary charge for payment of bill within 10 days. As per proposal: Being the first annual renewal of contracts dated June 19, 1909, in which the department reserved the right of four annual renewals. FISCAL YEAR 1912. Kilowatt hours. Amount. July 1911. 98,840 100,340 105, 860 117,240 115,590 127, 080 123,970 $1, 895. 38 August - 1,953.88 September 2,078.44 October 2,358.22 November 2,359.44 December 2, 499. 81 Januarv 1912. 2,388.02 Commonwealth Edison Co., Chicago, III.: For electric current for lighting purposes and for power services at the following rates: Primary charges. — Three dollars and twenty cents per kilowatt of maximum demand per month up to and including 20 kilowatts, 12.50 per kilowatt over 20 and up to and including 50 kilowatts of maximum demand, 12.20 per kilowatt for excess of maximum demand over 50 kilowatts. Secondary charges at following rates. — First 2,000 kilowatt hours per month, at 6 cents per kilowatt hour; next 3,000 kilowatt hour, at 3 cents; over 5,000 kilowatt hours, at 1.4 cents. Discount of 10 per cent on secondary chaises for payment within 10 days. 854 KEPOKTS OF COMMISSION ON ECONOMY AND EFFICIENCY. Washington, February 10, 1911, The Custodian, Post Office, Chicago, III. Sir: In view of the statement contained in your letter of January 30, 1911, so much of department letter dated May 6, 1911, as authorized electric current for the building in your custody during the present fiscal year, as per the proposal of the Commonwealth Edison Co. , is hereby amended to read as follows in lieu of the former secondary schedule of rates. Cents per kilowatt hour. First 2,000 kilowatt hours per month 6. Next 3,000 kilowatt hours per month 3. Next 25,000 kilowatt hours per month 1. 4 Nexr 70,000 kilowatt hours per month 1, 2 Excess over 100,000 kilowatt hours per month 1. Respectfully, R. 0. Bailey. REPORT ON ELECTRIC LIGHT AND POWER INSTALLATIONS IN THE UNITED STATES POST OFFICES, COURT AND CUSTOM HOUSES AT CLEVELAND, OHIO, CINCINNATI, OHIO, CHATTANOOGA, TENN., KNOXVILLE, TENN., BIRMINGHAM, ALA., MACON, GA. New York. The President's Commission on Economy and Efficiency, Washington, D. C. Gentlemen: I have the honor to submit the following report on electric light and power installations in the Cleveland, Ohio, Cincinnati, Ohio, Chattanooga, Tenn., Knoxville, Tenn., Birmingham, Ala., and Macon, Ga., post offices, custom and court houses. This report gives the results of an investigation of the electric light and power instal- lations in each of these buildings. The purpose of these investigations was to deter- mine the present condition of these installations and whether any changes could be made in these installations that would result in an increase in the economy and efficiency of these installations. As a result of these investigations I recommend as follows: First. That detailed plans be made and specifications be drawn showing and cov- ering the changes which should be made to bring the electric light and power systems in these buildings up to date and to the present recognized standard of efficiency and economy. Second. That such changes and modifications in the pre.sent electric light and power systems in these buildings as are found by the Commission on Economy and Efficiency to be necessary to obtain the required efficiency and economy be made. Third. That detailed plans of the workrooms in these buildings, the location of their furniture, letter-distributing racks, bag and paper racks, distributing, sorting, and canceling machines, lights, etc.. be made by an actual survey at each building, and that a working scheme and plan be worked out for each workroom after careful discussion with the postmaster and other officials interested, looking to such changes and arrangements of these workrooms as will eliminate waste motion and time and progress the work in the most direct manner, resulting in an increase in economy and efficiency. Fourth. That such changes, modifications, and working plans shall be made under the supervision of, and as directed by, the Supervising Architect. Fifth. That a consulting engineer to the Supervising Architect shall be appointed at a compensation sufficient to obtain the services of a high-grade engineer, who shall have charge of the making of such investigations, plans, specifications, changes, reATsions. or modifications of existing electric lighting systems, subject to the super- vision and direction of the Supervising Architect. Sixth. That the commission take up the suggestion of an information bureau and see if such or a similar scheme can not be worked out, looking to the betterment of the service and increase in economy and efficiency. 855 856 REPORTS OF COMMISSION ON ECONOMY AND EFFICIENCY. I am of the opinion that the adoption of these recommendations will result in economy, at least as given in the following schedule: Per cent of sav- ings. Cost of light. Saving. Year. Amount. Cleveland 29 25 30 29.6 38 49 36 1911 1910-11 1911 1911 1910-11 1911 1911 $8,481.28 12,419.65 2, 448. 00 1,891.00 3,333.56 2,009.33 $2, 459. 57 Cincinnati 3, 106. 91 Chattanooga 734. 40 Knoxville 560.00 1,266.75 984. 57 Norfolk 770. 76 9, 882. 96 or a total cost of $9,882.96 annuallj'. BUILDINGS AND THEIR CONDITION. These buildings are all fine specimens of architecture, particularly the Cleveland, Cincinnati, Chattanooga, and Macon buildings, the oldest in point of date of construc- tion being the Knoxville building, which is about 40 years old; the Cincinnati build- ing is about 26 years old; the Chattanooga building is about 20 years old; the Birming- ham building about 14 years old, and the Macon building about 3^ years old. I was unable to obtain the date of construction of the Cle^'eland building. The Cleveland building has a basement and five stories. The Cincinnati building has two basements and fiA^e stories. The Knoxville building has a basement and four stories. The Chattanooga building has a basement and five stories. The Birmingham building has a basement and four storie?. The Macon building has a basement and four stories. Generally speaking, they are all well designed and arranged, well heated and Aenti- lated, and well lighted by daylight and artificial light. POSTMASTERS AND THEIR LIMITATIONS. In no instance did I find one which was not kept clean and in good order and in which officials from the postmaster down were not desirous of doing all that lay in his power to maintain his building at the highest permissiMe point of economy and eflSciency, and so far as their limitations permit all of these liuildings are in such a condition, but the postmasters are limited and in a measure handicapped by the Gov- ernment red tape and routine through which everything has to pass at Washington before they are permitted to do anything, and in many cases their suggestions for bet- terment are unheeded and their re(piest« are turned down, or part of what they ask for is eliminated with the result that very little is done, no matter how desirous they may be for accomplishment. It would also seem as though the various postmasters should have greater freedom of action in making changes and repairs looking to the betterment of their buildings and should have such moneys sppropriated for their use as would enable them to do these things as their judgment might dictate, and without the necessity of submitting every simple matter to 'Washington for approval or disapproval. GOVERNME.NTT DEPARTMENTS AND CONTROL. There appears to be too many departments or divisions and too many different inspectors controlling these matters for rapid and efficient work. ELECTRIC LIGHTING OF FEDEEAL BUILDINGS. 