Evening star., 1921-03-13
Plans for Sweeping Reorganization of Government Departments
Under Consideration by President Harding and His Advise

work of the bureau of foreign and domestic
commerce, because that is the only way in
which it will be possible to centralize au-
thority the field force in relation to
international customs and diplomacy.
It has been emphasized that that is the
only service in the present Department of
Commerce that has anything to do with COM
merce. and the department is something
of misnomer. Then there 80 per cent
of the agencies that have to do with commerce
that outside of the present Department
of Commerce.
One fact that has strongly impressed those
who planning the reorganization of the
government is the tremendous growth of in
dependent establishments. There is strong
feeling that these should be reduced to a min
imum. They do not have representation in
the cabinet. and not brought under
executive control in the way the
War Department, for instance. So it is agreed
that a large number Of these independent
establishments should be brought within their
appropriate departments. For example:
The national advisory commission on aero
nautics is a research institution, pure and
simple, and ought to be brought into close rela-
ton with the research agencies in the proposed
department of education and science
By bringing these under common direction
the head of department could give the neces-
sary overhead control to do two things: %
prevent duplication, and (2) that the in
vestigation work be done by that service best
fitted tp do it most efficiently.
Thus. it is argued by Mr.. Hard;ng's ad-
visers that if you get system of unifunc-
tional departments you automatically lay the
basis for elimination of most. If not all. of the
duplication that takes place in either plant,
personnel work.
AS glaring example of how the work is
now scattered, those who are behind the re-
organization reform point out that in mari
time surveys we now have three distinct
agencies located in three distinct departments,
for doing the work-the coast and geo.
detic survey Department of Commerce), the
lakes survey (War Department. and the
photographic survey Navy Department..
They are all making marine surveys, pre-
pairing and distributing charts, what is known
coast pilots, sailing directions, etc. There
is absolutely no reason why all could not be
done by single servce-the coast and geo.
detic survey-the reorganizers feel. and at a
saving of many thousands of dollars year.
X X X X
Returning to the proposed substitution
of department of maritime affairs for
the present Department of Commerce, it
is considered advisable that all serv-
ices having to do with maritime affairs ought
to be brought together under a common direc-
ton. Some of them The bureau of navi-
cation. steamboat inspection lighthouse serv-
ice. life-saving service. which is a part
of the coast guard and the Emergency Fleet
Corporation The Shipping Board as distinct
from the Emergency Fleet Corporation ought
to remain independent organization. they
feel, because it's duties quasi-legislative
and quasi-judcial in character, the same as
the Interstate Commerce Commission.
The Department of Commerce now has
most of the maritime services and should
have them ALL in which the question
arises whether it would not be more proper
to designate it the department of maritime
affairs.
X X X \
To carry out the unffunctional scheme
means increase in the number of govern