New-York tribune., 1921-04-29

/ President Harding. lie said the Presi
dent had told him to tell the publish
ers we expect your help in bringing
TINS Republic and it's varied interests
into the straightforward track again"
$6,20a.000 Robberies in Year
Stating there had been in the last
year thirty-three major mail robber-
les with known loss Of S6.204 900
half of which had been recovered, Mr.
Hays declared:
We simply have to go back to the
old Wells-Fargo days and shoot to kill
and we are going to do it,"
AS part of determined effort to nut
stop to mail looting, he said his de-
partment had obtained from the War
Department 10000 automatic pistols.
million rounds OF ammunition and
several hundred riot guns, and that all
essential postal employees are being
armed.
One of his plans for the betterment
Oh conditions of the 100000 postal en-
ployees, Mr.. Hays said, was a welfare
department. 1t is also his intention, he
SAID. to make certain that honest and
efficient service would be honestly roc
ognlzed and that he would make such
rectlfications "as N all dccency and
harness must be made to assure Il
square deal To this end, he said. the
Civil Service would be broadencd and
strengthened wherever possible
concerning the campaign for in
creased trade between the United
states and South America, he said in
ternatlonal money orders may now be
exchanged with many South and Cen
tral American countries and that nego-
'iations are being conducted with the
postal administrations of others
soon it will be possible for American
exporters to receive payment for their
goods wherever shipped in South Amer
ica by postal money orders payable In
dollars at their local postotfice."
Detects IN the executive machinery Of
the government said Postmaster Gen
eral Hays, had given rise to the demand
Tor a budget system, which. among
other things, he added, would provide
the President with an agency through
which he could coordinate the activities
OF the ten departments and the forty
odd Independent establishments
Proposed Legislative Changes
In this connection, Postmaster Cen
eral Hays said it would be natural to
expect the following changes through
proposed legislation:
First-The change of the name of
the Department of the Interior to De-
partment of Public Works and the
concentration in that departments Of
all civil public works of the govern
ment, as we'll as all those Services
which have to do with the Administers
tion and utilization Of the public do
main.
Second-The establishment of a new
department., the Department of Pub
nc Welfare, to have charge of all
bureaus and Offices which handle re-
lief work for the veterans of the war
with Germany.
Thlrd-The stripping of the Treas
ury Department of all except its nee
essary and proper fiscal functions.
Fourth-The transfer of all nom
military work from the War Depart
ment and the Navy Department to the
regular civilian departments of the
government
Flfth-The enlargement of the De-
partment of Commerce and the trans
fer to that department of all agencies
which have to do with the promotion
| of commerce and the protection of
navigation.
Sixth-The establishment of a CEN
tralized purchasing agency to do the
buying for all branches of the execu-
tive establishment.
Seventh-The establishment of a
budget bureau to aid the President in
the direction and control of the work
Of all Executive departm and in
dependent establishments, and in the
formulation Of a definite financial and
work program for the government as
whole.
President Sends Message
President Harding sent his regrets at
rot being able to attend the luncheon.
In letter, read by Herbert L. Bridg-
man, chairman of the committee, the
President wrote:
"The American newspaper publishers
are entitled to a special and very great
measure of recognition for their work
in behalf of national unity. | am con-
vnced that to-day there is no group Of
men in all the nation who have a more