857 CROWDED CONDITIONS OF BUILDINGS. Some of these buildings are more or less crowded particularly in the workrooms; this is due largely to gradual growth of business during the period of years, and as regards the workrooms which are the vital parts of the post offices, it is largely due to an absence of any initial, well-worked-out scheme of arrangement which would permit of future growth and enlargement without changing or interfering with the routine of operation. They should be remodeled and put into the best possible working condition. WIRING SYSTEMS. The electric wiring system in all of these buildings, with the exception of the Cin- cinnati post office which is in very bad shape, are in good shape and up to modern con- ditions, having been in the older buildings more or less remodeled at recent times, and in the ncAver buildings installed in an up-to-date manner. Tungsten lamps are in general use in all of these buildings, although many of the original carbon lamps that were in use before the advent of the tungsten lamp are continued in operation until they break or give out from old age, when tungsten lamps are substituted therefor. This is not good practice for reasons already stated in my report on the Chicago Federal building, dated March 16, 1912, and should be discontinued and all carbon lamps replaced by tungsten lamps of proper capacities. FIXTURES. The fixtures in use in the various buildings are Governn^ent standard combination gas and electric fixtures in all but a very few instances, and are generally in good order. They are old style, however, and should have modern fixtmes substituted. SOURCE OF ELECTRIC CURRENT. • All of these buildings excepting the Cincinnati building purchase their electric current from the local electric light and power company, the Cincinnati building being equipped with its own current-generating plant. (See subreport on the Cin- cinnati building regarding this plant.) SOURCE OF HEAT FOR BUILDINGS. Two of these buildings, the Cleveland and the Birmingham, are heated by steam purchased from the local electric light and power company, the others having their own independent heating plant. HEATING SYSTEMS. All are heated by steam with the exception of the Cincinnati building, which has a hot-water heating system; all of the heating sj'stem^s are generally in good order and the buildings are satisfactorily heated. CRITICISMS. Notwithstanding the generally favorable conditions in which I found these build- ings and their light and power installations, there are certain conditions which obtain in all of them which are subject to criticism and which can be changed to great advantage with an appreciable betterment in both ecomony and efficiency of operation, viz: Fii'st, general lighting of buildings; second, lighting and working conditions of workrooms; third, working scheme and plan of workrooms; fourth, information bureau. 858 EEPOKTS OF COMMISSION ON ECONOMY AND EFFICIENCY. GENERAL LIGHTING. The buildings are geaerally overlighted by artificial light, due largely to the use of cluster fixtures, such as 3, 4, 5, and 6 light chandeliers, and such as the Government still continue to install. "unit" system of lighting. The modern system of "unit" lightiug — that is, the use of. a single lamp of a candle power or wattage varying according to its position or surroimding conditions in the place of a cluster of lamps — ^is less expensive to install, less costly for lamp renewals and upkeep, and more eflicient in the use of electric current, so that generally by sub- stituting the "unit" light in the place of the cluster of lights in these buildings a cur- rent saving of from 25 to 40 per cent can usually be effected with a better placement and distribution of the lights and a better and more effective illuminating effect. (See my report on the Chicago Federal building, dated March 16, 1912, for mo)-e detailed information on this subject.) The "unit" system of lighting is certain to be adopted in nearly all cases,- and appro- priate designs for pendent fixtures should be prepared and all future buildings should have their lighting systems installed on this plan and all present buildings should be so remodeled. Such changes to "Unit" lighting I have recommended and have shown in the schedules of the subreports on these buildings forming part of this report. SECOND, working CONDITIONS AND LIGHTING OF WORKROOMS. Probably the most important part of any post office is the workrooms or place where the mail is received and distributed, and it is here in all of the post offices which I have examined that the lighting and working conditions are the least economical and efficient and where improvements can be made to the very great betterment of the service. At present the workrooms and especially the racks and other apparatus are lighted in all manner of ways, good, bad, and indifferent, mostly bad, and there is not a single present post office that could not be greatly benefited and whose workrooms would not be rendered more economical and efficient in operation by such a procedure. PRESENT ARRANGEMENT OF WORKROOMS. Generally the arrangement of the furniture and working mechanisms of the work- rooms is a growth by additions made here and there as convenience or necessity dic- tates and not as a part of any well-studied and worked-out plan, with the result, in many cases, that the work of receiving and distributing the mail does not proceed in a regular manner and by the most direct route, but requires considerable more handling and takes considerable more time than it should or would if the working layout was studied for each particular building and made in accordance with condi- tions existing at that particular point and workroom. PURPOSES OF WORKROOMS. Everything in the workroom, the furniture, letter-distributing racks, Isag and paper racks, distributing, sorting, and canceling machines, and the lighting of the same should be of the most practical form, and all with one sole object in view, viz, the reception, sorting, canceling, and distributing of the mail in the most direct and efficient manner. WORKING SCHEME AND PLAN OF WORKROOMS. This can be accomplished to the very best advantage by an actual study at the post- office buildings by a special independent expert familiar with the subject and its re- quirements, and one not a regular department employee of the Government. ELECTEIC LIGHTING OF FEDERAL BUILDINGS. 