Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-06-06
BY WILL P. KENNEDY.


" December one OF the
first jobs to be taken up
will be a survey and critical study OF
the federal establishment. with a vie"
to an economic reorganization along
business lines.
It is considered by leaders In both
the House and Senate that this Will
be one Of the most important pieces
of legislation of the entire session
This will be done as a third phase OF
budget legislation. The first was to
place responsibility for the budget
and coordination upon the executive
The second was for Congress to take
power of initiating appropriations
from seven committees in thirteen to
sixteen bills and concentrating the
authority in one committee of thirty
FIVE members. so that the entire flnan-
cial picture could be seen at one
glance.
Activities Out Of Harmony.
Uncle Sans business is the biggest
in the entire world. 1t has grown
tremendously in recent years. Repre-
sentative Reavis. republican. of Ne
braska, in fling in the House a re-
port from the judiciary committee.
called 1t "the worlds worst-managed
business" There has been no funda-
mental change in the administrative
activities since the organization was
devised by Alexander Hamilton. this
report points out, and the result is
"a ixriff1 ~ he nit n
the functions of departments have
grown up with the passing years.
The various departments have not
only been extending their activities
through new bureaus and divisions,
but each bureau and division has been
devising ways Of enlarging it's activ-
titles and Importance. The result is
tapping, duplication and employment
of surplus help at great expense to
the government.
In the closing rush both the House
and Senate failed to take action author
izing such a reorganization survey I'M
der the direction of joint congressional
commission. but the sentiment in both
houses favors such action.
Veto II Anticipated.
It is anticipated by leaders of both
parties in Congress- that the President
will veto any bill that is put through
Congress for reorganization. on the
ground that it Is IAN interference
with and usurpation Of the executive
functien's as defined III the budget
bill. which, after being rewritten bysfns
House to meet objections made by the
President. was not disposed Of d,irint.
the closing jam in the Senate.
The reply Of Congress to this is
that the country demands economy
from Congress and that to get q busi-
ness-lfke and economic organization
Of Uncle Sans workshop this must
be done apart from political patron
age influence through an agency not
responsible to the President or to any
administrative officer who might be
swayed by patronage considerations
The intention is to have the survey
made by high-grade business men
not by Tame ducks" nor by faddists.
nor by professional organizers. nor by
..
The commission will have authority
to hire frst-class men and to pay
them good salaries, because it is be-
lieved that this will be good business.
since they are expected to effect a
saving Of many millions Of dollars
in cold cash annually. besides speed
ing up the human machine.
A.
be q party issue. because the leaders
Of both the republican and democratic
parties are strong for 1t. 1t is being
undertaken with view to laying a
foundation for efficient economy. The
men in Congress who have been
studying questions of revenue and
appropriation are tired of the make
shift of looping of a few thousand
or q few millions and then having
millions or billions practically wasted
They propose to build a structure OF
practical economy from the ground
up.
Service Not to He Curtailed.
There is no thought in this of cur
failing or Gripping the federal serv-
ice. Those who are urging the matter
most strongly believe that Uncle Sam
has been altogether too niggardly a
paymaster to really efficient employees
and that there has not been a suf-
ficient opportunity and incentive in
the government service. The reor-
Ranization will be planned with a
view to making the government serv-
ice a more honorable life work, and
to opening UP opportunities for ad-
vancement and salaries at least equal
to those paid in private employment
Members Of the ways and means
committee who are wrestling with the
problem of making the revenues come
somewhere near equalling the ex'
penditures. and the members of tn,
appropriations committees. which arr
harassed by the necessity of slashine
and hacking down appropriations. ar
particularly interested to have sucl
an eficient and economic reorganiza
ton effected.
The matter was first brought vi
in Congress. when Representative r
Walton Moore of Virginia. during I
eolloquy in tho House. said he woul,
Introduce such resolution. and h
asked Representative s. D. Tess o
Ohio, chairman Of the republican
congressional committee. If he coult
depend on him for cooperation. ant
received a strong assurance of tn
heartiest support. Representative
Moore, who is a democrat. introduce,
a Joint resolution on February Is
which included a comprehensive plal
for reorganization. On April II Rep
Doovic panr1h1iHon a