Evening star., 1921-07-13
PLANS TO REGROUP
us, DEPARTMENTS
READY IN TEN DAYS
President and Cabinet to
Have General Scheme
by That Time.
WAR AND NAVY MERGER
PROVIDED IN PROPOSAL
Difficulties of Task Increased by
Efforts of Branches to Hold Vari-
GUS Bureaus Unmolested.

Within the next ten days President
Harding and his cabinet will have be-
fore them for consideration the gen.
eral scheme for regroupinG or the
various government. departments. bu-
reaus and other agencies as prepared
by the Joint congressional committee
on reorganization. This fact was
made known at the White House TO-
day following conference between
the President and Walter r. Brown'
chairman of the reorganization co"-
mittee.
1t was stated further that unless
the plans of the committee meet WIN
some unexpected delays or obstacles
a general bill providing the hrst con-
else and positive step in reorSanlZlng
the government will be before Con-
eress for action within thirty days.
That the committee has made Sucn
headway in the short time 1t mas
been in existence caused much laVor-
able comment at the White House.
And. according to those who are in
a position to know. the plan as it is
being whipped into final shape ls
thorough and complete; its rnc,inai resGmI
nature and with the sole object in
view of increasing efficiency and re-
ducing expenses.
McfSlnS
1t is understood that the most i'm
plan calls for the consolidation of the
War and Navy departments under
one head. These large and expensive
departments will be taken over by
what will be known as the Depart
ment of National Defense. Chairman
Brown is of the opinion that this
consolidation will result in the great
est individual saving of any OF the
many other changes and reallocations
recommended: The proposed con
mental investigation agencies. in
cluding the United States secret serv-
ice, also will tend to cut consider
able amount of money spent annu-
members Of the committee. cannot
but help improve the efficiency.
The Investigation work of the gov
ernment in all likelihood will be turn
Sed over to the Departments t-ef-Justice.
as will the prohibition, enforcement.
Ion and Prohibition Director Haynes
are in favor of this.
Dfneult Task Faced.
The committee is occupied now prin-
cipally with the ALLEGATION of the
srnment departments. some of them
overlapping in their authority and
duplicating their efforts. This task
IL q difficult one, inasmuch as each
department is Of the opinion that it's
bureau should not be molested.
Although the committee could not
today furnish even rough estimate
Of the annual saving likely to follow
the adoption of its general plan, it is
intimated that the reduction in en-
ployes will not Se as great as at first
expected. It is understood that COM
paratively few reductions will be pro-
vided in the general plan. However.
other individual bills incident to the
complete governmental reorganiza-
tion-to be introduced from time to
time, following the adoption Of the
general plan. will call for the drop
ping of many employees. according to
members of the committee.
Tribunal May Be Created.
Chairman Brown on leaving the
White House intimated that the COM
mittee eventually would recommend
creations Of a permanent tribunal or
commission or bureau TO take over
the future handling of the reorgani-
cation part of the governments work.
The President and his cabinet look
upon this reorganization work as one
Of the big and important tasks of the
administration. They are known to
be in hearty accord with the ideas of
the committee which have SO far been
advanced