859 The whole scheme should be carefully discussed with the postmaster and other officials interested, whose opinions and desires as to their particular building and workroom are entitled to and should receive ample consideration. WORKING PLAN AND SCHEME MADE AT THE BUILDING. A complete working scheme and plan should then be made at the building under consideration if possible, and not a distance in Washington, unseen by the one making the layout and plans, for the working conditions are different in different places, and no one scheme can or will fit them all; a complete local study is the best and only way to insure the most efficient and economical results. This also applies to the general lighting of the workrooms, and particularly to the special lighting of the letter, paper, and bag racks, and other apparatus which should receive the most careful consideration, and standard methods of lighting the racks and other apparatus should be thoroughly worked out and then adopted in all work- rooms, for what is best in this respect in one place is best in all. RESULT OF SUCH PRACTICAL STUDY OF CONDITIONS. Such a method of study of post-office conditions would also ultimately result in its being possible to lay out a post office for a given locality so that its operation would be up to the limit of efficiency and economy and so the future additions and changes could be made without interfering with the regular routine of the work. This can not be done by present methods. FOURTH. INFORMATION BUREAU. Another matter which it seems to me would be a great help and would facilitate progress would be to have what might be called an information bureau; a place to which all postmasters and other officials could freely make known their own indi- vidual ideas and opiaions regarding their buildings and work, and where they could make suggestions as to the furtherance and betterment of their work. A place where such statements would be received, carefully considered, and discussed with the postmaster and other officials and from which, as a finality, could be issued to the various departments a statement of the conditions and a notification of procedure. I have appended hereto a subreport on each of the post offices which I have ex- amined, together with schedules of the various fixtures and lamps now in these buildings and suggestions as to changes; also statements of the current consumed and the cost of the same, which see for detailed information. Respectfully submitted. E. R. Knowles. C. E., Coi'-!-dlinq Engineer. UNITED STATES POST OFFICE, CUSTOM AND COURT HOUSE, CLEVELAND, OHIO. The Cleveland (Ohio) post office, custom and court house is a large five-story and basement, granite structiure, designed by Arbold Brunner. The building is of recent construction and of imposing appearance, is well arranged as to waste spaces and accessibility and all of the rooms are well lighted by daylight. The interior finish and furnishing of the building are very fine, especially in the main corridor on the first floor, and the rooms occupied by the postmaster, district attorney, judges, and coiu-t. The building is in good order, clean and well kept, every possible effort in this direction, as well as for efficiency and economy, being made by the postmaster and hia afisistants. The principal officers are: Postmaster, Mr. R. G. FJovd; assistant postmaster, Mr. W. E. Schutt; chief engineer, Mr. J. T. Doyle. 860 REPORTS OF COMMISSION OIST ECONOMY AND EFFICIENCY. The building is heated by steam purchased from the C'leveland Electric Illuminating Co., under a yearly contract, although the building has a complete heating plant for use in case of emergency. The heating system is in good condition and the building is satisfactorily heated. The electric lighting and power is operated by current purchased from the Cleveland Electric Illuminating Co., who also furnish the steam for heating, and is direct in character for both lights and motors. There is no local plant in the building, although space has been provided for one and the main switchboard has been installed in such a manner that a plant can be connected thereto should this ever be necessary. The electric lighting system, which was installed about a year and a half ago, is modern and up to date and in good condition; the wiring is installed in metal conduit with base and floor plug outlets and control switches in the various rooms. The floor plug outlets are in bad shape, the conductors from them being unprotected, and in many instances the insulation of these conductors has been worn off near the floor by abrasion from the feet of people sitting on the desks where they are located. A relocation of floor plug outlets should be made where possible and all exposed under desks, tables, etc., should be fitted with a vertical pipe 15 to 18 inches long, through which the conductors can be passed, thus preventing the abrasive action mentioned. The cut-out boxes are up to date, with inclosed fuses and knife switches, and are in •good order. The fixtures are "Government" standard in design and modern in character. The fixtures in the main corridor and in the postmaster, court, and other rooms before men- tioned are very elaborate and ornamental, but very poor in arrangement so far aa effective lighting is concerned. The fixtures in these rooms can not well be changed without interfering with the artistic effect, although modem type direct or indirect alabaster bowls of ornamental design and suspension conld be substituted for them without marring the artistic appearance of these rooms and with a great betterment of the lighting effect. Nearly all reflectors and glassware are of the holophane type. Unit type fixtures could be substituted for the chandeliers in the various rooms, •or the present chandeliers altered to "unit" fixtures, which can readily be done, and provided with lamps of the capacities indicated in the schedule; the holophane re- flectors should be of the intensive type, and be satin finish, and the lamps' bowl frosted, •care being taken to get the lights suspended at such heights as will give the maximum' illuminating effect. All "unit" fixtures should be equipped with chain pull sockets :and Economy type pulls, so that each can be operated separately. Dale type portables equipped with holophane No. 457 metal reflectors should be substituted for the Almond portables now in use. The workroom is commodious and well day lighted, and while the general arrange- ment of distributing and canceling apparatus, letter, and bag racks is good, it could he greatly improved by a systematic study, at the building, of all the working con- •ditions involved and a careful rearrangement of the rooms in conformity thereto. The general illumination of the workroom is badly arranged, and it and the illumi- nation of the letter and bag racks could be much improved. The present rigid pendants of 6 lights each should be removed or altered, and ' ' unit " pendants substituted at points indicated, and provided with General Electric Co. mill-type metal reflectors and bowl-frosted tungsten lamps of capacities indicated in the schedule, and suspended at proper heights to give the maximum illumination ■effect. The bag racks should be concentrated and so located that they will come imder the "Unit" pendents, thus obviating the necessity for special lighting for the same. The letter distributing racks are, as usual, very poorly lighted and should receive careful consideration and be relighted in the most approved manner. ELECTKIC LIGHTING OF FEDEKAL BUILDINGS. 861 The building is mostly equipped with tungsten lamps, but the old carbon lamps are kept running until they give out before tungsten lamps are substituted. This is bad practice and uneconomical of current and should be stopped and the building properly lamped with tungsten lamps throughout. If the suggested changes in the lights and fixtures throughout the building are made, there will result a reduction in current consumption of about 29 per cent at full load, and the efficiency of operation will be largely increased. I attach hereto a schedule of the various fixtures and Lights throughout the building with the suggested changes, also a statement of the electric current consumed for light and power dining the year and the rate at which current is sold by the Cleveland Electric Illuminating Co. 862 REPORTS OF COMMISSION ON ECONOMY AXD EFFICIENCY. % a 0) g § 1 IM M C-1 1-1 rt -H rH ,-1 3 3 Eh ^ •« CO 0. .