Permanent Officials in the National Administration of the United States.

The tendency of all government is toward bureaucracy. The government official is inclined to exaggerate the importance of his office. He is constantly tempted to expand its scope. He is properly jealous of his authority. He looks askance upon the activities of other officials who seem to be trespassing upon his ground. In his construction of the law he is prone to insist upon the letter which killeth but to overlook the spirit which giveth life. I think that this tendency is inevitable. It is inseparable from zeal and pride, and these qualities are essential to successful administration. Where, however, the enterprise is a vast one, as in government, or as in a great business organization, these tendencies, if left uncontrolled, are likely to inflict serious injury upon the service. There will be constant friction among the various subdivisions of the particular department. At times the activities of one will neutralize the activities of the other. A set of arbitrary rules is likely to be evolved which will vex everyone who comes in contact with the particular bureau. The original purpose of the creation of the bureau is finally lost sight of, and it is likely to seem to those who direct it an end and not a means. In the early days of the republic, when processes of government were comparatively simple, there was little danger of bureaucracy. It was possible for a cabinet member in our country both to formulate the policies and to execute them satisfactorily. That time, however, has long since passed. Today a cabinet officer finds himself, upon entering office, overwhelmed with a vast amount of purely administrative work. He has no one to turn to but his bureau chiefs. They, however, are not always in accord, and no one of them can have an adequate understanding of the department as a whole. They may be excellent in their places, but each necessarily is more interested in his bureau than in the other bureaus of the department. There is no one with whom the secretary may consult who possesses either the knowledge or the authority for coordinating the work among these bureau chiefs.