Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1922-07-28

The failure Of the congressional
Joint committee on the reorgan-
ization of the administrative branch
of the government to function has
made it difficult for the forces be-
hind the demands for two additional
cabinet places to keep their campaign
fires burning. But these forces are
still in the field and full of hope.
Sooner or later congress will have to
determine whether the cabinet shall
be enlarged and whether there shall
be further Capitalization of govern
ment here at Washington The deci-
sion will certainly not be made at this
session of congress and it may not be
made at the short session
The National Education association
at it's recent meeting in Boston once
more came to the defense of the
Demonstrating bill, which originally
was known as the Smith-ToWnSr bill,
for a national department of educa-
ton with a cabinet officer in charge.
tain to put new life in the campaign
for an educational department. For
several years the association has
maintained a legislative commission
which has spent great deal of time
here and which will, by the direction
Of the association, return here and
continue to work for the desired de-
partment.
The advocates Of a welfare depart
ment with a cabinet officer in charge
are not so well organized as the forces
behind the demand for a department
Of education. The welfare people are
depending largely on the influence OF
President Harding to bring the de-
partment they favor into being. Mr..
Harding made a definite promise In
the last campaign that he would, If
elected President, see that welfare
department was established, and the
forces that favor such department
are insisting that he shall make good
his promise.
Reaction in Public Sentiment.
The last year has brought a great
reaction against ~ further central
in Washington and (2) against sad
ding additional expense on the tax
payers of the country through the Gre
alton of additional branches of the
government. The President and the
members of his cabinet are aware Of
this reaction and understand the fu-
tility of trying to persuade the pres
ent congress to establish any new de-
partments.
One of the keen disappointments of
the Harding administration grows out
Of the failure to redeem the cam
branch of the government would be
completely reorganized. The reorgan-
ization was to have taken place dur
ing the first three months of the new
administration, that is to say by June
4, 1921. Sixteen months have gone by
and reorganization is no nearer than
it was on March 4, 1921. President
Harding has done everything a Presi-
dent could do within reason to start
the wheels of reorganization. He
placed a personal representative, Wal
ter f. Brown, on the congressional
the committee authorized Mr. Brown
to work out plan that would redeem
the campaign promise. This the Ohio
friend of the President did, but the
plan has never got beyond the Presi-
dents desk, where it was placed four
months ago.
The difficulty is that the members
Of the cabinet whose departments are
seriously affected by the Brown plan
refused to approve it, and there have
been strong limitations that if the
plan should be adopted in its present
net and possibly two would feel like
quitting.
Must Wait for the Committee.
The advocates of the new depart
ments are stalled so long as the con-
gressional joint committee on reor-
ganization has nothing before it. If
that committee ever takes up the sub
ject of reorganization in q serious
way, the people who are insisting on
a federal department of education and
a federal welfare department will
make their appeals to the committee.
In the meantime, the new department
propagandists are trying hard to keep
the interest in their causes alive
throughout the country. The legisla-
tive commission Of the National Edu-
cation association has planned an
other countrywide campaign. Recent
ly the commission proposed to Presi-
dent Harding that the educational
forces and the so-called welfare
forces combine their efforts and there
be established only one new depart
ment.
The senators and representatives
are near enough to people to know
that public sentiment is running
strong against the federal govern
ment's undertaking to do things for
the states which the states are amply
able to do for themselves, and they
also have a pretty clear understand
ing about how the public feels about
legislation that will be further drain
on the treasury.
A Vote Lost.
Brother Philander," said to our
Z. Il - tx