-H T-l 3 fh3333S333 3 3333333333 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 R ,2 "^ w c c c c c !§ : _o ^ c c c c c c c c c c 1 « 'o « s a o £1 rH ^ .-H r-1 .-H Tl< (M -* mCO.-li-l.-(iHrHrHi-l>-liHr-lrH 0*000000000100000000000000 i0(MOOO-u:)OOOOC^i0i0^i0»0Oi0i0i0V0i0i0i0 "-l COlMi-( i-HCOi-HCO -^t^ T-l 1-i T-i T-t 1-i r~i S s 3 3 ri : S ■' ; •" ; 3 s : : ; : ; ; fl D 3 ; 3 d =i SH I0»0»000000040»000000i0»0l0i00i00»0 Is 2 3 h^i c c c c c c .2"^ § c c c 1= c c C c c c i '^ ^ (N ^ ^ rt CO 1 ■a 03 ■a 00 §1 ^ rl< CO CO i-H i-H tH .-( iM f-i I- c" o ■3 " i a P c c p: (M E c c PC E c c p: E c c p: < -* IN a c c p: a c c pi t a c 2: a (X a c c < a c c pi a c c pi a c c pi a c c c P^ OC a c c p^ a c c P3 ELECTRIC LIGHTING OF FEDEEAL BUILDINGS. 863 oooooooooooo 00CM^OCOOO O 'OiOOiOOOiOO 00 'C^CN-^tMGOGOlMOO i-H • ^ Or^(M(MOoooo (N(MOi— I lO lO lO >o »o 10 (N CS I IM O) (N '3 'Ci T3 TS .S "O "O 0000000000 'O 'O '^ '^ '^ '3 '3 ^3 ^3 '3 O ^:i s ;5 00 r^ (M 03 ^H (M rt .-I Cq iH CO ■* -* O CT a 2 6 s 0-30 o 050 o rt 02 Pi K 5 g S 02 Q > ft .:: S 3 o H 5Q 864 EEPOETS OF COMMISSION ON ECONOMY AND EFFICIENCY, 1 1 < & 3 a 1 K8 g^SSSSS KS8gc^g8Sg!SS CO a-" gga «a- 3 3 33S3Ds'3 333333Sp33S JhJh J d d d d J ir -C -3 13 « "O -a i 5(NcAc "5 B o a '5 — o O i 1 c s c, 3 a. a c 1 g >■ 6 5 £ 2 H ELECTRIC LIGHTING OF FEDERAL BUILDINGS. 865 < -s OOOiOOOOOOiOOOiOOOOOiOOOOOOOO iOOOC^OCNOiOOf(>iir-i I I I i I I I i i-lt-tT-ICC'T-lCCi-lO T-( CO ,-H CC ^ H E-i Eh S S S J, I I ■* T-l CO H Eh &< H EH &H lO lO IQ lO »0 IQ C|) cji (N (N cS c5 r.1 to T-l tJh ti ci c 1-^ O C C c C P c c c 1-^ i ;- i c i c C o c 1 1 1-:] 1^ a i E- c 'Z o c ■§ 1 i a E- .c O ^ ^ ^ C^l -' ^ 'H (N C<1 1-1 ® d pl pi fl fl d & d d a si Si ^ si si ^ ft ft ft ft ft = _g :c ffl M M M W ^. : ^. ; a)' aj aT oj s s s a C3 ro 03 C3 si si si si „ ft ft ft ft _o _o 13 "o "o "o "o W W M W !§ ; aT 000000000>OOOOOOiOOOO»OU3 Oq 100N20lOW«lOlOlOI^l00010>0(N100lO(Nt^ (N 1-lC^ OJrtrH >-(Nrt rHr-ICOr-l^ r-ltO (M a> ft sa 3 D S D c-i 3 3 ID ; fl 3 B 3 I 3' 3 3 3 3 3 3* 3 3 ^ ^eHoe&^Ot^OHHHE^OEHHE-lE-lEHE^E-l&^E^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ 4 ci 2 i 2 i ^ ^ ci 2 2 i i 4, ci ci ci J. ^ Present shades. c 60 (- '3 c 5 a c .a C .= P C 'Z C ,5 c p ^c '£ a. P P c 'Z c ^ C P c c C c 1 1 1 00 '^ '-' H 5 (M s c P5 ? E c (M a Pi a a P3 a E CO (> £ Pi CM ■3 00 £ ELECTEIC LIGHTING OF FEDERAL BUILDINGS. 867 s i 1 12 o c O ^ O o rH ci o o CO S 2 g c LO 2 S s g g g cs oc 1-25 Tu... 1-25 Tu... 1-100 Tu.. 1-25 Tu... 1-100 Tu.. 1-25 Tu... 1-25 Tu... £3g33£H 3333£h3£h3£;333 : S&^SE^e^S ^^EHE^^tH^^^EHt^^ : OlOlOtOiO^O to»0»0»0»OtC)0»0»0»OiOlO T-HC^T-t(NC^T-) CaC^C^Co 10 H iMfHi-H CO i-l i-IOOi-ICOrH 1-25 Tu... 1-25 Tu... 6-25 Tu... 1-25 Tu... 6-25 Tu... 1-50 C 3 5 3 3" 3 3 3' 3" 3 3' 3' 3" 3 3 3' 3 3 3 3* 3 3 3 EHEH&^^E^E^ EnEH&HEHEHEHEHEHEHHeeEnHC »0»OtO»0>OlO »0»0^tOWD»OlO>OlO»OiOlOO*OC CqiMlM50N"- 3' Eh 2 i o 60 fc. o -2: 1? C 'c .5 O P .a O C 'c 3 to o c 'o ■£ 3 3 3 O -^ 3 ir I-) ft .c 1^ o .2 .S 3 3 1-1 H^ a c ■§ Hi .a P h-1 P c c p a ,P 3 g (-1 C M CO e^ lO lO ■^ o t: c o; c tc 0: cs • c a a a Ph tf ri Ph « « 5a 868 REPORTS OF COMMISSION 01^ ECONOMY AND EFFICIENCY. .a S Judge's room; no change. No change. Court rooms; no change. 1 g i £ < 1 % c E < c p Is o o o CO O O O O lO lO O O lO (N OiOOOOOOOOOlOlOOiOlO CO COrH rt tDrtrl ,-1 " H a o CN 1-H ,-t CN ^ cJ. ^ ^ c!. ^ != J fl J J S J lO lO iC lO O O lO I-H CS r-l CM Tff 1-H (M ^ J ^ ^ 1 ^ ^ 3 2 =^ !^ 5 3 3 e^ S E^ ^ S ^ ^ lO O lO lO lO ip lO IN .-1 CS C^l rt fS IN T}< I— 1 I— 1 r-t I-H CO T— 1 a c c c c t o c o 9 3 S S S 03 c3 cu ra c3 .fl jq J3 .^a ^ ^ P< ft ft ft ft c o o o o ^ ^ o o o o o K W W M M to w • © • ®^ ® 05 © ■ 3 • 3 R 3 3 C3 C3 C3 c3 C3 \ a ' fi fi fi A -§ "3 ■ O O O O EH H : W K W ffi .a 1 8 g.2 '-' '^ Tf IM '-' ^ rt 1-1 CO Ph a^ '-' ^ ^ rt o lO c cvi cq cq u- 4h .i ^ 4 3 3 r e en e S ^ S J> ^ 4 §1 o § 1— c o § o c a C P o .2 "■= c c 5 a E- 05 bi 1 ^ 3 1-1 • 0) • ,Q • o iJ M I- C g c c ►S P c 1 2 £1 -I •-' Tt> IM ^ rH .-H CO Ph « I-H "- i-H i-H —1 r-i r-< rt G <^ ^ 1-1 o) rt i-H oq IQ »0 O to iO »0 O lO ITS lO T-IC-l IN 1-H 0 IN CO i-H «b T-H O i-H O ..^..-33.. HOBE-iOOEn^eiOO lOOiOiOOOiO^iOOO C^lOIN^iOiOC^INC<»iOiO i I 1 I I I 1 I I I I CO rH CO I-H CD I— 1 CD i—t CO •— I i— ' . . 3 3 3 03 3 O O E-i Eh H E-i E-i O O i(? lO to o »o to lo N oi e^ •* IN O CO li CO CO lO OJ ;:3 o p^ ® ;^ o -^U ^o -^ ^o -^ o Q h:i O H^i q ij] o »3 P o o o o o o 1^ 1^ 1^ '^ 1^ n3 -H .IN ' -H IN rH iH i-H i-H CO 00 3 -5 S ?0C0"S«TO=gOO mco „Siw?o'J^S?«m as a-gagaEas OO ORgOOOOO OO O03. OOOOOO Pip; tf rtpirtrtpirt rt o 870 EEPOETS OF COMMISSION ON ECONOMY AND EFFICIENCY. a o a 13 c o a d P 6 6 P 6 P ■a a o a d P 6 C d P d P OOOOOiOOOOiOOOOO »0 •<*' CQ Jlrt rtrHrt 00000 .-1 l-H (N rH C» 4J . II Eh C >o c 3 S S H Eh ^ C lO lO lO c CI A 1- P P -§ ;S ■ B? . hJ P a P P i (N (N '"' "H (N (M ■^ Tjl •* 10 o ^ 1 f>-l ■* 11 lO ■ N , '"' ' r-l (M rt . '"* '"' *"* ^~' '■^ ; "^ **H C o "S o id fc< .a g g « : c 1 c E c c p: c c p: £ c c p: > c £ c c p: c c c p: £ c c p: £ c c £ c c £ c p: ELECTEIC LIGHTING OF FEDEEAL BUILDINGS. 871 o c ^ cq 1 1 i o o*oc^o*o 4. ci ■ C 1 C 1 i ci O o c 1 ci 3 s" ^ e >0 lO (M IN ci 4^ c g 1 c c *r 4 c g S 3 e tH C lO *o c c. c. *o CO CO c^ 3a ; S3S3S3 : : EHeoE-ieneE-iEHE-iOO c5c5ioc5c5c5o5Sc5ioio (SicDcociclicicccirtcico 'c c a C P a) ■So 1- o -M C c c a C P _C c c c c c c c c c ■3 C c -^ o c c c ■3 c c lO (N C<5 ■* tH tH . '"' • n r-( (M C ir •0 ,-H f < *) o o C ir j: CS ■<* CE t- oc CT c c. ■■jt Tt^ tu *o a -g a o g o a -2 -2 a a a s « « P? P5 0000000.-I1-H -^*o*o*o*o*o»o»o*o»o aaaaaaaaaa oooooooooo oooo 872 KEPORTS OF COMMISSIOjST ON ECONOMY AND EFFICIENCY. P ?k. I 1 1 % ^ OiOQOOOOOOOLOiOOOOO -OiOOOOO OiNOiOOOcDOOOC^I«00-*0 -Ot^OOOO s 5 lis, isa SB- 3 'ds '3 '3S3 '_;d3 'dd • -dd omoogooooirjioiraooooooiQOOiQQ 'S a . i'g i M J c ^ ^ 5 C "Z ' d d d d '3 -a T) ■« § i Ms i ; i •: 1 . O ^ X) ^3 ^H o W ; : I W 1 1 § a ^1 CO SB r^.-l.-lM'^^■^tlr-(M ,_|,_|,_|,_(rtrtU3 .-( up CM .^ ■i CO O rH 333S'S33333 3 g 1 i'S c c o c c C O o o o c •z c c c i: ^ 9 O c ,2 o c o I? X >-• ^1 CO (M Pm ® '-' ,H ,-1 C-l O 1-1 1 (M " rt fO o a o o CO CO lO a o o Pi CO a o o CO -a § lO a o o a o o Pi oc a o o a o o •s I ELEOTEIC LIGHTING OF FEDEEAL BUILDINGS. CLEVELAND ELECTRIC ILLUMINATING CO., CLEVELAND, OHIO. 873 Lights. Power. Units. Value Units. Value. 1911. 34, 703 32,541 33, 871 29, 306 27,650 23,320 20, 900 22, 770 25,250 25,080 28,510 35, 260 31, 150 25,560 25,025 22,440 «869. 82 813.53 846. 78 732. 65 691.25 583.00 522. 50 569.25 631. 25 627.00 712. 75 881. 50 778. 75 637.00 626. 25 561.00 5,504 4,793 6, 865 6,398 9,510 $137. 60 February 119. 82 March 171.62 April 159. 95 May 237. 75 8,660 ' 216.50 July 8,170 204.25 7,270 ! 181.75 7, 140 178. 50 6,970 7,470 8,210 9,850 8,320 174. 25 186.76 December 205.25 1912. 246.25 February 208. 00 March 7,900 197.50 April 7, 900 j 197. 