Evening star., 1921-09-24
BUDGET PROGRAM
BEING FASTENED
Law Reorganizing U. S. De-
partments, Basis for d.
rector Dawes, Soon Ready.

rector Dawes, Soon Ready.
Legislation reorganizing the admin
istrative branch of the federal gov
| ernment will probably be in such
I shape as to be the basis of Budget
Director Dawes alternative budget.
which he is required under the law
| to make That is the present hope of
| the administration. Walter f. Brown.
/ personal representative of President
| Harding, and chairman of the joint
congressional committee. believes that
! the proposed reorganization 'is the
| only proper groundwork for any bud
get" Director Dawes is in sympathy
! with such an endeavor.
Preliminary work on the reorgan-
| ization scheme is now being rushed
with that thought in mind. President
| Harding and Chairman Brown made
good headway at two evening con-
ferences this week on the details of
the reorganization program They
will have another conference early
next week. at which it is expected
they will clear up all matters as far
as they can be cleared up until the
President personally reconciles differ
ences between certain cabinet mem
bers.
Chairman Brown and Representa-.
tive Reavis of Nebraska, chairman of
the House representation on the reor-
ganization committee, had a confer
ence yesterday, considering the pro-
! gram. Representative ReaviS believes
/ that the reorganization bill ought to
| be in final shape and introduced in
| both branches of Congress by Decem-
Der i. This is as soon as President
! Harding thinks that it could receive
! consideration. in view of other admin
| istration measures now pending.
Right of Way in January.
By January / the President believes
! the reorganization bill can be given
| rig ght of way. 1t will be an admins
| tration measure. The President thi nks
| that by that time the other measures
! which he is now pushing can be dis
posed Of The preliminary work is
being SO carefully and deliberately
F; done that it is expected quick action
/ can be taken in both branches of Con-
! gress when the President notifies the
! leaders of his desire to have this legis-
! lation. which will carry the unani
nous support of the cabinet, passed
| promptly.
Those who have been working in
tensively for months on the reor-
! ganiZation program think that there
.
the basis of Director Dawes alterna-
| tive. budget. AS soon as Gen. Dawes
knows what the new organization is
to be he can figure out any savings
| that can be made by the new align
| ment.
| Director Dawes is in thorough SYM
+! pathy with what the joint congress
Sional committee on reorganization is
! trying to do in almost every particu-
! lar, and he is keeping himself closely
! 1, TDr. l,att 70
| Then, too, the new House appro-
prlations committee. which was en-
! l;irsed and given complete juirsdlc-
! ton over all appropriation measures
! is planning reorganization of sub
! committees in line with the proposed
departmental reorganizatino. This is
| one of the reforms to which Repre-
| sentative Martin B. Madden of 1lli-
! nois pledged himself when he as
sumed the cilairmanship of the APP
preparations committee, and it is
| reform that has been urged for some
time to get greater efficiency in pass
/ ing upon departmental estimates.
, To Be Made Up by Departments.
! 1t is probable that Gen. Dawes al
; tentative budget will be made up by
departments, so that all proposals for
appropriations for any one department
| may be considered together and be
i passed upon by the one subcommittee.
For example, heretofore the appro-
/ priations Tor the War Department
have been made in several bills after
| consideration by several different
and harbor work, coast defenses, for
+. maintenance of the military estab-
| tishment, for the civilian employees of
| the War Department, for the Military
| Academy, etc.
| The House appropriations commit
tee is preparing TO reorganize it's sub
! committees by federal departments
! agriculture. justice, welfare, national
! defense, etc, as is proposed In the re-
/ organization program. In that way
| conmittee and tell the whole story Of
, the departments needs. Then If re-
4. classification bill goes through the
! new system of subcommittsas can
/. handle easily and efficiently the prob
lens of salaries and wages, supplies
/; and get the whole picture together in
| stead of having it cut up like q jig
J saw puzzle. 4.
May Curtail War Department Power.
| Sentiment among prominent mem
! bers of Congress today shows their
F, belief that in the program of reorgani-
cation all civil administration must be
taken away from the War Depart
ment.
This means that Congress is pretty
well determined to take away from
! the War Department. number of
agencies and activities which the
military establishment is very re-
iuctant-to surrender-and there comes
one of President Harding's, problems
This would mean that all engineering
| work, such as river and harbor inn
provements. and the bureau of insular
affairs. which is the civil kdministra-
tion of the Philippine Islands, Porto
Rico and Haiti. will be divorced from
the War Department.