The New York herald., 1921-07-16
CABINET DISCUSSES
REORGANZING BILL
Consolidation of Army,
Navy and Postal Air Ser
vices Approved.
BUDGET CONSIDERED
Merging of War and Navy
Departments Proposed by
Congress Committee.
WOMAN MAY GET SEAT
Cabinet Portfolio on Public
Welfare Provided For in
Measure.
WOMAN MAY GET SEAT
Special Despatch to THE NEW YORK HERALD
New York Herald Bureau,
WASHINGTON. ID. C.. July Is. [

Special Despatch to THE NEW YORK HERALD.
New York Herald Bureau.
Washington, ID. C., July Is.
President Harding and his Cabinet
spent more than two hours to-day
going over concrete proposals for re-
ducing Government expenses and in
creasing .ficiency. Details of the
budget system, as il is being worked
by Charles G.. Dawes, budget director,
were considered, as we'll as the tenta-
tive programme of the Congressional
Joint Committee. OF which Walter f.
Brown is chairman, for reorganizing
the Government departments.
Consolidation of the air services of
the Government-army, navy and
postal-under one bureau has been ap-
proved by the President, it became
known to-day. although the details of
the plan have still to be worked out.
The question of a consolidation of the
War and Navy departments under one
which has received the tentative ap-
proval OF .he committee, will be de-
termined - a matter of policy later
by the President and the Cabinet.
BilPs Provisions Tested.
The reorganization plan, by which
Chairman Brown hopes to save close to
S500,000.000 a year. has been embodied
in a BILL which will be presented to
Congress after it has received consider
alton by the committee. and by the
President and his Cabinet advisers.
This scheme of the bill is now being
theoretically applied to the various de-
partments and bureaus for the purpose
of finding out just how it would work
in specific instances 1t will probably
be found that some changes should be
made before it is adopted by the COM
mittee.
When the bill goes to Congress 1t
will have the full support of the Har-
ding Administration. The President
made it clear at the Cabinet meeting
to-day that every Cabinet member
would have an opportunity to discuss
every phase of the programme and to
object to any features which he may
think will decrease the efficiency of his
own department. Not until the Pres
dent and all his Cabinet advisers are
able to agree, like a jury. on
the verdict will Congress be asked to
enact 1t into law. By this method the
President hopes to forestall opposition
The President knows the task is gil
gantic and that many differences Will
arise as to what should be taken from
one department and given to another
and what bureaus shall be abolished or
consolidated. Already such differences
have arisen. But he feels certain that
by the time Congress convenes in regular
session in December a complete and
workable plan will be ready.
Department of Public Welfare.
/: has been settled that a new de-
partment of public welfare is to be estab-
lished, which will take over some of the
duties of other departments. Ii, will in
clude the present children's bureau and
the woman's bureau of the Department
of Labor; the public health service. now
under the Treasury Department; the bu-
reau of education of the Interior Depart
ment. and perhaps some other govern
mental agencies
The President advocated tile creation
OF this new department in his campaign
speeches and he has never lost sight of
the idea. The official who will be at lts
head should be one of the most i'm
portant members Of the Cabinet, in the
Presidents opinion.
The suggestion has been made that a
woman be named to head the new de-
partment. Hints have been thrown out
that II Congress approves the reorgan-
zation the President will seize this op-
portunity 70 recognize the women voters
of the nation by appointing one of their
number cor the first time to a Cabinet
portfolio.