The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1922-01-05
BY EDWARD q. CLARK

'hShhikAbhs lullS ult tll loT Tue
reorganization of the various depart.
ments of government. The details Of
reorganization are many and somewhat
intricate. II is expected that the re-
organization committee, which Is com
posed of members Of congress, except
for It's chairman, who Is Walter +.
Brown of Ohio, will submit II re-
organization bin To congress by the
presidential route. This means that II
will have the sanction of the Chief
Executive.
There has been variance Of opinion
among cabinet members as to the
wisdom OF some Of the things which
are to be. proposed. II seems to be
virtually assured today that the bill
for Reorganization will include u prop
osition for the consolidation Of tue
War and Navy departments into
greater department Of defense with n
chief secretary at Its bead and with
UNDERGRADUATES for war aud navy
The plan also will include recon
mendation for the establishment of
department Of public welfare which
Is To include n great many bureaus
and divisions which now are working
under other departments of the public
service. In the department Of public
welfare, IL II shall be established.
probably VIII be the bureau of educa-
tion. the public health service aud
good many other branches IL the gov
ernmcnt which In n general way are
connected with what loosely has been
called curative. uplifting aud bench.
cent endeavor.
Consolidation viii Be Opposed.
II Is almost certain that there will
be opposition In congress To the change
contemplated by the War aud Navy
departments. II is urged that money
Will be saved by the consolidation Of
the two military branches Of the ser
vice and that some duplication Of work
can be done away with. but there also
Is a feeling that the two services, al
though both are military. are so dis
similar IN their lines of cudenvOr aud
action that independence for each Is
needed
There II another matter which enters
Into this question Of the consolidation
Of the War and Navy departments.
II Is that OF prefsment TO the high
office OF secretary OF the department
Of defense. Who is 10 be promoted
20 the position. and will the present
secretary of war and the present
secretary ~ the navy, II neither is Ia
be given promotion. be satisfied to re-
main as undcrsecretariesi This mat.
ter. Of course. is u personal one and
has to do with the ambitions Of men
or with the disinclination of either
one II the present chiefs To confirm"
In service ~ subordinate TO one who
has been simply an official Of equal
rank The personal end OF this con.
troversy probably can be taken care
Of. but before matters finally are al
justed Il Is believed there will be
some neart hurnings and possibly a
resignation or two from the govern.
ment service.
There will be opposition. also. TO the
establishment 81 n department Of wei
fare The President long ago ex-
IlTtNNtf HIS utNlft lof SutU " utIHTI-
ment, and II was rumored that he In.
tended IL make Dr. Charles T.. Sawyer
Of Marion, O., who was appointed to
the reserve corps and now Is TEN
porarily on the active list. to be the
chief Of the new department.
Why Educators Object.
Opposition To The department OF
public welfare In congress will come
from men who do not believe that
the direction OF certain activities Of
the government should be taken away
from the departments which now are
directing them. and placed under the
supervision OF n new branch OF the
government. II Is understood that the
bureau Of education does not wish 10
be transferred from Its place In the
department of the interior. Moreover,
there Is a fairly sIrong feeling In the
country. and II has been made mani
fest In Washington. that there should
be n department Of education indie
pendent Of all other departments.
The educators who take this view
OF the matter say that the condition
OF illiteracy In the United States Is
appalling and that the subject of edu- |
cation Is vital enough To the govern.
ment To Justify and more than Justify |
the establishment OF n separate de |
partment with cabinet officer AT its
head
Some one has been figuring on the |
saving which will accrue to the govern. |
ment If the report of the reorganiza. |
ton committee is accepted by con |
gress. One student Of the situation
has said that the saving will he some
thing more than million dollars a |
day. This means, of course $500 OOO..
600 year. which Is a good deal Of |
money. but when men are pressing for
some departure from the usual pro.
ceedings In government they are apt
20 be Over-optimistic and perhaps also
10 be extrayagant In their claims OF
the good that Is 10 result.