The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1920-12-09

one agency. The Bureau OF Education
OF the Interior Department conducts a
fairly comprehensive educational work,
but similar functions are conducted by
the Bureau OF Indian Affairs. In the De-
partment OF Agriculture. Labor Depart
ment. Treasury Department and in the
Federal Board for Vocational Education
Similarly. chemistry experiments are
conducted in the Independent Bureau of
Standards. in the Chemistry Bureau of
the Department of Agriculture, in the
Public Health Service under the Treas
ury Department and In the prohibition
enforcement division OF the Commits
sioner OF Internal Revenue.
Police work Is done in eight different
Government departments under twice as
many bureaus. The Treasury Depart
ment alone embraces four different or
CARNATIONS doing police work.
II is unlikely It will be found advisable
to combine all OF these police activities
under one agency. but the proposal is TO
coordinate them as far as lie in the public
interest.
One of the things that is certain to be
done in the plan of Reorganization Is to
confer upon each Cabinet officer or De-
partment head power TO consolidate bu-
reaus within his jurisdiction when in his
Judgment such consolidation would work
for economy and efficiency This is a
power that TO a great extent has been
lacking because of the fact that the bu-
reaus were created by law and the
Department head is poweress to inter-
fere. For instance. the Public Health
Service was created by law under the
Treasury Department. but the Secretary
OF the Treasury actually has no jurisdic-
ton whatever over the Public Health
Service. There are countless other ex-
amples of the same inconsistency.
In the Mccormick bill all important
engineering and building activities of
the Government are brought together
under the proposed Department OF Public
Works. the secretary of which would be
authorized to make such changes in the
organization OF existing agencies as will
make for efficiency and economy. II
would also coordinate allied activities
under the proposed Department of Pub
lie Welfare. to the creation OF which
Prrsident-elelct Harding has committed
himself.
Many Combinations Planned.
The bill would group under the De-
partment OF Public Works several scat
tered agencies from the Department OF
the Interior. which would be abolished.
In addition il would combine in the new
Department the office of the supervising
architect from the Treasury Depart
ment the Bureau of Public Roads and
the Forest Service from the Department
OF Agriculture. the office Of Superin-
tendent of State, War and Navy Build
ings, and various bureaus and boards of
the war Department.
In the new Department OF Public We'll
fare would be grouped such activities as
the Bureau OF Indian Affairs, War Risk
Insurance, Public Health Service, ana
office of Surgeon-General of the Treas
ury Department; the Children's and
women's bureaus OF the Labor Depart
ment the Employees Compensation COM
mission, and similar Independent agen-
cies. The bill would also transfer and
combine under the Department OF Com
merce the Weather Bureau, Patent Or
fice, Coast Guard Service. Lake Survey
office, Photographic Office. Naval OBJ
servatory and the Inland and Coastwise
Waterways Service.
The changes provided for by the NC
CormIck bill. however, will all have to
be considered along with the general
reorganization programme which VIII
have to be framed after the proposed
investigation OF the various depart
ments. Representatives Fess and Reavis
re convinced that much can be done In
the way Of cutting down excessive over
head. and their belief is shared by a
large ajority of their colleagues.
To.morrow's article win deal with
conditions in the Post ONCE Depart
ment