ARSENAL ORGANIZATION. 3' 



But the track of these irregular transactions is not always 

 kept, and as the Storekeeper feels that his rights have been in- 

 vaded, and the integrity of his methods violated by the Com- 

 manding Officer, he leaves to him justly enough the responsibility 

 thus assumed, and relies upon such precedents for his justifica- 

 tion should fault be found with the correctness of his accounts. 



A system based upon responsibilities so easily abrogated must 

 abound in inconsistencies and in the end be only delusive. 



It will be seen that all this trouble comes from following out a 

 natural supposition, that the members of the organization are like 

 the branches of a tree which can communicate together only 

 through the parent stem. This is well enough for fixed objects 

 like trees, but for moving organizations, constantly running a 

 race with time, it will not suffice. 



To preserve that harmony of action which is the essence of 

 good administration, all communication to and from the outside 

 world should be through the Commanding Officer. But behind 

 him, in the internal economy of the establishment, he is supported 

 by official subordinates over whom his control is so continuous 

 and absolute, that he may, not only safely, but to his advantage, 

 permit their free intercommunication ; defining clearly the scope 

 of each one's duties and holding him responsible for the results 

 of their performance. Since whatever the results may be, they 

 are subject to his immediate correction in point of labor misap- 

 plied, and as to material misused, it does not pass from his control. 



An illustration is found in any household ; if none of its serv- 

 ants were permitted to assist each other without the express 

 orders of its head, the head of the house would become an upper 

 servant, and in case of his absence confusion would prevail. In 

 practice it is invariably found necessary while requiring all orders 

 and purchases concerning the outside world to go through the 

 master of the house, to make such general rules as to permit and 

 require the co-operation of the servants, each in his sphere of 

 duty, in executing the orders of the common head. 



So, by wisely abstaining from the constant exercise of the full 

 powers with which he is clothed, and by not identifying himself 