50 The Cleveland Electric Illuminating Co., Cleveland, Ohio. Gentlemen: You are informed that the department accepts your proposal dated October 11, 1909, as amended by your letter of November 22, 1909, for supplying a combined service for heating the United States custom house building, Cleveland, Ohio, and for furnishing electric current for light and power purposes during the cur- rent fiscal year ending June 30, 1911, the cost of the same to be paid from the appro- priation, "Fuel, lights, and water for public buildings, 1911," such service to begin when the building is permanently occupied, and not earlier than September 15, 1910, and to be furnished under the following terms and conditions: steam heat. For heating the above-named building between the dates of September 15, 1910, and June 15, 1911, upon the basis of a fiat rate charge of $6,500 — assuming that the service will begin not later than September 15, 1910 — to be paid in eight equal and suc- cessive instalments of 1812.50, with a proportionate reduction, however, in the amount of the first payment which may be due for the current fiscal year, owing to the inabil- ity to complete and permanently occupy the building by September 15, 1910, and with the understanding that if the service does actually begin on September 15, 1910, the first payment will be made in October, 1910, and in the month of October each year thereafter during the continuance of the contract, it being further understood that you will furnish and install without expense to the Government, the steam heating service, including a main valve, located on the service supply pipe, together with an oil separator, which it is your intention to install to prevent any oil from passing said separator and entering the pipes and radiators of the building. The steam furnished will be free from any substance whatever which will in any way corrode or injure the pipes, radiators, or any other apparatus in the building, and that, with a normal radia- tion installed in the buQding, you further guarantee that the steam to be supplied will be sufficient at all times to heat the building in all its parts to a temperature of not 874 REPORTS OF COMMISSION ON ECONOMY AND EFFICIENCY. less than 70° F., it bemg further understood and agreed that the Government will be permitted to exercise the privilege of renewing the authorization yearly at the end of the first fiscal year for a period of five successive years thereafter, at the same rate or any lower rate which may be hereafter agreed upon. ELECTRIC CURRENT. For supplying electric current for light and power purposes at the uniform rate of 2^ cents per kilowatt hour, it being understood and agreed that the Government will furnish and renew all electric lamps repaired and that it will be permitted to exercise the privilege of renewing the authorization yearly for supplying electric current for light and power purposes (including the combined service for heating and lighting) at the end of the first fiscal year for a period of five successive years thereafter, at the same rate or any lower rate which may hereafter be agreed upon, based upon actual consumption and other commercial considerations, and with the further understanding that the Government will receive the benefit of any reduction in rates which may be offered to the public. There is inclosed herewith a blank bond which you are requested to execute in the penal sum of |3,000 as a guarantee for the faithful performance of the provisions of your contract. Your attention is specially invited to the rules attached to the bond, which must be carefully followed in its execution. You are requested to promptly acknowledge the receipt of this communication, and to take the necessary steps for providing the service authorized should it be required by September 15, 1910. Respectfully, , Assistant Secretary. "UNITED STATES POST OFFICE AND CUSTOMHOUSE, CINCINNATI, OHIO. The Cincinnati (Ohio) post office and customhouse is a five-story and two-basement granite structure occupying the block bounded by Walnut, Main, and Fifth Streets and Government Place, and is one of the older Government buildings, about 26 years. The principal ofiicers and assistants are: Postmaster, Col. E. R. Montford; custo- dian, Mr. P. Lincoln Mitchell; assistant custodian, Mr. Leslie Struble; electrician, Mr. A. L. Petrie. The building was originally lighted by gas only, and the present electric-light and power plants were installed about 10 years ago. The building is of fine appearance but somewhat unfortunate it its interior arrange- ment, considerable valuable space having been lost by placing the comdors on each floor next the inner court, thus having only one row of rooms on the outside of the building, whereas by a suitable placing of the corridors there could have been an inner row of rooms provided and the capacity of the building greatly increased. The building is heated by a hot-water system, which is in good order, and the build- ing is satisfactorily heated in the coldest weather. The electric lighting of this building is by means of its own current-generating plant located in the basement. The current used is direct, 115-230 volts in character. The electric-lighting system is in very bad shape and bad in every way. The conductors are run in wooden molding where concealed and in porcelain knobs where not concealed. A large portion of the branch wiring is twisted, cotton-covered twin- wire conductors run on small insulators on the ceilings and walls of the corridors and rooms, and in general the wiring system is of such a character as would not be allowed to be in operation if the installation was under the supervision of the insurance or other governing authorities. ELECTRIC LIGHTING OF FEDEEAL BUILDINGS. 875 There are very few floor outlet boxes, and nearly all of the portable lights on the desks and tables are operated by loose conductors connected by plugs to the various chandeliers and fixtures, so that the rooms are a maze of these conductors running in all directions. The fixtures are combination gas and electric, of an old type, and not at all modern or up to date. This is particularly ti'ue of the corridor fixtures, especially those on the first floor. There are very few, if any, room-control switches for the lights in each room, with the result that many more lights are burning at times than are necessary, resulting in an undue use or waste of current. The whole lighting system should be carefully replanned, remodeled, and reinstalled and brought up to date in every particular, all conductors to be of the highest grade of wire and insulation, all to be concealed in conduit or metal molding, floor and base outlet boxes introduced, individual room control switches properly placed, the "unit" system of lighting introduced, and the building properly relamped, removing all carbon lamps at once and substituting tungstens therefor, as it is poor practice to bum a carbon lamp just because it is alive, giving a poor light for a large consumption of current. The way in which it is required to obtain lamps from the Government, however, makes the operation of relamping a very glow process and materially interferes with the prompt substitution of tungsten for carbon lamps. The Almond type of portable fixture largely in use with the small metal reflectors are very inefficient, and Dale Universal fixtures should be substituted therefor, using the Holophane No. 457 metal reflector, thereby securing a maximum of efficiency with a minimum of current expenditure. The electric current generating plant is in fair condition. It has been in use some 10 years and has materially depreciated in that time, besides consisting of apparatus which is not as economical as the more modem machinery is. Some of the engines and generators are not as economical as they should be, and I understand that the Government has just contracted for two new engines to take the place of some of these now in use. After a comparison of