These are the figures for one state-the largest one it is true-but conservatively speaking they certainly represent one-tenth of the entire civil service within the United States. Such an estimate would indicate that if all civil employees in the United States were marshaled in one great body, in numbers they would equal considerably more than the entire military force of the United States serving abroad during the world-war. Truly a formidable army of men and women, and when we stop to consider that not only the protection of our lives and property is in their charge, but likewise to a great extent the welfare and happiness of the American people, then we begin to appreciate how important, how supremely important, is the public service.

Some idea of the extent of the federal service may be gained from the figures (given in the table on p. 707) gathered by the Federal Civil Service Commission of the number of employees in the various branches. They are illuminating because they cover two periods, June 30, 1916, before America entered upon the worldwar, and December 31, 1920, two years after the Armistice.

These figures cover the positions in the classified service and those outside, including unskilled laborers. The commission also adds the totals for November 11, 1918 (Armistice Day), and July 31, 1920. In November, 1918, the total in the District of Columbia was 117,760, and outside, 800,000, or a grand total of 917,760. The figures on July 31, 1920, were 90,559 inside the District and 600,557 outside, or a grand total of 691,116.

The very latest figures as to the number of employees in the federal government are those just published by the commission headed by Walter Brown for the purpose of reorganizing the federal departments. The total number of federal employees is given as 740,000, including 300,000 from the post-office and 245,000 from

the army and navy. Those employed in the District of Columbia now number 83,597. On January 1 last there were 86,452 in

*Diplomatic and consular services included in 1920 but not in 1916.

† Number for District of Columbia, 1916, includes 23 commissioners of deeds, 800 notaries public, and 16 trustees of reform school, which are not included in number for 1920.

Washington City Post-Office included in number for District of Columbia in 1920, but in "outside District of Columbia" in 1916.

§ Number for outside District of Columbia, 1916, includes 4,521 pension examining surgeons. Not included in number for 1920.

It was not found practicable to separate the employees of the Department of Labor from those of the Department of Commerce in 1916.

¶ Including administrative offices of Emergency Fleet Corporation but not workmen at shipyards under the corporation or employees on merchant vessels.

** Estimated for 1920. Not considered for 1916.

Washington, which number was reduced 3,000 by June 1. It is interesting to have the number of civilian employees in the army and navy departments: In the former there are 8,538 and in the latter 10,627. These figures, which have just been published, are later than those reported by the Civil Service Commission, and considered reasonably reliable.

There is an abundance of food for thought in these data, but we will have to forego it for the present at least, although it is interesting to note in passing that the high-water mark was recorded at the time of the Armistice and that at the peak according to the Wall Street Journal there was one civilian employee for every 136 inhabitants in the country.

Some further idea of the growth of the federal service is to be gathered from a consideration of the totals of earlier years:

Figures for the state and county services are only generally approximate. The most recent ones for this branch and for the municipal services according to William E. Mosher of the National Institute of Public Administration are those compiled by the National Bureau of Economics and are based on the returns for 1918:

These figures compare favorably with the estimates of J. L. Jacobs, the Chicago engineer, who stated that there were probably 1,880,000 to 1,980,000 civil servants in the country in 1917, including the federal employees.

For 1918 the federal employees, according to Dr. King of the National Bureau of Economics, included:

Civil employees.
Army.....
Navy...

Marine corps.
Post-office...

433,000 2,500,832 470,600 66,300

290,000

An outstanding feature of the public service today is the fact that (largely as the result of the war, but partly also because of accumulated laxness of successive administrations) there is nearly an entire lack of proper and effective co-ordination of the service. Certain branches are overmanned, others badly undermanned, because of fluctuations and variations of functions. It may be said to be a truism in the public service that it is easier to create ninety-nine new places than to have a needless one abolished.

No one more keenly appreciates the federal situation than President Harding and his Cabinet. In his New York speech of May 23, 1921, he declared:

To bring economy and efficiency into government is a task second to none in difficulty. Few people, in or out of the government, have any conception of the growth of government business in the last decades before the world-war; still fewer at all realize the pace to which the growth has been speeded up since the war started. The multiplication of departments, bureaus, divisions, functions, has resulted in a sort of geometrical increase in the task which confronts the heads of executive departments when they face reconstruction problems.

Fortunately, the prospect is not so hopeless as might appear, because the present organization is so bad that the insistent application of a few established principles of sound business organization will result in immediate economics and provide a margin of available means to meet new demands. The party in power is pledged to economy and efficiency and you may be assured that every energy is being directed to redeem that pledge to the last degree and with all promptness. At the beginning of his administration President Taft secured from Congress the establishment of an economy and efficiency commission. It made a comprehensive survey of activities, organization and personnel of the whole Government establishment. The report on that survey was printed, but I believe never made public. But it is available, and can be consulted to determine where wastages and overlappings of function are.

A splendid beginning toward real co-ordination has been made in the passage of the Budget Law and the appointment of General

Dawes as Budget Director. Another auspicious event was the prompt removal of a bureau chief who was discovered to be "stalling" the President's plans. A few more such examples and the baleful influences of the Washington bureaucracy will be seriously curtailed if not largely offset.

Herbert Hoover gave a striking illustration of the need of co-ordination in his address at the Engineers' Club of Philadelphia. He said:

I have daily evidence in the Department of Commerce of all these forces. The question of governmental aids to navigation is not particularly a great question in governmental functions, but at least it is a trial to the hearty mariner. He must obtain his domestic charts from the Department of Commerce. His foreign charts he obtains from the Navy Department. His nautical almanac he gets from the National Observatory, and he will, in certain circumstances, obtain his sailing directions from the Army. In a fog he will get radio signals both from the Navy and the Department of Commerce. He will listen to fog horns and look for lights and buoys provided him by the Department of Commerce; and if his ship sinks, his life will be saved by the Treasury. He will anchor at the direction of the Army but he may rely on the Treasury to enforce their will. His boilers and life boats are inspected by the Department of Commerce; his crew certificated by one member on Commerce, signed off in the presence of another, inspected at sailing by the Treasury, and on arrival by the Department of Labor. In fact, he has relations with three other departments. In certain circumstances he is related to the Department of State and also has a relationship with the Department of Agriculture. There was a bill in Congress last session, which if it had passed, would have brought him within the last department that had neglected him. That was the Department of the Interior.

President Harding's observations and those of Secretary Hoover apply with equal force to all branches of government, federal, state, and municipal, and it is to be hoped that the President's policy will be closely followed by governors and mayors throughout the land for the need for economy and efficiency is everywhere most urgent. To date, the movement has made greater headway in the states, notably in the case of Illinois under the administration and leadership of Governor Lowden, than in the cities, but it is bound to come and the mayor who first establishes his administration upon a basis of scientific co-ordination and classification will make for himself a high place in the history of municipal regeneration and advance.