Evening star., 1921-06-27
Editorial Digest
PAIRING the Governments Paw Roll.

Editorial opinion generally agrees
with the Roanoke World News tdem-
ocratic) that the President has never
tackled a harder task" than the re-
organization of federal departments
a proposal which he puts forward
with a threat of dismissal for any
government employe who lobbies
against it, At the same time the
press. for the most part. is entirely
sympathetic with the purpose of his
plan. and supports him cordially in
his determination to prevent the 'rite
barnacles and all other barnacles." as
the New York Times independent
democratic) puts it, from defeating
"a comprehensive and constructive
scheme Of economy and effectiveness"
Government functions, the Chatta-
nooGa News (democratic) points out.
have just grown without very much
thought being devoted to their articu-
lation and logical arrangement" and
in his effort to correct resulting bad
adjustments. the Rochester Democrat
and Chronicle republican, believes
the President strikes at the major
cause of the inefficiency Of the ma
tiOnal government
The President has made "the first
constructive move in the direction of
cutting governmental expenditures.
the brooklyn Eagle independent dem
Ocratlc) says. and his plan, according
to the Richmond Times Dispatch.
tdcmocratic). has met with wide APP
proval." But the tremendous job of
carrying it out involves ''psycholog-
ical engineering" which. the Man
chester Union independent republi-
CAM suggests. will be something like
the recanalization Of a system Of wa
terways that has grown without plan
and has become productive of about
as much Stagnation as movement
AS the New York Mail independently
points out no doubt any drastic
scheme of reorganization will mean
the chOpping off Of many SinecureS
from the pay roll" and it is from this
angle that the newspapers look FOR
the greatest opposition to the Presl-
dents plans. because. as the New York
! Tribune (republican) says. 1T is I'M
possible to defiate government en-
ployment without stin and bitter
struggle" Nothing short of heroic
measures" the Philadelphia Evening
Ledger independenD thinks. can
break down the opposition that re-
organization will have to meet IN
Washington. because the first IN
stinct of the man whose job is threat
ened is to appeal for protection TO ms
political leader. and the f1rst instinct
of the political leader IS 10 give 'h"'
protection
To "A certain type Of government
! servant. the Christian Science Moni-
tor tBoston. independently notes. tine
pres, mt is seldom the proper time ior
eff Getting changes. and such types
circumvcn the Presidents reorganl-
! Zation.
Certainly mo such attachment to
a job ought to be allowed to pre-
vent a reform" which the Chicago
Tribune Independent republican J.
! $ ateS would mean "a saving of MIL
lions of dollars a year to the tax
| payers and an attendant improve
| mont in the speed and quality OF
| work accomplished.
| The Milwaukee Journal Gndepend- :
| enD. on the other hand. makes no
! allowances for an edict which IL
| considers unnecessarily high-ha nded.
! Rather than dismissing the govern
! m-nt chief who is competent to give
: Congress his opinions about the pro-
! posed reorganization of the depart
| mcnts" the Journal would dismiss
any one in the public service who
i has n" ideas about his own work that
i may be of value to Congress in
| framing Legislation that affects that
| bureau" And the prinsfeld Repuh-
; lican Independently, while it acQuits
the administration of any intention
of applying the gag rule indiscrimi-
! nately. nevertheless agrees that
| Congress has the right to obtain
i the independent judgment of govern
| ment officials on proposed legislation
or concerning departmental activi-
| ties which challenge inquiry"
! To the Baltimore Sun independent
democratic). however. the whole scheme
| of functional regrouping of federal
departments" is merely a remote ap-
proach which does not touch the un-
i dcrlying cause of government inef-
! ficiency. That. it says. in the popu-
; lar phrase is red tape" and it is
; the crux of the whole departmental
question" Until the waste and in
efficiency of bureaucracy" are abso-
lutely eliminated. Legislators can
| reorganize as they Will. and shift bu-
reaus around until they seem in per-
feet alignment" but the reforms will
still be more apparent than real"