The Washington times., 1921-03-24
|. S. BUREAUS
face SHAKE-Up
Congressional Reorganization
Committee viii Overhaul
Federal PayrolIs. 4

More than q dozen Federal bu-
reaus in Washington are due for .
thorough over-hauling by the
Smoot-R Reavis Reorganization Com
mittee, which is beginning to can
vas the situation outside the pale
of the ten departments Of the Ad-
ministrsttion.
NO CHECK ON MONEY
1t is brought out that not ewes
such oversight as is given by Cabinet
officers to the array Of bureaus and
officers under each department 10
had by these independent agencies
which have grown up At random IN
the last few years. Sf
While the Reorganization Commis-
sion will first tackle the problems
presented by the overlapping duties
In the various departments of the
Government, Its two years work will
not stop until these independent
boards and bureaus have undergone .
searching investigation.
Chief among these boards which
have shown a tendency to spread out
the US. Shipping Board. the Inter-
state Commerce Commission, the Civil
Commission, the Federal Trade
Commission. the Railroad Administra-
tion. Alien Property Custodian. u. 8
Tariff Commission. u. 8. Employer
Compensation Commission. the Smith
sonian Institution. with control over
numerous scientific enterprises, the
National Advisory Board of Aero
nautics and the several boundary
commissions.
There appears to be absolute lack
of any power. practically speaking.
that would take stock of these
agencies from time to time and re-
fashion them to meet changing con-
ditions, either by abolition or altera-
tion.
The suggestion has been made Sc
riously in some responsible quarters
that il might be well to take from
the Interstate Commerce Commission
the administrative part of its work
and put 1t under Secretary Hoover's
department of Commerce, leaving
the commission its judicial functions.
This n but one Of the multitude OF
questions that are to como up before
he Smoot-Reavis committee for Sc
r;ous consideration.
The board of mediation and con
ciliation is another notable example.
II is pointed out. Of the tendency Of
these agencies to move along serene
ly, regardless of whether functions
are performed by other agencies. Jt
was created to mediate In disputes
between railroads and their employees.
The Secretary OF Labor has the DOW
ers OF mediation and conciliation be-
tween the employer and employe
which include the. powers given This
board OF mediation and Cancellation.
These powers were used recently by
Secretary Of Labor Davis is the dis
pute between the packers and their
employees and the railroad labor
board, now sitting in Chicago in the
railroad labor cases, which was Great
ed under the, Esch-Cummins transpcr-
tation act. has powers Of arbitration
between railroads and their employees.
Members OF Congress point out sig
nihcantly to the fact that here are
two Independent agencies the media
ton board and the labor board, one
with powers exactly covered by the
Department of Labor and the other
with powers SO similar as TO be al
most indistinguishable.
The conflicting duties of the great
boards under the War Risk Bureau
already have been a constant bone of
contention in Congress. and present
problems for which legislative steps
already are being taken to remedy
in the interest of better treatment Of
disabled service men.
The Smoot- -Reavis committee. which
1t has mot yet organized. is carefully
canvassing the situation with a view
to bringing these numerous indepen-
dent agencies within the scope Of its
reorganization.