Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1921-06-04
Survey Report Calls for Eleven
Major Departments
AUDIT INDEPENDENT
- 'e2ss ss.gr
Eleven Departments proposed-offIce
or Motor Vehicle Commissioner
Would Come Under Commerce
Department
Annapolis
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t1il Oulte OA huulI ana control. - rec
ommended In the report submitted by
the Chca 20 frm which Governor
Richie retained to make survey OF
the states governmental organization
This is the report which will come
in FOR analysis and criticism by the
committee OF II Democrats which the
Governor has just appointed
The administrative structure recon.
mended BY he report provides for the
following major divisions:
/. Executive Department
. Department Of Finance.
Department OF Law
Department OF Militia
Department Of Welfare.
8 Department OF Health
7 Department OF Education
Department OF Public Works.
9 Department OF Commerce
~ Department OF Labor
II Department OF Employment and
Registration
In addition. the scheme includes the
establishment OF the independent "of.
fce Of audit and control. 10 be known
as office OF the State Comptroller"
A. the head Of each department
would b. director" appointed by
III Governor and removable al pleas
IRE Tie II directors would COM
prise be Governor cabinet,
They would b. fully responsible &c
him" says the repor,. and ne. in turn,
because OF their close supervision thus
made possible. would become chief tx.
ecutiye in the full sense OF the term"
The general policy OF the report is to
recommend that administrative com.
missions be superseded by indiy idusis
who should rank as chiefs Of bureaus
IN the departments 10 which the work
OF such commissions has been a..
signed Thus, for example. the Road
Commission would be abolished and
in lieu thereof Road Commissioner
would be created, he 10 head The Blu
Ceau OF Roads in the Department OF
Public Works The report suggests.
however. that for the present that the
Director OF Public Works might also
head the Bureau OF Roads
similarly the office Of the Commits.
sioner OF Motor Vehicles. one OF me
largest OF the State Departments un-
der the present dispensation would
lose rs Independent identity and
would become tn Bureau OF Motor
Vehicles OF the Department OF Com.
merce The head o. this Bureau would
be the Commissioner OF Motor We
hicles
Two commissions-the Public Serv-
ice Commission and the State Board
OF Motion Picture Censors II is pro-
posed 10 retain because OF the quasi.
judicial functions exercised BY these
agencies The chairmen Of these two
commissions. however. shall be deslg
mated as the chiefs Of their respective
bureaus and shall be made responsible
10 the director OF the department for
thu effective operation Of the admin
istratiye and office details OF their re-
spectiye bureaus
IT, however the proposed reorgani
zation would seem 20 impair the au-
'onomy 20 say nothing of the dignity
of certain important state officials by
making them bureau chiefs. subordi-
nate TO department heads the plan
would afford them the compensating
benefit OF security in ONCE for 20
quote the report The positions OF
the heads OF the various bureaus
should be placed in the classified serv-
ice % the State and they should be
removed only FOR cause "a provided in
the Merit system Law They would
be The permanent expert executive
heads as Distinguished from no ord!
narily transient policy making ap.
pointees Of the chief executive OF the
State
Further any possible loss OF prestige
due to the transition from chairman
- a commission TO a commissioner
who is merely chief Of subordinate
bureau would be OFFSET by a prospect.
I've increase in salary The report rec
ognlzes that trained and competent *.
ecu,ive (such "a tho bureau chiefs
would be- must be we'll paid On this
head the dictum OF me report is as
follows
Commissioners at the head Of the
various bureaus should be full-time
sficials and adequately paid The
State must compete to some extent
with private business by paving ade-
auate salaries If il il 10 interss, com.
petent and experienced business
executives in the public service Their
appointment must naturally De safe
guarded BY qualification requirements
ot high order"
The primary purpose Of the admin
/ istra,ive machinery recommended by
the report seems the coordination %
effort and the Capitalization OF an
,hority and esponsbiiity The greater
coordination Is 70 be- attained by set.