Evening star., 1921-05-15
BY WILL p. KENNEDY.

DI Will Nt-lNNLDI
~ HERE has been drafted for submission to
the joint congressional committee
reorca MIA tion of the federal service a
scheme of reorganization which 1t is be-
neved will have the support of President Hard
ing. Briefly it provides for concentration of
the federal activities into eight government de-
rartments instead of ten. at present. or ex-
panson into n larger number. is proposed in
several bills now pending in Congress. 1t Is
revolutionary and drastic in that 1t would abol-
ish the existing departments of Labor and
Agriculture as class LEGISLATION 1t considers
that no eNecutive function should be exercised
by any board commission other than under
some government department.
At least two Of the ma ior proposals in this
plan of rcorganizat ion have already been advo-
Gated by President Iardng-uniting the War
and Navy Departments into one department OF
national defense. and establishing a de-
partment of public welfare, bills for which
have already been introduced in both the House
and Senate. The proposed abolition of the
Departm of Agriculture and Labor. 4 S such.
is believed to be in line with the Presidents
repeatedly expressed opposition to strictly class
legislation.
One of the interesting features is that it
would greatly magnify the office of secretary
to the President, now held by George B. Chris
tian. and would give him cabinet rank The
idea is to create office Immediately under
assistant to the President, whose function it
would be to coordinate the overlapping activi-
ties of all the federal departments. also to ad-
minister the national budget. This assistant
to the President could also act in the capacity
of an executive officer for the President-func-
tions now performed by the secretary and the
President-thus relieving the chief executive
of much routine work and detail. leaving his
mind and time free for large questions of policy.
x x
In the inclusion of the public welfare de-
partment it follows closely the lines laid down
by Brig Cen c. T. Sawyer. the Presidents per-
sonal physician, whom he asked to make spe
cial study Of the needs for such department.
The Commerce Department, as outlined in
the scheme, comedies exactly with the
plan recently suggested by Secretary Hoover.
1t Will also be noted that it carries out the
ideas of those who have been advocating a de-
partment of public works in logical
way by organizing the engineers of the country
for both peace and 1t recognizes the vital
importance of mobilizing the engineers in peace
on useful work, and makes them available at
the outbreak of war without change of directing
head, personnel organization.
Al the time it the views of the
Chamber of Commerce of the United States
expressed in referendum vote against the
creation Of separate department of public
works.
1t carries out the main idea fathered by
research council. in his recommendations to the
REORGANIZATION committee that the regroupng
of the government agencies should be along
UnifunctiOnal lines.
An especially gratifying fact is that the new
scheme has developed from the first attempt
from within the federal service to reorganize
in the interests of economy and efficiency. The
board of surveys and maps hss for two years
been working toward the best possible reor-
ganizaton and Consolidation of the fifteen map
cussed by Lieut. Col Clarence o. Sheriff., officer
in charge of public buildings and grounds who
is chairman of the coordination committee of
the board, at a meeting last week. The scheme
drafted to show the necessary reorganiza-
ton Of the entire federal service to make pos
sible the logical and efficient reorganization of
the map-drawing agencies.
The joint congressional committee on reor-
ganiZation has thus early in it's work discovered
that all the way through the federal service
every official recognizes the need for reorganiza-
ton until the plan under consideration affects
him threatens to disturb some little authority
he enjoys 1t Is emphasized that such
officials and various classes of people or Or
ganizations who think along those lines had
better get used to the thought that every one
must get rid of the preconceived notion that
because things they they must con-
tinue the same way--this with especial refer
to the Departments Of Labor and Agricul-
pointed out that the interests of organized labor
and Of the farmers be just as well protected
under the proposed scheme of reorganization