Administrative Information

Access Restrictions

There are no restrictions.

Use Restrictions

There are no restrictions.

Preferred Citation

Virginia Commission on Economy and Efficiency, Correspondence and Reports, 1916-1918. Accession 36121, State Records Collection, The Library of Virginia, Richmond, Virginia.

Acquisition Information

Transferred from the Office of the Secretary of the Commonwealth, May 18, 1959.

Biographical/Historical Information

The Commission on Economy and Efficiency was created by an Act of the General Assembly on March 16, 1916 to make a "careful and detailed study of the organization and methods of the State and local governments of the Commonwealth" and report as to the ways "State and local government can be made efficiently and economically organized and administered." The Commission was comprised of five members: P.H Drewry, George L. Browning, J. Calvin Moss, Richard Evelyn Byrd, and LeRoy Hodges. Due to lack of resources, the Commission limited its study to State government. The Commission prepared two surveys that were completed by state agencies which were assessed and evaluated. The Commission recommended: the establishment of a formalized budget system, including a proposal for a budget law (passed in 1918); increased supervision of accounts by the State Accountant; expenditures by appropriation; a fiscal year from July 1- June 30; and uniform office hours for state agencies. The Commission was dissolved in 1918.

Scope and Content Information

This collection is comprised of the administrative papers of Colonel LeRoy Hodges, Secretary of the Commission on Economy and Efficiency. Of particular interest are the drafts of the budget law that was eventually passed in 1918, and the state agency reports submitted to the Commission. These agency reports contain a history of the agency, the duties of the agency, an organizational chart, an accounting of annual expenditures, and a listing of personnel with salary and other information. Also contained in the collection is correspondence with other members of the Commission as well as with individuals outside the Commonwealth who were asked to give their opinions and suggestions regarding the Commission's work.

Arrangement

Each series is arranged alphabetically.

Organized into four (4) series: Administrative correspondence, 1916-1918; Correspondence with institutions outside of the Commonwealth of Virginia, 1916-1917; State agency reports, 1916-1917; and Other items, 1917-1919.