Evening star., 1921-02-24
Drastic Changes
in Bureaus De-
cided On.
CHAIRMAN TO BE
ABLE ORGANIZER
President = Elect Re-
CARDS Place on Par
With Cabinet Post.
By the Associated Press.

ny tIic Associated PreSS.
ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. February "a.
AS President-elect Harding COM
pletes formation of his cabinet he is
giving increasing attention to the first
big administrative task he will un-
dertake as President-the reorganiza-
tion Of the executive machinery of the
government.
Delayed plans have not yet taken
form, but it is known that Mr.. Hard
ing has in mind sweeping changes
in many of the governments de-
partmentS and bureaus, and that he
expects to enlist in the work of reor-
ganization some Of the ablest admins
traitors he can find. He is understood
to have told some of his advisers that
he regards the chairmanship of the re-
organization commission as post vir-
tually on par with a cabinet port
folio.
Plan to Cut Pay Roll.
Congress already has created a COM
mittee to work out a plan for SIM
plification of the executive branch
with a view to preventing duplication
of work and cutting down the govern
ment pay roll. 1t is expected that this
committee will work in close cooper
alton with the reorganization agency
to be appointed by Mr.. Harding,
though the latter body will be able
to give its undivided attention to
the task and to make a more exhaust
i've study Of conditions than would be
undertaken by members of Congress.
Some mention of the reorganization
project Is expected in Mr.. Harding's 8
inaugural address and it is possible
that some enabling legislation may be
requested OF the special session of
(snnUraG0 G 70 iy he
first six months of the new admins
tration probably will see the pre-
liminary study well under way.
though 1t may be much longer be-
fore definite recommendations can be
formulated.
VIII Transfer Bureaus.
One OF the biggest Innovations to
be proposed will be the establishment
of a separate department. of ,public
lined his plans in a general way dur
ing the campaign. He contemplates
the transfer to this department Of sew
eral of the bureaus now working un-
der other departments, and in addi-
tion there are to be a number of
rious welfare problems.
A division of Industrial research is
to be built up. possibly taking over
soms OF the present functions of the
bureau of foreign and domestic COM
merce, to make a comparative study
of prices and industrial conditions
throughout the world. It is believed
1t will be possible, on the other hand,
to abolish entirely some of the exist
Ing subdivisions of the executive de-
partments, or, at least, to combine
them with other agencies now dupli-
eating large part of their work.
Broad Questions Involved.
!: Involved in the task will be many
broad questions Of permanent policy.
such as the proposal to abolish the
Shipping Board and put a different
sort of executive body in it's place
One suggestion that has been made
to the President-elect is that the
various government agencies now
dealing with shipping and railway
problems be brought together in a
new executive department of trans
portation.
Selecting his cabinet members, Mr..
harding has kept the reorganization
plans constantly in mind and from
the outset of his administration he
VIII insist that every Secretary give
fullest cooperation in securing an
efficient redistribution of executive
functions: He is understood to feel
mat 3ealousies among department
neads have prevented some needed re-
forms in the past and to be anxious
that the members of his official family
work rather for the good of the
whole government than for the pres
tige OF any one branch of it.