the estimated cost of generating the current by the isolated plant in the building as against the estimated cost of operation if the current was purchased from the local Union Gas & Electric Co., it was found, all things being considered, that it was about as economical to operate the lights and motors by the isolated plant in the building and heat the building as by the purchase of electric current from an external source, total cost for 1910 and 1911 by the use of the isolated plant being (estimated) 124,163 per year, and the total cost of current by use from an external source being estimated at $23,615 per year. These figures are estimated and approximately correct and might be modified somewhat by closer investigation, but they are sufficiently accurate to show that the total cost of operating the lighting and heating plant in this building, either by means of the local isolated plant or by means of electric current purchased from the Union Gas & Electric Co., Cincinnati, Ohio, are practically the same, the balance being slightly in favor of the Union Gas & Electric Co.; but the isolated plant is safer in that there is no chance for it to completely break down and leave the building en- tirely without current as there might be by the use of the external source of current; however, this difficulty can be overcome by the Union Gas & Electric Co. bringing more than one feeder into the building. It is not likely that more than one feeder would be down at a time. The layout of the workroom in this post office, while not all that could be desired, is still very much better than in most post offices which I have examined . This should be carefully looked into and especially so as regards the lighting of the various racks, 876 REPORTS OF COMMISSION ON ECONOMY AND EFFICIENCY. tables, and other furniture, the latter and bag racks being poorly and inadequately lighted at present. I append hereto a table showing the current consumption for the fiscal year 1910-11, a comparative statement of the costs per kilowatt hoiu" for electric current generated by the building plant, and current obtained from an external source, and also a tabu- lation of the lamps and wattage of the same now in use and of the lamps and wattage if changed to "unit" lighting as suggested by me. From this it will be seen that a possible saving of 25 per cent of the total current can be effected if the suggested changes in the lighting are made. 1910. July August September October November December Light. 24,700 23,460 25,300 28,280 29,000 34,790 Power. 3,110 3,390 2,970 2,940 2,670 2,830 1911 January , February , March , April , May , June , Total , Light. 33, 400 28, 790 31,010 28, 170 26,290 25, 130 338,410 Power. 2,640 2,630 2,990 2,760 2,760 3,030 34,720 Total, 373,130 kilowatt hours. ELECTEIG LIGHTING OF FEDEEAL BUILDINGS. 877 i i Ci (N lO 0'000 Oiniooooiooooio Q 0 t^ lO o o o (M ^ T-l CO Oi T-1 o o o s s s lOOOOiQOOiOOOOO r^oocoiMOCsc^oooMco 3 3 Eh ^ 2 2 1-100 Tu.. 1-25 Tu... 1-00 Tu... 1,100 Tu.. 1-25 Tu... 1-150 Tu.. 1-25 Tu... 1-150 Tu.. 1-100 Tu . . 1-25 Tu... 1-25 Tu... 1-150 Tu.. 1-150 Tu.. 1-100 Tu.. 1-25 Tu. . . 1-100 Tu.. 1-25 Tu... 1-60 Tu... 1-25 Tu... 1-100 Tu.. 1-60 Tu... 1-25 Tu... 1-100 Tu.. 1-60 Tu... 1-60 Tu... 1-60 Tu... ©■ a! a a ft ft _o o o o w w Holophane Holophane, 457 Holophane do c Holophane, 457 Holophane Holophane, 457 Holophane do 5 aJ o w w o 13 Holophane,457 Holophane Holophane, 457 Holophane do ^ O Holophane, 457 Holophane do o -a o '^ s eo £ n n £ CO Tf ^ C5 rt CS ,-1 ^_^ c^ -' i-H CO CO ^_^ I-H rt N (N rH IM -l g £ «5 CO £ S ^ E ^ »OOOOiOOOOiOOiOOO 000000"30000000>000010 OiOtOtOlOONlOOOiOiOOiOC^OOOt>» OOt-i 1-HrHCO rHCO^Hr-i COrH COCO^O 3 r- ; 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 O 3 3 3 eS 3 3 3 H H ■ H H U u H H Eh H H H o H O H H H H H H o u u H H H H O H w lO ■ lO ICI o c- lO >o ^ c >« '? lO t-ti ": c^ c^ Cv o e^ IN ^ ; =i 4h ci ci to f- i CO ci ci CO '^ CO c^ 1 ci CO 1 ci 1 4 CO -4- .2 .S Ol aj

0(NIM . a . . 3 3'' CMr-fTTCO r-loooipioooo S!2!5i5 CO a rt ^ ^ w Tj-iTi0l0(MOIMOON10 i-H i-H OS CO •* T-l S 3 S 03 3 H e Eh Eh fH lo »o lo w3 m (N "5 _ ......... - - - . . . . . . -. . . . . _ . . . . -. CO CO CO COCOi — ICOtHCOi — ICOl — It — I CD i — I CO i-H CO CO t>. 00 d o T-i o o o o s s CO CO CO CO CO CO a a a a a a « rt tf tf rt rt tf K tf tf K « 72734— H. Doc. 1252, 62-3- -56 882 REPORTS OF COMMISSION ON ECONOMY AND EFFICIENCY. i o SB S5s 1^ i 03 a ID 73 g a ■a 3 i-j ti ^ ■V a ^ ^ i .£2 1 o o o o o o o u^ »o :o • 2 !£? <= . CS IC 10 »o • ^ rH rH : = '^ ■OOCOGO OOlOO . t^ rt T}( rt rt 1-400 Tu.. 2-25 Tu... 1-25 Tu... 1-25 Tu... 1-60 Tu... 1-150 Tu.. 1-25 Tu... 1-150 Tu.. 1-25 Tu... 1-150 Tu.. : 3 3 : ^ e^ • IN IN 1-25 Tu... 1-25 Tu... 1-40 Tu... 1-60 Tu... 1-100 Tu.. 1-100 Tu.. 1-25 Tu... 1-60 Tu... •2 1 : -a < o w 3 T : £5 : '. a oj ; a a . 03 03 3 _0 • "o : W W ; "^ 5 < 3 T 5 c 3 ■r 3 3 'v 5 3 ■ -2 ft : « W D'Olier Holophane, 457 Holophane do do do Holophane 457 Holophane 1 13 a a o ! ^ ■ '^ ^-N i "* '. '^ : £ Ph » •* ■ ^ IN ; ^ ; '^ ; S I IN 00 ,-i rt : '^ ■^ .2 o g ; M IN 1 g • T-l ■ N 1 -^ i 00 IN : ^ I £ i £ 1 OOOOiOOOlOO'CO'O'OiOOOOOO lOOOWO pOlOiOMlOOMiOOiOINOqt^lOOOOO t^lOIOl^O Or-(r-l eO,-lrtOrtr~i-l o ^ o O o O o <-> o o o o o .n o o o in o o o o o ^ 3 M ; '-! 1 '^ ' M M •-l ■-1 M M i i 1 i '1 i 'I = = = = f- H a" H 3 e &H E = en o o o 3 o EH o Eh o Eh o H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H lO 1 r IT ir: s S s lO s lO lO ra ! 1 1 1 ^ 1 7 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 t 'i 1 ^ ci. ^ 1 t^ .^ f* r^ r^ r^ 1^ r^ !^ -^ ■* rp m O a m a> 0) QJ ® 0) a> OJ (B o Ol Ol 0) n s § S o S g M s ^ y r A ,£3 ,c3 ^ A fl ,a ^ ,c) ,a fl -2 ^ ,cl rC^ ^ ^ fl X ,J3 f^ = ft ft ft ft ft ft ft •a ft ft ft ft 'C ft ft ft ft ft ft ft ft r n o o n o o o o o o o O o o o O o o o <■ o o o O o o o o o o o o o o o o o o w w w w w W w O W M w w w O w m m M w a w w £ iM M C - - « -* -* -H (M -H ^ '' s s iCiOOOOOOOOO*OOOOOiCOOiOOOOO t>- r* o lo »^ lo IQ lO to »o i-Hi-li— t Th COi-HlO-r-t O lO o o o o lo ^^ o o to lo D!3rda3SSSS!=SSSSSDDSS!3DDD!3D 4nOiOiOiOtOiOkQu;iiOiOiOiOOOO»0*0»0»OiOW5 ci^ii^^cJ, CO tH i-l i ^ 33333333 EneieEHE-iEHEH&H , _-c^ c4c5c5 (N oJMcq i 1 o w 0) a o O 1 o O 3 o 1 O ft i- O Pi IP O 1 o i o p '^ (M (M o o o O O lO o oSS '^"'"=^2'"S^^2'*l2'^SS5S OOOOIOOOOOIO OOOONO»OOOC-0 oiooo»oioooou:) CO Ot^OO(MI>iOOOC^ ,_ CO IOCOW3 i-HrHCO'— I^C3 2 !i 3 1 1 c E5 i o '^ o w o o 5 o ■« o w 1 o o o o * p ' o u (a XI w c c Oi Iffl tH £ £ « >o N CO o CO 00 ^ £ £ IM T-l ■* T-l CO o s IM Cl T-H ^, o o lO o O lO o o 8 "S m (M « ^ *~* •<»< """ i-H 1-t isa 3 H 3 3 H ■ 3 I I ^ s ^ ^ 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 f^ H ^ ^ E-i H Eh Eh e e Eh lO lO »o 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 7 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 13 f^ -a 1=1 m a W s a ri 3 li rl H ^ ;h n 133 J3 o o o .2 r o o r 5 '<=■ "3 o 5* -3 -3 -3 TJ o rl ■r^ 5 -o -3 "O "O ^ -C -3 -3 ■3 M O M o ta m ; TP 1 ^ (S ^■"^ ^—^ -O w 00 o 1—1 • P!+^ 73 PL, as -2 ; ; ; ^ ; TJ fl ^ ,— ^ ^-s. a ■-' ^ : : a « § rt il £ s i \ ir c Q O O O S >/; o lo o o lo o ira ip ic c^ -^ ^ ""^ '"' IM ^ rH ^ •~ '■ 3 S 3 C ^ s ^ ^ c 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 E- r- ir e &■ Q U fH (- ir ^ Eh O Eh ^ H LT O O li- »r !! >C O ip ^ U5 1 1 2 S / ^ J. J. 1 1 1 1 1 3 CI K • C ; c ' c r d d o - <■ o c s o o ^ T ■c T t: T -c T T e 'C ■c o o P O 3 ■3 ■3 c : tr > Eh K ^ t-i b- ii^ ^^ ^ ■ t- cq c/2 »o o iCOOiOiOOiOOO^ ,-, (N i-H CC 13 L_, n :i ^ ^ t^ ^ ;^ H ^ e &H -^ lO O lO to o ^ o -N »— I (M X !M CO t^ 30 OOiOiOOOOO OCOOOiOOOO' r-;SSooopioo«ooNoo.o ■^ 1— t CC tO 1— 1 'Tf T-H T-H CO '^ (MOO (M ^ T-> e o a o o O r- O O c-" lO »o to lQ o o o C^ CM M CM CD lO 1-H 00'0 00>000i0 iOtCiOiO»OC^iOiOCN T? 