New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1921-07-04
Geo. / Livingston, / Director
of u. S. Market Bureau,
Accused of Ignoring
Ban on Lobby Tactics
He's First to Fall
LIN Economy Drive
Declared to Have Tried to
Block Reorganization
Curtailing His Power
From The Tribune's Washington Bureau

From The Tribnne's Washington Bureau
W WASHINGTON, July 3.-The first
casualty resulting from government
bureau chief attempting to retard the
Harding steam roller has occurred
The plan being worked out for the
reorganization of the various overlap
ping bureaus did not suit George Liv-
ingston, chief of the bureau of mar
kets in the Department of Agriculture.
1t would have reduced the Importance
of his bureau considerably, at the least,
and have put him in another bureau,
perhaps as second in command at the
most.
Disregarding the warning admins
teSed by President Harding several
IA 4ks ago, when the President was
first informed that some bureau chiefs
were lobbying in Congress against the
carrying out of any plan which would
decrease their Importance, Mr.. Living
ston, according to Administrator off,
reau intact.
To-day it was learned that Mr.. Liv-
ingston's resignation had been called
for by Secretary of Agriculture Wal
lace and that Mr.. Wallace had ap-
pointed Dr. II. c. Taylor. chief of the
Bureau of Farm Management, in his
place.
Had Built Up Machine
According to gossip in the depart
ment, Mr.. Livingston who was pro-
noted to be chief of the Bureau of Mar
kets about q year ago by Secretary
Meredith, has in that short time de-
veloped rather powerful machine The
regulatory authority given his bureau
in the administration of the grain
grades, cotton futures, standard bas-
ket and Federal warehouse laws, and
in special executive functions assigne d
the bureau in war legislation, afforded
an excellent opportunity for this sort
of thing, which, it is asserted, Mr.
Livingston used to the limit of it's pos
sibilities.
A decided crimp in the effectiveness
of his organization, especially in the
ability of it's chief to do favors for
Congressman and thus build up friend
ships on Capitol Hill which would
stand him in good stead when he need
eu VoCeS loE MS appropriations, WAS III
sight, however. 1t was virtually de-
cided, in the plans of the Harding Ad-
ministration for reorganization with q
view to saving money and increasing
efficiency, to take the enforcement
work away from the bureau. consoll
dating it under a Special Marketing
Board" which would be under the inn
mediate supervision of the Secretary
of Agriculture. Also the foreign
marketing activities were to be trans
ferred to the Department of Commerce
where the already existing organiza-
tion of consuls and foreign trade ex-
perts could easily absorb the work and
avoid duplication.
Big Savings Possible
An instance of the saving thus
sketchily outlined, which will perhaps
give an illustration of the economies
which are contemplated in the very
wasteful governmental machine inher-
tied from the Wilson Administration
is that more than 1000 miles of tele-
graph wire on which the government
was paying a heavy lease to the pr-
vate telegraph companies would be
abandoned under the plan.
1t is charged that Director Living.
ston personally appealed to members
of Congress to vote against these
changes when they should be submitted
as legislation, and that he did not
cease his lobbying activities even after
Mr.. Harding's warning to all bureau
chiefs.
DR.. Taylor, who has been named in
his place, has been connected with the
department for sixteen years and is
highly regarded by his associates.