10 CIRCULAR NO. 117, BUREAU OF PLANT INDUSTRY. 



ing the functions and efficiency of the Bureau of Plant Industry 

 alone. If we were discussing the functions and efficiency of the 

 department as a whole, it would, of course, be necessary to treat our 

 subject in a different way. The department has an effective organi- 

 zation, which must necessarily change from time to time to meet 

 exigencies as they arise. The Bureau of Plant Industry, it is hoped 

 and believed, will remain an important part of the department's 

 work, but it must always be kept in mind that proper relationships 

 with other bureaus must be maintained. 



Returning to the question of efficiency, efficiency has recently been 

 defined by Mr. Harrington Emerson as the relation between an 

 equitable standard and an actual achievement, or the relation between 

 what is and what could be. In his book on the Twelve Principles of 

 Efficiency he has written largely from the standpoint of the engineer, 

 but some of the principles of efficiency which he lays down are appli- 

 cable, it seems to me, to our needs. They are : 



1. Clearly defined ideals. 



2. Common sense. 



3. Competent counsel. 



4. Discipline. 



5. The fair deal. 



6. Efficiency reward. 



No institution such as ours can long survive or succeed unless its 

 ideals are clearly defined. For any one man to expect to dictate 

 these ideals is fatal to the whole structure. Such a policy will force 

 those removed from the head to develop ideals of their own, with the 

 result that all unity of purpose will soon be lost. There is the 

 ideal of sacrificing one's personal feelings for the service as a whole, 

 of giving up some of one's individuality in order to accomplish 

 greater objects through teamwork and community effort. Mr. 

 Emerson speaks of a handy man in a railroad shop who was required 

 to examine cylinders for cracks. The cracks were often so unim- 

 portant that they could be safely repaired by a patch, but in other 

 cases a new cylinder had to be ordered. A patch cost $30; a new 

 cylinder, $600. The handy man swelled with pride when his recom- 

 mendation for a new cylinder was heeded. He boasted to his wife 

 and fellows of the confidence placed in him and the importance of his 

 work. When in doubt he reported always in favor of a new cylinder, 

 and it was easier to accept his recommendation than to institute 

 a separate revisional examination to be made by a man scarcely 

 better qualified. The ideals of economy and competence were sub- 

 merged here p.nd the conflicting ideal of individual aggrandizement 

 substituted. 



We should beware lest in our zeal we see only the $600 cylinder 

 and its immediate effects. Let us not lose sight of the fact that in 

 the long run a sacrificing of self-interest will most certainly benefit 



[Cir. 117] 



