Story of the Memphis Bureau of Municipal Research. May, 1910. (Memphis, S. C. Toof & Co., 1910.) 16 p. Petersburg, Va.: Bureau of Governmental Research. In 1917 a Bureau of Governmental Research was established in Petersburg, Virginia. Due to lack of financial support and other reasons it does not appear that much work was accomplished by it. Its only publication is the one listed below. PUBLICATION Bulletin, No. 1-July 16, 1917-Petersburg, Va., 1917 Contents: No. 1. Graphic argument for city manager government, by CHAPTER IX AGENCIES TO INVESTIGATE THE ADMINISTRATION OF PARTICULAR COUNTIES: UNOFFICIAL There are no official and but few unofficial agencies for research in county government. This is due to the fact that the operations of few counties are on a sufficient scale to warrant the maintenance of a special agency for the investigation of their organization and methods of business. This is not saying that it is not extremely desirable that the work of these bodies should not be subjected to scientific study. Any one who has had any familiarity with the conduct of county affairs in the United States knows how great is the room for improvement in their organization and methods of business. In view of the fact that the form of organization and in general the scope of the work of all counties in a state are so nearly identical, it would seem that a study of their administration could most effectively be made by a body having state-wide powers. Notwithstanding this, special county research agencies have been established in the few cases described below. Westchester County, N. Y.: Research Bureau. In 1910 something over one hundred citizens and taxpayers of Westchester County, New York, established what is known as the Westchester County Research Bureau with the objects as stated in the report of its director: 1. I. To Promote Efficient, Economical Government: 2. By coöperation with the administrative authori- 3. By demonstrating to such authorities the use and advantage of (1) Standardized records of public business. (2) Standardized purchase and distribution of supplies. (3) Standardized units of public service and of remuneration therefor. (4) In general, standardized methods of conducting public business. II. To Promote the Adoption of Scientific Methods of Accounting: III. 1. For the county. 2. For the cities, where such methods are not already in use. 3. For each village-a uniform system for the county. To Secure Full Publicity of the Details of Public 2. As to the efficiency of the public employees. 3. As to the cost, to the taxpayer, of any department, function, particular operation, or detail of county or local municipal administration. IV. To Prevent Loss of Lives or of Health from Preventable Diseases: 1. By showing the exact statistics of such losses. 3. By coöperation with health authorities to secure V. To Devise Remedial Measures for Faults Clearly Revealed. VI. To Promote Efficient and Economical School Administration and to Secure Full Publicity for School Work and Achievements: 1. As regards the sanitary conditions of the schools and their equipment, and sanitary inspection of pupils. 2. As to compliance with the Education Law, and as to the character of such law. 3. As to the retardation or advancement of pupils. 4. As to the elimination or continuation of pupils. 5. As to economy in financial outlay. VII. To Supply Exact, Full, Verifiable Information and Civic Conditions in any Legitimate and Wholesome The bureau is incorporated as a non-stock membership corporation. Its officers are a president, a vice-president, a treasurer, a secretary and seven directors. The secretary is the only paid officer. Among the results accomplished by the bureau the following may be enumerated: In 1911 it published the results of a study of the conditions governing the collecting of taxes in Westchester County, the methods employed in making such collections and the resultant cost to the taxpayers. The report also contained suggestions for changes in the law intended to increase the efficiency and reduce the cost of tax administration. This report has been an important factor in bringing about a better tax law, which it is alleged saves the county about $50,000 per year. In 1912 the bureau published two bulletins on budget making, namely, a comparison of county budgets for a period of five years and pointing out what a budget should reveal, and a report on Making the County Budget, which was designed to show how a scientific budget may be prepared, the form in which it may be made public, and the methods by which the opinions of the people may be placed before the Board of Supervisors for its guidance in the adoption of its annual program of community service. This report it is claimed resulted in the adoption of a better budget system, effecting a saving estimated at about $125,000 per year. In 1912 a study was made of "the purchase of county supplies and the audit of county claims." The report of this study was made to the Board of County Supervisors of Westchester County and pointed out the wastefulness of the present system. This resulted in the establishment of a new purchasing department which it is stated effected an estimated saving of about $10,000 per year. In 1914 certain facts were prepared by the bureau concerning the county printing expenses, which were presented as evidence before the Grand Jury. As a result of the subsequent action of the Grand Jury the special laws on public printing were repealed resulting in an estimated saving of $25,000 per year to the county. As a further result of the bureau's activities, the office of county comptroller was created, and this officer, it is estimated, saves the county about $30,000 per year. A more recent report of the bureau (September 1, 1916) deals with the Westchester County Building Commission and its work and points out the advantage of the present system, that is, a commission of three members as compared with the work as formerly handled by the larger board of supervisors. Many local investigations have led to better methods and economies. Such studies have been made in eight localities in the county. The bureau has been called upon from time to time to coöperate in the preparation of schedules for investigation by various committees and to aid fiscal officers of some of the municipal corporations of the county in the installation of modern accounting systems and the improvement of existing methods. The bureau has made many recommendations to the heads of departments of county and local governments, both as to the location and elimination of governmental waste, and as to the establishment of efficiency and the installation of scientific methods. Many of its recommendations have been adopted. It has aimed whenever possible to criticise not work but methods, and has endeavored never to find fault without providing a constructive remedy. It has endeavored to place at the service of officials the work of skilled experts, and its guiding principle has been to coöperate with organized gov ernment. PUBLICATIONS The Westchester County research bureau. . . [1910] [4] p. Method and cost of collecting taxes in Westchester County. 1911. 71 p. [Document on county government collected by the National short ballot organization.] The purchase of county supplies and the audit of county claims. |