Omaha daily bee., 1920-01-14
REAvIS PLANS
Department Of
PUBLIC WORKS
Convention of Engineers Will
Endorse Nebraskan's Bill
Creating New Cobb
net Position.
By E. c. SNYDER.

By E. c. SNYDER.
Washington, Jan. IS. - Especial
Observation-Disclosures Of a ma.
tional department. of pulic works in
order to bring the same economy and
efficiency into the great federal pub
lie works that have made American
industries successful under private
administration, will be urged upon
congress by convention of engi-
neers from all parts of the country,
which began a two-day session al
the New Willard today.
Creation of new cabinet posi-
ton under which would be co-ordi-
mated all of the public works now
scattered through nine federal de-
partments, 81 bureaus and four I'M
attached commissions, so as to bring
about good team work, is proposed.
Congressman Reavis, author of
the new public works bill, changing
the Department of the Interior"
to the Department of Public
Works." and designating the cabi-
net member as Secretary of Pub
lie Works" was the principal
speaker at the banquet of the as
sociation held tonight at the same
hotel.
Reavis Explains Measure.
Speaking of the aims of the bill,
which has the endorsement of prac-
tically every engineering society in
the nation. Mr.. Reavis said:
Because Of the inefficiency Of
the government as business insti-
tuition and the tremendous waste
that results by way of duplication,
we are seeking by this bill, to bring
about coordination of all engineer
ing functions in the government
by reorganization of the Depart
nent of the Interior into Depart
ment of Public Works. I have no
desire to make extravagant claims
for this legislation. 1t accomplishes
but little in comparison with the
great need of reorganization
through all the departments of gov
eminent, but l am hopeful that it
will not alone create an efficient
governmental activity so far as the
engineering functions of the gov
eminent are concerned, but that it
will be a precedent so salutary that
further legislation along the same
line with reference to other depart
ments will speedily follow.
D,,->a.,. A. o. n~l,.L>I
"Thc evolution of governmental
matters throughout the years has re-
suited in attaching to the several de-
partments certain activities which
are not at all in harmony with the
functions of the departments. In
House Record 6649 it is provided
that the patent office, which now
belongs to the Department of the
Interior, shall be separated from
this department and attached to the
Department of Commerce. The bu-
reau of pensions is not in any sense
congenial to functions of the In
terror department.: it belongs prop
erly to the Department of the Treas
ury, where the war risk insurance
and compensation acts are now
lodged. Consequently the bureaus
of pensions by this bill is taken away
from the Department of the In
terror and given to the Department
of the Treasury, and am very GER
tain in my own mind that such dis
position Of the pension bureau will
very soon result now in the consoli-
dation Of the compensation func-
tons of the government whereby
the soldiers of the recent war are
cared for under the war risk bureau
and the soldiers of the civil war are
cared for under the pension bureau.
Would Reduce Cost.
at Is quite impossible in my
limited time for me to give de-
tailed statement of the shifting of
governmental activities. but the pur-
pose of the bill is to make the In
terror department, so far as possible,
the receptacle for all the engineer
ing activities of the government and
to remove from it all functions not
in harmony with the duty of pub
lie works. We seek by this pro-
posed legislation to create an in
dustrial organization out of many
independent functions so as to make
it possible for the government to
conduct its public works business
along the same lines and according
to the same principle that has made
American industries the marvel of
the world.
"The result of such an organiza-
ton will be increased efficiency by
bringing under one head and max
ing a part of all we'll balanced ma
chine all works now operated for
the use of the public. 1t follows
al a matter of course that such an
organization would result in re-
duced cost that always come with
specialized effort and quantity pro-
duction and that there would be
greatly decreased overhead charge
working under one organization
than there would be with the same
activities divided among many or
CARNATIONS each working indie