'd 'd "d -r «■■ (M CO I^ 00 ^ o ^H C-l CO e s fi Eh ^ « pi P5 P5 « tf P5 O:; 02 888 REPORTS OF COMMISSION ON ECONOMY AND EFFICIENCY. UNITED STATES POST OFFICE AND COURTHOtTSE, KNOXVILLE, TENN. This is a white stone building with four stories and basement and was built about 1872, and remodeled in 1909, at which time new fixtures were installed and the wiring system remodeled. The principal officers are: Postmaster, Mr. Cary F. Spence; assistant postmaster, Mr. W. L. Clapp; custodian, Mr. James G. Crumbliss; electrician, Mr. W. R. Samuel. The building is in good order, clean and well kept up and every possible effort in this direction as well as for efficiency and economy being made l)y the postmaster and Ms assistants. The fourth or attic floor is unfinished and unoccupied, and this space could be made available if properly finished off and lighted. The building is heated by steam from its own local heating plant, the heating system is in good order and the heating of the building is satisfactory. Electric current is purchased from the Knoxville Railway & Lighting Co., and alter- nating for the lights and direct for the elevator motor. The electric-lighting system has been brought up to date ; the wiring is installed in metal conduits, with base and floor plugs and control switches in the various rooms. These control switches, all of the "snap" type, are unsatisfactory and should be changed for the more modern type of "push" switch. The wiring in the basement is poor and in wooden molding, and all lamp pendents are of twisted circuit wire. The basement wiring should be remodeled and proper "code" cord pendents installed. The cut-out boxes are up to date, with inclosed fuses and knife switches, and are in good order. The fixtures are "Government" standard in design and of modern type. The building has too much light as at present constituted; "unit" type fixtures should be substituted for the chandeliers in the various rooms with lamps of the capacities in the schedule; holophane reflectors should be of the intensive type and be satin finish, and the lamp's bowl frosted, care being taken to get the lights sus- pended at such heights as will give the maximum illuminating effect. All "unit" fixtiu-es should be equipped with chain-pull sockets and "Economy" type pull, so that each can be operated separately. "Sale" type portables equipped with holophane No. 457 metal shades should be substituted for the Almond portables now in use. The workroom is large and roomy and fairly well arranged, but could be considerably bettered by a careful local study of the working conditions. The general illumination of this room is too great and badly placed; all chandeliers should be removed and "unit" pendents substituted and provided with General Electric Co. mill- type metal reflectors and bowl- frosted lamps of capacities indicated in the schedule and suspended at proper heights to give the maximum illuminating effect. The letter-distributing racks are, as usual, very poorly lighted and should receive careful consideration and be relighted in the most approved manner. The bag racks should be so located that they will come under the "unit" pendents, thus obviating the necessity for special lighting for the same. The building is only partly equipped with tungsten lamps, the old carbon lamps being kept running until they give out before tungsten lamps are substituted. This as bad practice, uneconomical of current and inefficient as to lighting, and should be stopped and the building properly lamped with tungsten lamps throughout. If the suggested changes in the lights and fixtures throughout the building ai'e made, there will result a reduction in current consumption of about 29.6 per cent at full load, and the efficiency of operation will be largely increased. I attach hereto a schedule of the various fixtures and lights tlu'oughout the building, with suggested changes, also a statement of the electric current consumed for light and power diuing the year 1912, and the rate at which current is sold by the Knoxville Railway & Lighting Co. ELECTRIC LIGHTING OF FEDERAL BUILDINGS. 889 1 a 0) 2^ 1 s ■a s o a 1 > 1 03 3 Q) o 03 10 02 1 03 <1 1 lOOOlOO iraoooooiooooioooioo oo oo lO M (M CD(Nr-lT-(lM ,-1 ,-1 rt< rt t^t^ Tfr-I ill «a^ 3 3 3 3 Eh Eh H e ■ra in o o N (M ^ Cjl ^o^^oo^^^o^o^^o ^ ^ ^o iOlOiOiOOOlOOOO^OoOlOlO »0»0 *r3o c > c H P i 3 5 c i i z 5 p: - c: 3 £ 5 C 5 C 3 P ; 2 3 C 5 P > > c c 3 ) 890 REPORTS OF COMMISSION ON ECONOMY AND EFFICIENCY. O ^ R, a s: c E < c p c c p p c P >ra >« "O IM CD IM o ira ,-< ,-( »o i-H (N rH CS 1— 1 3232332S3i3Sp33 3 0000000 lOOiOOO-OOlOiOOOiOOO lM,-IIM.MtD(NrtrtCSt-lrH,-l-*-* ^ CO II s C w c c ^ ! 3 & & ■c "o : !5 : ^ ; (D (D (D O) CJ C3 c3 C3 ^ irf A A fi A A ft ft ft ft ft _o _o _o _o '0 H |z{ M K PI s s s s 3 3 3 3 c3 cd Cj ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ & ft ft ft = 0000^ 0000 W M W M c c c r- ; ; ; ; ; ^ ; ; ; ; ; 3 3'; 03 c3 . . ; ! ft ft d g 5* 5* TS ■« ^ -a 00 '■ ''2, '' W W : : : 1 s a o s "-' £ '-' to lO (M '^ 1=1 -s o g PL, « (Mrt,-l-< •rHM .>-l '■!-< ;CO__ ii-H ii-IC-5rt.H.-l jtOi-li-IOOc"- 1 2 ffl ;:;:::;;:;;:::;:;;:;;;::::;: i "S ^ COrttNlM TOCqrH rtrt^'-^^rt (Mi-H rH-H tOM«-*CO Present lamps. .■3 ; : 133 1333333333 13 :333o ." .' iS C'OOOOiOlOOlOOiOiOiOiOiOioioOiOOiraiOlOlOOOOO 11 II c a C _a C P _a C P ;- a C P a c p 1 C Id 1 ^ "^ to 10 IN i-H T) to 3 Ph » '-' '^ 00 CO 1 C-) r-. ^ rt (M '"' '"' CO '"' ^H rH .-H i-H IN — 1 ■-( a 2 ^ J 3 q Q c Z <^^ « i c c a c c c a IM a c c a c c c c pi a c c pi a c c p; c c « a c 1 § a § a § to (N IN a § 'A I I £ P3 2 a p^ 83 x i-l ELECTRIC LIGHTING OF FEDERAL BUILDINGS. 891 d ft d ft .a 1 Ph a tr Q T3 g a d ft .a "S Ph OOlOOiOiOlOOOOO .-1 1-1 -^ rl 00 OOOOlOiOOlOOOOOOiO OOiO00 0) x3 xl ,13 j3 ft ft ft ft = _o _o _o ^ ^ "o "o "o 'o W K W M c c c c 1: '^ w :§ ; ft ft = _o "C w w c c '* ', 11 = ft ft = c c c c ft w ^ '-' s" § P •^ & o 3 a g m Ph OOiO OOlOOOOiOlOOOOOOiOO T)OI:^iO C^r-ICO i-Hi-( i-HT-HfH »0c 4 4 8S 4 4 a-o i o W c w i o c ES i : ; ; i i : ■* ; ! 1 ; ; 1 ; c ■ o § i § i ; : : : oS 0'3'3'a'a-; o o o ; : : : P W C3 tn : : ; : Q ft : d i : -a o 1 ■a 1 a a 8 '-' ^ 1i CO ^ JO rt I-H (M 03 -] li. CO H S " o i o o 1 E o o A 1 c £ o o A o < CO i o f» a 2 "1 IM a o o P5 ELECTEIC LIGHTII^-G OF FEDEEAL BUILDINGS. 895 00>0000>000>00>00>I5>00000 O»0C^C0OeO(NOOC -lC<0^i-l rt-*rtr-lC-1(M50 0>00i000»00»0000000>000 0(MO(MO>0(NtO 10 (M O O O CC C^ -^ i-H i-t CO (MOO OOOOOOOOOOO OOIOIOIOOOOOC^JJ^ r-l rH 1-1 — I l> 33333 1333 133333333 E-|&^e^E-^E^OE-l&^E^Qf^E^H^&^E-le^E-l lOiOOiO»00*OOiOOOtOiO*OiOiOW3iO 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3' 3 3' H H H H H H H H H H H H EH H H. S K5 S3 ^ N5 !^ f^ f^ K3 f^ ^ «? 115 S 4 4 ci c^ cA n< 4 4 4h ci 1 1 1 1 1 aJ 000(NOo O "O N tH 0 2 2^2 33333^33 E-lE^E^t^e^^&^^ 00»0»0010»0 III I 4 ^ ^ 4, ^ ^ 3 3 3 3 3 ^ Eh Eh Eh Eh to lO lO o »o (M M Cj) ■* Cj) ■4i «b CO .-I T-t ;h CD ° -2 "A o ^ ° 2 ft 2 ''3'? o''^''3''3^'3 o P M =1 fe tH lO M 2 a 900 EEPOETS OF COMMISSION ON ECONOMY AND EFFICIENCY. 0) 13 _^ lO o o t~ rH rH COOQC^CDOCOt^ lO O O O Oi o'^'^ o o'^'^ o o o o'^'^'O o • w ; o o • m W : o o o o W W W W '" ; ; e<3 ; T-H • PI u 3.2 >-l (M (M • Y-H CO t-H ■ rt Cq i-( 1-1 lO o o o t* »0 CO (N 00 lr~ .