Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1922-12-26
ENOUGH PLANS ARE
SUGGESTED To KEEP
HOUSE ALWAYS BUSY
by FREDERICK j. HASKIN


should be going full-kpeed ahead. 1t
may indulge in 'great talk about it,
and about" and evermOre come out
the same door wherein it went.
But if congress does lay itself open
to criticism on any of these points
it is not because it lacks ideas, sug'
gestions and recommendations.
On the contrary, if congress under
took to do half the things urged
upon it, or to take up an even small
err fraction of the subjects submitted
for it's consideration, it would find 1t
necessary to work, "a hours day
and 365 days a year. There IS
manifest determination to keep con-
gress busy.
Advice, prayers, petitions, de-
mands, DESCEND upon the capltol
from every direction and from every
conceivable source, and In adcluoh
to all that, congress must give ear
to the messages of the president ana
the reports of ten cabinet members,
to say nothing of the suggestions
from numerous lesser governmental
dignitaries and agencies.
In fact, congress would have its
wrk cut out for it if it devoted 1T
self to the recommendation of
single member of the presidents Of
fetal family There is the annual
report of the head of the depart
ment of commerce by way of illus
tration.
Herbert Hoover
Herbert Hoover is known as
man who does things and in this doc
ument he proves himself a man of
ideas. One Of his most important
suggestions is the reorganization\o OF
the various government agencies
that have to do with commerce, man
ufacturing, mining, rail transporta-
ton, shipping and fisheries into three
bureaus or sub-departments with an
assistant secretary at the head of
each.
Obviously Secretary Hoover be-
lieves that these three groups should
be established under the department
of commerce, but he says that is sec
ondary in importance to the grouping
itself which is essential as a measure
of coordination, efficiency and
economy.
A saving of at least a million dol
lars annually in administration ex.
pense is estimated to result from
such a reorganization. Overlapping
and duplication of service would be
eliminated and personnel could be
reduced or used with greater bene-
fit to the public.
1t is also estimated that for every
dollar saved the country would get
the value of many more dollars in
the increased value of the service to
trade and industry. These various
agencies are now divided among seven
different departments, Mr.. Hoover
points out, with the result that there
is inevitable overlap, duplication
and lack of purpose"
This recommendation is patiently so
wise that it is difficult to see why 1t
should not be carried into effect i'm
mediately. Any private business in
stitution confronted with such Il
weakness in its organization plan
would adopt the necessary reform
without a days unnecessary delay.
However, the public's big business
establishment-the government-is
not conducted that way, or at least
it hasn't been so conducted up to
date. What will be said by the heads
of the other departments from which
Mr.. Hoover expects to withdraw tho
various agencies he purposes to con-
solidate into three groups under his
department.?
Departmental Heads
Unless they differ radically from
all cabinet secretaries who have
preceded them they will say moth
ing doing." "NeVeri" and q lot of
emphatic words of similar import.
Each secretary naturally wants
his department to be the largest
and most important in the govern
ment, and hence he will resist the
removal of any of his bureaus. Each
secretary has his friends in congress
to whom he will appeal to prevent
the "outrage,N as he Characterizes
it. That gets the fight well under
way
Then almost every individual gov
eminent employe has a friend or
sponsor in the house or senate. The
words consolidation" and ''reorgani-
cation" mean fewer jobs to govern
ment workers, and they fight as if
for their very lives when such pro-
posals are advanced. They believe
in efficiency and economy, but not
if that involves making one job out
of two, or two out of three.
congressman, whether of the up
peX or lower branch of the national
laW-maklng body, also have their
own ideas about how Uncle Sans
business should be run, and they
rarely agree with cabinet members
and infrequently among themselves.
An influential senator or repreSen-
tative might block a reform such
as advocated by Mr.. Hoover merely
because he thought the reorganiza-
ton should be effected under anoth-
err department, or because he did
not believe in increasing the number
of assistant secretaries of any de-
partment.
Accordingly Washington observ-
ers know full well that whereas the
secretary of commerce may have
started something it will be many
long moons before it is finished. 1t
takes bulldog tenacity of purpose
and infinite patience, to say moth
ing of diplomacy and responsiveness
of high order, to carry through such
a proposal, and these desiderata are
rarely assembled in the person of
one man.
Other Suggestions
But if congress does not take kind
Iy to this suggestion from Secretary
Hoover he has given them many
others to consider. such as:
The establishment of foreign
trade zones in the ports of the
United States as a substitute for
the present system of bonded ware
houses, to be undertaken as a con-
to the American merchant
marine in increasing the volume of
trade carried in American ships.
Radical reduction OF the fees now
for passports and vises and
revision of the formalities required
of travellers, because of the retalia-
tory measures abroad which now
handicap. our merchants and travel
ing statesmen.
Exemption from federal taxes Of
A nh T1rh