Evening star., 1921-03-13

ment departments. One of the great effects
would be to get rid of those departments not
unifunctional, such the. Department OF the
Interior. Some Of the departments that
being considered are: National defense. foreign
service, finance. maritime affairs. public health,
public works, education and science, justice.
post office and agriculture Labor is
optional" department. many of President
Hardngs advisers arguing that there is really
no need for it. There is also a drive being
made for department of public welfare. but
the reorganization drafters are inclined to
avoid clash over questions OF paternalistic
policy.
The question of risk insurance is one
that is receiving especial study The bureau
or war risk insurance is now performing a
number of functions and dividing work with
other services such the public health serv-
ice and the federal board for vocational edu-
cation. One matter being stressed is that the
insurance work ought to be carefully segre-
gated from the other soldier relief activities.
as it is purely business and financial Job
rather than humanitarian
We have now three services dealing with
the of government employees who have
become invalided for any reason, involving
pension retirement. They are: % The
Pension Office. and under that the retirement
service for civilian government employees; CD
the bureau of war risk insurance. and t3D
the United States employees compensation
commission.
The pension Office is administering a system
for the adjudication of claims and the cur
rent work of paying pensions to old soldiers
and sailors. The retirement division is pay
ing pensions to civil employees who become
too old or are physically disqualified The
United States compensation commission is
paying pensions and allowances to civil en-
ployes injured in the performance of their
duties. The bureau of war risk insurance is
making payments of various kinds to soldiers
and sailors of the world war. The character
of work to be done by these three services Is
the same in all cases-involvng nearly the
same problems in work and administration. II
is argued that if they were brought together
not consolidated but brought under the sam.
control or into co-operation-they might make
common use of the same force of field agents
other classes of personnel and thus effect
a very great economy. instead of acting in
dependently.
One of the important parts of reorganiza-
tIon, as provided for in the budget bill. is the
creation of an independent Office of controller
general. taking over the work of the presep
controller of the Treasury and the six auditors.
The administra tion-as an administration
is giving most careful conside ration to TIL
scheme of reorganization and when a joint
agreement is reached what can be done.
the various ca binet members will recommend
the changes as applying TO their respective
jurisdictions. The result will be that when
the joint congressional committee makes it's
report and recommendations it will be pre-
sented with the statement that not only is
this what the committee of Congress thinks
should be done, but that it also has the earn
est support of the administrative officers In
that way more prompt action can be had on
putting through the reorganization program
in its entirety, without being disarranged by
factional contests in either branch of Congress.
1t is felt that it would be very unwise for
the administration to wait for the joint con-
gressional committee to formulate a scheme
but that the cabinet members should make
up their own minds from within what ought
to be done and work in closest harmony with
the congressional committee on reorganization.