-I rH 000»OOOOIJ^O o c o o T-i CD CO 000Oir3C30000»OlOOOOiOlOlO»0 I I. _L I. I I I I p< p< » 5 ^ www o o" o ^ o Q f^ n3 f^ f^ T3 13 „ _ o o o o o o ^ ^ '^ ^ '^ xi w w 1-1 (M (M (M O ini o o o o o o cs o o o -^ -^ ,-1 >-l IM cq (N N ooo>ooooooo ooiocq»o»oocNoo lOOOOOOOOO 000000»00010 W (M T»< i-H lO » so ; : : 3 ,3 Eh Eh O O a H t-i lO »o o o o o o CS CS lO lO »0 «^ 50 t1( ri C^q 4< 4< "-H "H 33333333 3 3 EHtnEHEHeen^t^OOHEHO^ (N(N(N(N(M(M(Na3 4i4<(NT-Hcocci-^cq O Q O O O en ooioo»oooooo»o Q) wow 5 S » ^ "^ '0 ^ X) Q rcJ ni) f^ X3 ^O Id '^ '^ '^ ^ '^ ^ ■-I 0 >0 »0 iO o o 7 2 7 o 2 s o I o 1 o 1 ftOOOOOOO a § O O O rH B a s s p^ rt rt rt rt p; o ELECTEIC LIGHTING OF FEDEKAL BUILDINGS. 903 birmingham railway, light & power co. March 14, 1911. Electric current for lighting service at the following-named rates, with discounts if paid by the 10th of the month following service: Twelve cents per kilowatt, to be changed in 1912 to 10 cents. Under 25 kilowatts, 10 per cent; over 1,000 kilowatts, 37^ per cent; over 25 kilowatts, 15 per cent; over 1,500 kilowatts, 40 per cent; over 150 kilowatts, 20 per cent; over 2,000 kilowatts, 42^ per cent; over 250 kilowatts, 25 per cent; over 2,500 kilowatts, 45 per cent; over 400 kilowatts, 30 per cent; over 3,000 kilowatts, 47§ per cent; over 500 kilowatts, 35 per cent; over 3,500 kilowatts, 50 per cent. Electric cvirrent for operating canceling machine and elevator at 7 cents per kilo- watt hour, with discounts as follows if bills are paid by the 10th of the month following service: Up to 450 kilowatts, 10 per cent; over 450 kilowatts, 15 per cent. Heating, 1910-1911. — Three hundred dollars for season, flat rate. Two-pipe gravity system heating, part direct, part indirect, all used. All in good order. Building warm in winter. Ventilating fan put in workroom by postmaster; 36- inch electric exhaust. Works O. K. Steam heat : 1910— Oct. 31 150. 85 Nov. 30 180. 71 Dec. 30 248. 99 1911— Jan. 31 158.56 Feb. 28 127. 96 March : 111.40 AprU 72. 08 May 23.49 Liglit and power. 1910. July 1287.64 August 285.95 September 299. 10 October 328.55 November 325. 52 December 296. 56 1911. January $335. 15 February 306. 89 March 290. 65 April 347.97 May 276.16 June 244. 10 3,623.44 UNITED STATES CXJSTOMHOTJSE AND POST OFFICE, MACON, GA. This is a very beautiful white-marble building, with three stories and a basement, and was built in 1908. The principal officers are: Postmaster and custodian, Mr. H. S. Edwards; assistant postmaster, Mr. H. Rudisill. The building is in good order, clean, and well kept up, every possible effort in this direction, as well as for efficiency and economy, being made by the postmaster and his assistants. The building is heated by a hot-water system which is in good order and satisfactory in every way. Electric current is purchased from the Macon Railway & Light Co., and is alternat- ing for the lights and canceling machines and direct for the elevator motor. The electric -lighting system is up to date, the wiring is installed in metal conduit, with base and floor plugs and control switches in the various rooms. Chain-pull sockets and chandelier pendent switches are provided. 904 KEPORTS OF COMMISSIOK^ ON ECONOMY AND EFFICIENCY. The cut-out boxes are up to date with inclosed fuses and knife switches and are in good order. Key-lock switches control the various corridor lights. The fixtures are "Government" standard in design and of modern type. All reflectors and .glassware are of the Holophane type. Only criticism is that the building has too much light. "Unit" type fixtures should be substituted for the chandeliers in the various rooms with lamps of the capacities indicated in the schedule; the holophane reflectors should be satin finish and the lamps bowl frosted, care being taken to get the lights sus- pended at such heights as will give the maximum illuminating effect. All "Unit" fixtures should be equipped with chain pull sockets and "Economy" type pulls so that each can be operated separately. "Dale" type portables, equipped with holophane No. 457 metal shades, should be substituted for the "Almond" portables now in use. The workroom is well laid out as to rapid progression of work, but the letter racks require careful relighting in the most approved manner. The general illumination is too great and all chandeliers should be removed and "Unit" pendants substituted at points indicated, and provided with G. E. Co. mill type metal reflectors and bowl frosted lamps of capacities indicated in the schedule,. and suspended at proper heights to give the maximum illuminating effect. The bag racks should be so located that they will come under the "Unit" pendants thus obviating the necessity for special lighting on the same. The letter-distributing racks are, as usual, very poorly lighted and should receive careful consideration and be relighted in the most approved manner. The building is alrriost entirely equipped with tungsten lamps, but the practice which obtains here of keeping the old carbon lamps burning until they give out is bad and should be stopped and the building properly lamped with tungsten lamps. If the suggested changes in the lights and fixtures throughout the building are made, there will result a reduction in current consumption at full load of about 49 per cent and the efiiciency of operation will be largely increased. I attach hereto a schedule of the various fixtures and lamps throughout the building with suggested changes, and a statement of the electric current consumed for light and power during the year 1911, and the rate at which current is sold by the Macon Railway & Light Co. ELECTKIC LIGHTING OF FEDERAL BUILDINGS. 905 a 1 6 p a •a a. B a> o 00*0010*0 oo>oooooo*oo»oooooooo OOt^iOr^tN lOiOfNCOOtNOOiOCNOC^IOlOCD-^il-^tOO ioo>oio>o*o '0§iooSgQi£5!£3'='!2i5!2'?S T3 Is 8 P3 c c ^ . fe : , a> 03 ^ d C3 es -d ^ ft ft o ° c o "o i: tn w c ft 5 c o t: M c 1 o o w I i w . -So § 1 o S 1 • w1 3 s a o ■ a -^ -^ C« ,-1 ^1 CM "I" to lO CO CM tH rH 1-1 CM '" '-' (N CO i-H o rH 1 CO Tl< CM CM >o SoSo'SS oo5§oSw§5SS5SSo^coo 00O->H 1 i § o i § 1 > E o o 3 o o 'B o o c > CO 3 o3 g 'S E o o ;-< 906 REPORTS OF COMMISSION ON ECONOMY AND EFFICIENCY. 73 ® P ii 1^ 5S. CO a 1 -2 i 1 B a o a c p 4 la gssg, ggggj^i 8SgS5Sggag§ gga «a-^ dads Sa'SSa'S s^s^sgsssg Recommended shades. IS CI 03 li W P ■1? M P s 1 = % c c ^ 1 ":; 1 t^ : • u:> ' lo ' ; tx ; „. ; ID © 0? 03 a:) c3 ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ X) ,d .d _ e< a ft e- ft .g o o o o o ^ o o o o o M M M W W % c c 1 i a i-H £ -< '-< rH rH rt rt ^ '-' -^ rH rt rt ■* ■* s s to S C^) i "S ^ §S5| ssssss §s§ss§ssgs§ £-2 a ^ c 2! §§ g T-l r-l ti c g CO C c C c cc o S o c 1 ■* « O 1 1 i-H i-t CO "G o c 1 > J. ci C g 4 g cc C g c c 1 C W P c c a ■i 5 d 1 = o -c w c c 5 .2 c O "C 1 C P o r^ o "c MOW c c 1 c c !5« ' a "-^ '^ -' 11 Ph ® (N ■* ■* 1 S 8S CO CD i.i I-l I-l I-l T-l IM '"' ^"^ r-t iH n .o ca o o O 13 o 2 ll 1 o o <> o c w c E o c PC E c c PC £ c c p: E c c 1 a c o CO E c c pi E c c O a o o p^ 1 o o p^ t-l 5 ELECTEIC LIGHTING OP FEDERAL BUILDINGS. 907 «5 o io c5 o cS o o o o o O CD O O O o o o »o o •>1< U5 O t- O i-H rt « .-I (N ^ ^ ^ s s H r-i 3 H 3 EH EH o o 3 Eh 3 Eh o Eh o 3 Eh 3 Eh 3 3 3 3 Eh Eh Eh 2 "T o5 1 T* r o o 1* o 2 1 2 "t o T 5 o 2 2 S c5 « 1 1 1 o o o o S'5''3'a'3T3 oo'3'32'^ oTj-a-d W W m w lo o wa lo »o »£5 o cq ID c5 .^ c ;> ,0 ^^-^^^ V 'vP ^ o « o ^ <6 -. *«„ c*-* .-^^r^^ -^^^<,* ,.; 3^ ^ Ik BOOBINDINC ,„ OCT 83 W