Evening star., 1921-03-10
FEDERAL WELFARE
BRANCH
New U. S. Department Favor
ed by President-WouId
Take Certain Bureaus.

The establishment of department
ecutive department of the govern
ment will be demanded of the new
Congress when it meets.
President Harding. during the cam
paign for the presidential election
last summer, announced himself in
favor of the creation of such a de-
was issued from the White House
announcing that DIR. Charles E.
Sawyer. appointed a brigadier gem
eral in the Medical Reserve Corps
of the Army. had been selected by
the President to make an investiga-
ernmental functions relating to pub
lie health. education and social JUS
tice.
senator kenyOn'S Measure.
There is considerable support for the
proposed department among members
of Congress, and particularly among
the woman voters. Senator Kenyon
of Iowa, chairman of the Senate COM
mittee on education and labor. is the
author of bill introduced during the
last session of Congress to establish
a department of social welfare. He
said today that he intended to rein
session of Congress meets. 1t will be
referred, Undoubtedly, to his commit
tee. as it was in the last Congress,
and he will seek to have the COM
mite consider il.
Another bill looking to the estab-
lishment of a department of public
welfare. which is another name for
the proposed social welfare depart
ment. was prepared by Senator Nc
Cormick of Illinois. But Senator Nc
Cormick's bill contemplates the reor-
ganization of the entire executive
branch of the government and does
not deal merely with the departme Mt
of public welfare.
Another agency that probably will
have much to do with the creation
ana organization Of department OF
public welfare is the joint congress
sfonal committee on the reorganiza-
which will be headed by Senator
Smoot Of Utah. The joint committee
is now preparing for an exhaustive
study of the entire subject. When 1t
comes to passing upon the matter or
separate department of public well
itself of the information and services
of DR.. Sawyer. it was suggested today.
Much Work Required.
IL
bring about the establishment of the
proposed department. While the
plan has many supporters. the task
of framing the necessary legislation
will not be a light one. Opposition
may be expected, it is said from vari-
Gus existing departments. from which
it will be necessary to remove GER
tain bureaus and divisions and trans
fer them to the new department.
The womans bureau in the Depart
ment of Labor is protesting already.
il is said. against a transfer OF that
bureau to the proposed new depart
menf.
when il comes to providing more
extensive government aid and direc-
tion of educational matters, n reIi-
gious question will become involved.
il is likely. just as in the case of the
Smith -Towner educational bill which
was introduced in the last Congress.
Senator Kenvon's bill for a depart
mont of social welfare provides for
the transfer of The public health
service to the new department. and
also the bureau of education. the
children's bureau, the woman's bu-
reau. the bureau of Industrial hous-
ing and transportation. the United
States employment service, the Unit ed
States employment compensation
commission and the office of home
economies.
The Mccormick bill goes even fur
ther in the matter of transfers. pro-
posing to place the bureau of Indian
affairs also in the new department.