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government, and guided by nothing but his 

 convictions and desire to do his best, will 

 get better results, and much more quickly, 

 than a group of men, each equally able and 

 conscientious but acting in concert. The 

 single official may make some mistakes, 

 but if he is well trained, intelligent 

 and abundantly supplied with moral 

 courage, he will accomplish his task more 

 satisfactorily, and in less time, than a body 

 of men, however capable, but who are 

 handicapped by the necessity of working as 

 a group ; that is, considering everything in 

 committee, harmonizing opinions often 

 widely divergent, and being bound by the 

 decision of the majority, which may not be. 

 after all, the actual viewpoint of any one 

 member. Division of responsibility does 

 not promote efficiency, and this has been 

 repeatedly demonstrated by committee ad- 

 ministration. The acts of a group of men 

 invariably lack the clear cut decisiveness, or 

 the definite and positive character of those 

 of the official who is obliged to assume en- 

 tire responsibility in the disposition of any 

 important question. In other words, a com- 

 mittee's acts constantly indicate an attempt 

 to bring the ideas of several men to com- 

 mon ground, to decide on a course of ac- 

 tion that shall "strike an average." Too 

 often, therefore, this course is a compromise 



