The New York herald., 1922-12-14
SPOILS SYSTEM Will
KILL HARDING PLAN
OF REORGANIZATION
Politicians, In and Out Of
Cabinet, Combat His
Economy.
FINAL EFFORT TO-DAY
Meeting Called of Commits
sion Named to Cut Off
cial Red Tape.
CLASH ON ARMY AND NAVY
Discrimination to Surrender
Present Privileges Is the
Main Drawback.
CLASH ON ARMY AND NAVY
by LOUIS sEIBoLD.
Special Dispatch TO THE NEW YORK HERALD.
New York Herald Bureau.
W.s 2

Special Dispatch to THE NEW YORK HERALD.
New York Herald Bureau,l
Washington, ID. c., Dec. l3.
President Harding will make final
attempt tomorrow to put into effect
the plan favored by him for the re-
organization of the Government on
more scientific and economic basis.
He has called meeting of the COM
mission appointed by him at the White
House to present his plans for cutting
departmental red tape. coordinating
the Government machinery and re-
ducing the cost of its operation.
A conflict of views among members
of the Cabinet, who are reluctant to
surrender privileges guaranteed by
existing laws and the intrusion of po-
litical opposition due to patronage am
bitions will render the Presidents task
difficult The reorganization of the
Goternment on a scientific basis has
been the ambition of the Presidents
for the last twenty years.
RooseveIt's Effort Recalled.
mined effort to induce Congress to
sanction the remodeling of the laws
governing the control of several de-
partments, only TO be defeated. The
present indications are that President
Harding will not fare any better in
his renewal of the undertaking. There
is scant prospect, according to Con-
Eressional leaders. for the immediate
passage of any reorganization meas
ure
The President has made an earnest
and persistent effort to iron out the
differences between the members OF
his Cabinet over the proposal to de-
fine more clearly the functions of the
departments. eliminate overlapping
authority, reduce the personnel to a
legitimate business basis, free from
political influence, and bring about a
saving in the administration OF the
Government of from 800, 100000, to
5000 .000. 900.
The reorganization plan which
committee appointed by the President
has been preparing was one OF the
first matters TO which Mr.. Harding
turned his attention after entering the
He had prepared statement reveal
ing the intricacies and inadequacies
of the present system and submitted
II to Congress. He asked authority to
create a commission to undertake the
tremendous task involved. That au-
thority was given to him in May, 1891.
The President then appointed COM
mission composed of six members rep
resenting both parties of the two
houses. with "A civilian chairman.
Makeup of Commission.
For chairman the President Sc
lected Walter s. Brown, a personal
friend and Ohio politician, and man
OF conspicuous business ability The
Congressional members were Senators
Smoot and Wadsworth. Republicans
and Harrison, Democrat. The House
was represented by Mr.. Reavis of Ne
braska, Mr.. Temple of Pennsylvania
Republicans, and Mr.. Moore CDem.
Val. The commission held two or
three meetings at the White House
and at the Presidents suggestion ,au-
thorized Chairman Brown to prepare
n plan for the complete overhauling
of the Government machinery and the
substitution of more modern and ef-
ficient plan.
This authority was given to Mr.
Brown, who has spent many months
in trying to win the cooperation and
Endorsement of the members of Mr.
Harding's Cabinet to the changes pro-
posed by him. Mr.. Brown encoun-
tered opposition from the start, not
only from members OF the Cabinet but
from members of Congress who clearly
reflected their opposition 20 the FEAST
bic scheme, worked out by him for
reasons largely, or in fact, solely
political.
On many occasions he met obstacles
that resisted the force, logic and rca-
son of his recommendations and was
compelled to appeal to the President
IL is probable the President at times
has been seriously embarrassed by the
arbitrary attitude assumed by some Of
his executive advisers. There Is justi-
fcation for the statement that with
one or two exceptions members OF Mr.
Harding's Cabinet not only have failed
TO express any enthusiasm for the
reorganization scheme but have Of
fered stubborn opposition TO IL.
The exact terms and scope Of the
plan worked out by Mr.. Brown
arc now before the President and he
will present them to the commission
tomorrow with an appeal for the ac-
ceptance and incorporation of them
into legislation Most Of the opposi-
ton to the reorganization plans framed