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Show REPORT OR THE COM3IISSIONER OR INDIAN ATFALRS. 71 During the first few months of the fiscal year, when most of the large claims for supplies purchased under contract are received, the period required for administrative action varies from a few days to two, and sometimes three, months. At other times, when there is not such a volume of work, a claimant may reasonably expect action on his account within thirty days of its receipt. Following is a statistical statement of claims for the fiscal year: On hmd July 1, 1908 ...................................................... 247 Received during the year .................................................. -7.402 Total an hand and received .................: .. ....................... 7,649 Examined and forwarded to Treasury for settlement .......................... -7,255 o n hand ~ u n 3e0 ,'1909 ...............r .. .............................. 394 . WORK OF THE METHODS DIVISION. The office of chief of methods is charged with the betterment of all methods and the organization of the Indian Service. Careful study is being made of the methods of work now in opera-tion with a view to the adoption of such new methods as will reduce the mechanical labor to a minimum, bring about the use of such material and machinery as will produce the best results by the least expenditure of time and money, and, through the statistics section, to collate the results of the work of the service. As a result of the reorganization work that has been carried on during the last four years, but little remains to be done in the way of general organization in the Indian Office, and for the last year the work has been directed principally toward tuning up the machine and making it human. The field service presents many problems still unsolved in organiza-tion and methods. Each agency and school has for many years been handling its business with such organization and methods as were selected or preferred by the officer in charge, except where regulations prescribed a particular system. As a result, similarity of practice is necessarily the exception rather than the rule. An effort is being made to systematize the work of the various agencies and schools, so that similar work will be handled on similar lines. There has been installed in the typewriting section a system of time and order cards which will enable the office to ascertain the actual cost per' page of all typewritten matter. This system will also be the means of pointing out the weak spots in the organization, which, as they develop, will be taken in hand and strengthened. There have been no changes in the system of registering and filing the mail during the pmt year. It has been proved that the ver-tical system is practical for this office and that the details of its operation here have been fitted to the needs of the office as well a8 is practicable with the present force and equipment. |