The Washington times., 1921-09-23
NAVAL AND .
WAR DEPTS.
TO MERGE
Sec. Weeks Would Remain Un-
der PIan-New Bureau Of
Welfare Advocated.

The elimination of one Cabinet
member and the cutting off Of
thousands of clerks in the District
OF Columbia Is proposed in the
plan of reorganization of executive
departments, which will be submit
ted to the President and his Cabi-
net September 80 by the Joint
Congressional Committee on Reor-
ganization.
Would Merge War Departments.
The reorganization plan contem.
! plates the merging of the War and
Navy Departments, with the elimina-
ton of one of the two heads Of these
departments. Inasmuch as Secretary
Edwin DENLY is the junior member Of
the Cabinet. it is understood that Sec
retary Weeks would continue as head
of the new Department Of National
Defense, proposed by the reorganiza-
tion scheme.
President Harding has approved OF
the plan as drawn by the committee,
with one exception, 1t 10 learned. The
President desires a separate depart
ment formed of the Department of
Public Welfare with the head Of that
department IN the CdDlnet'
Would Add New Member.
The reorganization plan provides
that this department shall come un-
Ger the Department Of Labor. The
President has called upon Chairman
Brown, Of the reorganization commits
sion, to submit a written memoran-
dunn showing why there should not be
q separate Department of Public Wei.
fare. Should the President prevail
this would add one member to the
Cabinet and It's size would remain as
iat present. -....
The essential recommendations OF
the reorganixation committee are as
follows:
1-Creation Of department Of ma
tional defense, merging the WarFind
Navy departments, with a secretary
of national defense and an undersecre.
ttary of war and an undersecretary or
navy.
Would Divorce Bureaus.
2-Provisions for making the Treas
ury Department q purely fiscal agency,
and transferring executive bureaus
now under that department to other
/ departments. This would entail trans
FER Of the Public Health Service to
Service to the Department of Justice.
the Cost Guard Service to the depart
ment of nation defense and the De-
partment of Commerce, and the Reve-
nue. Cutter Service to the department
of rational defense.
3. CT Sation of the office Of Execu-
tive Secretary, this official to serve
, as an assistant to the President hav
ing authority to affix the Presi'
dents signature to pardons, COM
missions and like routine work. The
salary for this office would be $10,-
600 a year.
Reorganizes Labor Department.
4. Creation of the Department Of
Labor and Public Welfare. Depart
ment to handle the present work Of
the Department Of Labor and the
proposed public welfare work.
5. Numerous transfer Of minor
bureaus from one department to an
other in order that the governmental
work may be coordinated.
Those close to the Administration
today admitted that the re-organiza-
ton scheme will undoubtedly find
much opposition from members of
the Cabinet and in Congress, but for
I the most part the Administration 10
committed to the plan.
Would Save $500, 100000 Yearly.
Chairman Brown has consulted
with most Of the Cabinet heads on
the scheme and has secured tentative
approval Of the proposed plan.
Chairman Brown estimates that the
changes proposed would save the
Government from $4,000 900 to
$500. ZOO, 900 annually through the
elimination Of duplicating efforts.