The Washington herald., 1921-03-09
Elimination of Overlap
kping in Department Work
Considered.
DOMESTIC AFFAIRS
GIVEN FIRST PLACE
American Troops or
Rhine to Stay for Pres
ent, Members Say.
Nv FLOYD MONTGOMERY.

REORGANIZATION of executive de-
partments to eliminate overlapping
and duplication of work was the
FIRST question taken up at the nrst
meeting Of the Harding Cabinet yes
terday.
1t Is understood this question was
given first place as the result OF
the Monday night conference be-
tween the President and Vice Presi-
dent and members OF, the Senate and
the House.
As a direct result the Congress
sional Committee on Reorganization
of Government Departments will
hold its first meeting this morning
in the office of Senator smoot, of
Utah. chairman of the committee.
Work to start.
After the routine of Organization
the committee Is expected. follow
ing the program laid down by the
conference and the Cabinet meet
ing. to begin work Immediately on
the Reorganization of governmental
machinery.
Othtr important developments of
the Cabinet meeting are:
l. American troops are not to
participate in the further occupa-
tion Of Germany by allied troops to
enforce treaty terms, but are to re-
main for the time being at their
present location on the Rhine.
2. The President expressed deter
mination to either increase the pow
ers of the Tariff Commission, to
make its administration scientific
and effective instead of merely ad-
Visory. or to abolish the commits
sion.
Merit syxtem-
g. Extension of the merit system
TO the appointment of all postmas-
ters, instead of only those appoint
ea-to NIL vacancies caused by death.
removal and resignation as provided
by the Wilson order.
No decision regarding the pro-
posed withdrawal of the American
troops from the German occupied
area was made and in view of the
allied advance into German terri
tory the question probably Will be
delayed. 1t is likely to come up
again at the Cabinet meeting on
Friday.
TIE President indicated to his
Cabinet and later to newspaper men
that international questions will
have to give way for the time being
to domestic problems.
Question of Future.
Disarmament is a question for
the future, while taxation and tar
in will be given precedence over all
others. was the view members Of
the Cabinet took of the Presidents
attitude.
In the meantime the President is
anxious to begin work on what he
considers one of the biggest reforms
before his administration-the re-
organization of government on a
business basis.
1t was indicated that the MEM
bers of the Cabinet are committed
to this reform-possibly before their
selection-and President Harding
expressed the hope to the newspaper
men that the shifting of bureaus
from one department to another, or
the elimination of duplicating agen-
cies would not arouse jeaIousies
among the department heads.
Illustrates Point.
That the Cabinet members are ia
miliar with the anomalous condition
Of governmental machinery and in
tend to cooperate for its correction.
was illustrated by the attitude OF
Herbert Hoover, Secretary of Com
merce, after two days in office.
The Commerce Department" he
said, has charge of the polar bears;
the Interior Department has charge
OF the grizzly bears. and the Treas
ury Department has charge of the
brown bears"
The members of the Joint Con-
gressional Committee on Reoreani-
zation are Senators Smoot, Of Utah,
chairman; Wadsworth. of New York,
and Harrison. Of Mississippi, and
Representatives Reavis, Nebraska.
Temple, of Pennsylvania, and Moore.
Of Virginia
Has Two Years.
Under the resolution creating the
committee 1t was given two years
in which to make its final reports.
Other reports. however. will be
made from time to time when the
PAceACSo VI Nhc warrants
II. together with recommendation
for legislation carrying out ideas
of the committee as various stages
Of the investigation are completed.
II Is expected the committee will
FIRST concentrate on the many bu-
reaus in the various departments
for the printing of bulletins and
government Documents Senator
Smoot for some time has been
chairman of the Joint Committee
on Printing and has frequently ex-
pressed displeasure over the num-
ber Of these bureaus doing virtu-
ally the same kind of work.
FEDERAL Printing.
Senator smoot's plan Is to CO.
ordinate. IL possible, all govern
ment printing activities under one
bureau and to permit all depart
ments to utilize this agency in the
dissemination to the public of what
information II considers necessary.
Legislative checks. however. will be
placed around the indfscrininate
printing of documents and bulletins
by the departments
The next step in the program, in
the opinion Of members of the COM
mittee. will be to create a Depart
ment of Public Works In lieu Of the
present Department Of Interior, in