New-York tribune., 1921-05-24
Wore Powers
For President
Urged by Taft
r.clares He Should As
..,n,e Executive Leader
hin of All Legislative
rommi,tees in Congress
to.ordination in Cabinet
r.lls Academy of Science
How Lawmakers Fought
His National Budget Plan

.....,s;on Of power for the President
50 United States and greater CO.
.a.s.jon between Cabinet heads were
s@...ted BY William Howard Taft in
~ .3srsss delivered yesterday at the
: @-s.onusl meeting of the Academy
p,Bticsl Science. held in the Hotel
,s,r He volunteered the opinion
=. - -. President should assume the
..at;ye leadership of ell legislative
mrit,ees and 20 before the Senate
ssrsoD With matters of national i'm
....nee. The same privilege should
I. saended to Cabinet officers and de-
essential heads OF the government,
"a Mr.. Taft. He recalled how during
4 term Of Office as President Con-
ass opposed the establishment of q
..3see system as favored by him, and
.s..,rsISssired the present need fer such n
.e,sm because OF the BIC national
sTss President ought to have an
,-s,nensent means of Tscertaining
.s-,nch g body Of able men whether
- giyen appropriation asked by d GER
IN Separtment is fair" said Mr.. Taft
! am in favor OF making Cabinet heads
..sponsible 10 tine President for ex-
.sndIturcs in their department. The
nd Of control of such expenditures
Ia the traveling expenses OF govern
rset representatives ought to be de-
CEASED
Pratt Scores leadership System
Jobn T. Pratt, chairman of the Ma
asnal Budget Committee. declared that
t.s committee system of leadership in
gsngress led to responsibility and
,reverted capable men from being
Issdsrs 1t is his belief that the main
yeakness in the present government
,yssem IS that administration has been
helt IN in piecemeal fashion.
Mr. Pratt favored the abolition of
lie Department of the Interior and
suggested that il be replaced by de-
arfnent Of public works. He advo-
s.ed maintaining the Beard of Engi-
ssegs snd Superintendents for New
qgk Harbor under the Navy Depart
zeat
Frederick A. Cleveland, of Boston
University. chairman under President
taft Of the Commission on Efficiency
sid Economy, said he favored the
establishment Of executive leadership
On the floors of Congress and the
soohtion Of the legislative committees
10Y in existence. He declared the
gstem Of legislative committee leader
slip. 10 be one Of the weak points in
he national government.
Relief for Veterans Advocated
The question OF adequate provision
sr n2imed soldiers. sailors and their
isPendents was discussed by Richard
Cholmeley-Jo formerly director
d the Bureau OF War Risk Insurance.
He said that the number of soldiers
IN hosuitals was increasing by thou
sand 5 month, and there appeared TO
bs no relief in sight.
The best solution of the problem,
% NJ mind. would be TO have the diff
fersnt states build hospitals for the
treatment OF eX-soldiers," said Mr..
Ghoneley-Jones. "They could lease
these hospitals to the governm ent, and
Faeu 1t ceased to need them they could
:. turned back for the use of the state"
Other speakers were Herbert D..
Brown. chief of the United States Bu-
,ssu Of Efficiency: Edgar B. Davis, Ben
amin Franklin Fitch, Russell c. Lef-
'agweI, former Assistant Secretary of
ae Treasury; DR.. William T. Snow,
Teasurer of the National Public Health
-oaneil; Hugh S Magill, field secretary
the National Education Association,
nd Colonel J. Mayhem Wainwright, AS
s:tant Secretary of War.
howard Lee McBain presided.