Evening star., 1921-09-20

Cabinet Members Also Expected to
Give Full Support to
Proposals.
Congress will have. probably with
in three weeks. the report of the
joint congressional committee on re-
organization of the administrative
!branch of the federal government.
When this report goes to Congress
II VIII carry the unanimous agree
ment of the cabinet and will repre-
sent the wishes of President Harding.
PIesident Harding and Walter +.
Rrown. the Presidents personal rep
!reSentative on the reorganiza ton
committee, are to hold night confer
ences this week on various details of
reorganization. 30 that the President
| may he i'll a position to act personally
! in reconciiinS few disagr-ements
that no~ exist among individual
members of the cabinet.
Must Agree nj First.
1t is taken as 4 bas:. essential that
there must ',r no disa ,rtment in the
cabinet upo" the rrnTis:: :ization pro-
gram recommended 10 Congress. aud
/ it is the President alp-r WHO can
reconcile the scTerL! d.srR:ce,-tts ot
this sort :ha: hnr'- ,i%yr;,.;,cu
The joint congressional! committee
has asked President Harding and his
cabinet for their recomme ndalionS
and the committee is now in the
position of waiting for this report.
Chairman Brown has had personal
conferences with each member OF
the cabinet individually, as has ais"
the president, so that there is pretty
general understanding and agreement:
| regarding the recommendations th.,
are to be made.
Hopeful of Quick Action.
Chairman Brown is hopeful OF get
ting quick action now that Con-
gress has come back. 1t is thought
that with President Harding and Mr.
Brown going over the details this
week the President will have next
week to adjust disagreements be-
tween several cabinet members. -
that the President can send to tha
committee recommends tons carr,i.s
.aaantnsous snpportsef the cabin
which Mr. Brown can lay before thv
committee by October l.
I The reorganization committee has
reserved all rights to nccept or re-
5ect the executive recommendations
using them merely as basis for
their own recommendations To Con-
! gress. 1t is recognized as funda- :
mental by the members of the con
gressional committee and ny all who
have given close study to the sub
ject of reorganization that TO be
effective the REORGANIZATION must
come from within the service. and DE-
program that the executive heads
OF the departments will support and
put through in letter and spirit be-
cause it represents their own views
and the convictions OF The admins
tration-
Features Of Program.
Some of the outstanding features OF
the reorganization program on which
there is concerted agreement. are:
\ Creation of an executive agency ur
der the President.
/. Union of the War and Navy Depart
ments into one Department of Ma
tional Defense.
Creation of q new Department CT
Public Welfare and Labor.
4 Retention of the Department of In
terror by name, but to include ex-
clusively activities related to public
works and public domain.
Il Retention during the present
emergency Of the shipping board but
eventually the work of that board to
be absorbed by the Department of
Commerce.
Retention of the Department Of
Agriculture, as essential to guaran-
tee of this nation continuing to he
self-sustaining in food supplies.
Il The bringing together of certain
Commission and the Interstate Com
merce Commission. which have semi
| judicial functions. and decrease in
the number of independent establish
mentS.
Capitalization of all permanent in
stallations of radio development into
a bureau of communications in the
Post Office Department. but with pri-
ority of use under certain conditions
guaranteed to certain departments
such as Navy, State, War and Justice.
Concentration Of the purchase of all
staple supplies for the government
into one agency. which will come
under the office of the President.
An Important Innovation.
4 One of the important innovations
contemplated by those working on re-
organization is to give the President
an agency to which he can delegate
executive and administrative details.
and which can act to adjust clashes OF
authority or of duplication of work
between cabinet members as admins
trative officers of the government.
The plan is to place the Presidents
secretary at the head of this new
agency and not definitely to limit This
organization. but to let il grow as the
needs develop. Those who have been
studying the present system oil govern
ment have pretty well agreed that the
President is oyerburdened with details.
! from which he should be freed, leav-
ing his mind free for problems Of pol
icy, il is agreed that the new agency
must act for and be responsible to the
President.
!. Policy Vital Question.
In this connection the point is made
that a mistake made with regard To some
detail is not grievous: whether detail
; is carried out right or wron, il can a..
corrected and will in a Short time right
Itself But a question .f I.',licy ono"
decided wrong Is fatal. The l'rcsidert
must bet his life lpoiiticali:) on these
big things-rolicies; but he can bet
! on an undcrstudy to carry oui the de-
tails. 1t Is emphasized that By loading
him down with the little things his
zest and energy for the big things arc
being taken away.
| The reorganization committee has
, heard indirectly and piecen,cni f:on'
tho President and cabinet wnat thei;'
ideas regarding reorganization are.
, hu. they aro waiting 10 lear before
, iOctobcr definitely ARD in 6ctaE what
the administration recommends.
Chairmaa Brown after his confer
ence ut the White House yesterday
said that nc could rot talk for 'h1
|. President in making ATTY prediction.
, because the President is big, deep
: rhcsted fciioM, quite capable ~
. speaking distinctly for himself kir.
|. Errvrp said also that nc has no dis
, .,o.itina fc. epcak for the i.,rcr n,ers-
, be:s OF TIE Aorss and Senate Hso
: ce.>t.trte the reorganization corn
Ill