Perth Amboy evening news., 1921-02-24
AIMS To GIVE
BEST SERVICE
Wants Harding to Decide
Whether That is Secretary
or in European Relief.
IN Statement TODAY
Points Out He Has Been Se-
Iected for Relief Work -.
Commerce Situation.


NEW YORK, Feb. "a (By the A.
sociated Press) Herbert Hoover
declared in a statement today that
he had left il TO President-eIcct
Harding TO decide whether he could
be of more service as secretary OF
commerce or as director of Euro-
pean relief.
In a statement dictated to the
Associated Press Mr.. Hoover said:
Il left it to Mr.. Harding to deter
mine whether he considered 1 can
be of more service TO the public ~
secretary OF commerce or Carrying
out the public trust already entrusf-
ed to me as a private citizen"
The statement was dictated after
he had announced that upon invita-
ton to become a member OF the
next cabinet he had put up to Mr..
Harding a proposal for general re-
construction of the department OF
commerce. The statement had been
issued after he had been asked IL
the announcement meant that he
would enter the cabinet If his views
were met.
Other Considerations
Other considerations entering into
the matter. Mr.. Hoover said. con-
eerned the European relief admin
istration. He declared he had un-
dertaken the responsibility of direct
ing the expenditure of thirty or forty
million dollars in Europe-money
contributed by people of America
and he must continue to have gen
eral direction of that expenditure.
AS the department of commerce
stands today he added, -.it consists
largely of a group of scientific bu-
feaus which have only a remote
connection with commerce. itself J.
He added that if he should accHDf
the position he saw way to makf
changes which would make OF It .
real department of commerce."
ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla, Feb. .4
(By the Associated Press AS
President-elect Harding completes
formation of his cabinet he IS giving
increasing attention to the first biz
administrative task he will under
take as presiGent-the reorganiza-
tion of the executive machinery os
the government.
The plans have not yet taken
form, but il is known Ar. Harding
had in mind sweeping changes IN
many of the departments aud bu-
Af-aA 40 anu t-AdA nc E&PEILc ~ EttI a.
in the work some of the ablesr ad-
miuistrators he can find. He is un-
dcrstood to have told some Of his
advisers that he regards the CHAIR
manship Of the rganization com
mission, as r post virtually on a par
with a cabinet port folio.
Congress Committee
Congress already has created q
committee to work out a plan for
simplification of the executive
branch with a view TO preventing
duplication of work and cutting
down the governments pay roll. Ii
is expected the committee viii
work in close cooperation with the
reorganization agency to be ap-
pointed, though the latter VIII be
able to give its undivided attention
10 the task and to make a more ex-
haustive study of conditions than
would be undertaken by members OF
congress.
Some mention of the reorganizs-
tion project is expected in Mr..
Harding's inaugural address. and II
IS possible that some enabling Leg
islation may be requested OF the
special session of congress to meet
in April. The first six months OF
the new administration will proba-
bly, see the preliminary study we'll
under way though it may be much
longer before definite recommenda-
tions can be formulated.
Public Welfare
One Of the biggest TO be proposed
will be the establishment OF a sep
arate department of public welfar<
f. which Mr.. Harding outlined hR
plans during the campaign He
contemplates transfer of several OF
=. L f4ze- H.
other departments. and in addition
there are to be a number of entirely
new bureaus TO deal with various
welfare problems.
1t is believed il will be possible or
the other hand TO abolish entirels
some of the existing Subdivisions OF
the executive department or at least
to combine them with other agen-
cies now duplicating large part OF
their work.
Permanent Policies
Involved in the task will be many
broad questions of permanent poll
cies, such as the proposal to abolish
the shipping board and put differ-
ent sort of executive body in he
place. One suggestion that has beer
mad is that the various government
agencies dealing with shipping and
railway problems be brought togefh-
er in a new executive department. el
Selecting his cabinet members Mr.
Harding has kept the reorganization
plan constantly in mind and from
the outset OF his administration he
will insist that every secretary give
fullest cooperation in securing .
sufficient redistribution of executive
functions. He is Understood to fee
slsat jealousies among department
heads have prevented some needed
reforms in the past and TO be anx-
ious that the members Of his oficia
T .mily work rather for the good a.
the whole government than for thu
prestige of any one branch OF it.