Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1922-03-29
PRESIDENT DECIDES
To PUSH CHANGES
|N7DEPARTMENTS
Resolves to Wait No Longer
for Three Cabinet Mem
/ bers to Agree.
PART OF REORGANlZING
PLAN READY FOR ACTION
Expected to Be Submitted to Full
Joint Committee Next
! Week.

Submission to the full joint COM
mittee on the reorganization of the
administrative branch Of the govern
ment of that portion of the reor-
Eanization plan agreed upon by Presi-
dent Harding and the cabinet was
said today to be in prospect in the
near future, possibly within the next
week.
Agreement has been reached by the
- President and members of his cabi-
net on the reorganization plans for
seven of the government departments.
The plans which formed the basis FOR
the agreement were worked out and
submitted by Walter F. Brown. chair
man of the joint committee AFTER
study by the full committee 1T is ex-
pected that the reorganization plans
will be embodied in legislation for
consideration by Congress.
Will Wait No Longer.
This means that President Harding
has resolved to wait no longer for the
reaching of an entirely amicable
agreement among the members of his
cabinet regarding the various depart
mental changes proposed in the
Brown plan.
This was learned today at the White
House following the conference late
yesterday afternoon between the
President and Mr.. Brown. at which
hAHioias Important features of the
plan INTERNATIONALLY discussed. 1t
is understood the President made it
very plain that he is anxious to
bring the reorganization plan before
Congress as soon as 1t is possible,
rather than wait for the three mem
bers of his cabinet who are at odds
over changes affecting their depart
ments 70 iron out their differences
and come to some agreement He be-
lieved it would be. advisable to go
ahead with that part. of the plan
dealing with the other seven depart
ments. ~
Agreement Not in Sight. ~.
The plan for the reorganization of
the Department 81 Agriculture, the
Interior Department and the Depart
mont of Commerce contains certain
.so-called drastic changes. 1t is said.
affecting especially the frst-named
department. and it is considered like
ly by those high in official circles that
the heads of the departments in ques-
tion will take some little time before
reaching an agreement. Therefore
the President sees no reason why the
program should be delayed longer be-
cause of that situation, and for that
reason will endeavor to proceed with
the remainder, which is practically
three-quarters of the entire program.
He will, within the next few days.
place his stamp Of approval on this
portion of the plan and return 1t to
the joint congressional commission
with instructions to proceed in pre-
pairing it in the proper form for ulti-
mate presentation to Congress for the
necessary legislation.
Procedure in Doubt.
1t has not been determined whether
or not the reorganization plan will be
placed before Congress in the form of
one bill or whether it will be placed
in piecemeal fashion-one bill at
time. This matter will be settled
later. In the meantime the reorgani-
xation commission will hold hearings
regarding the various provisions of
the plan. 1t is understood that the
commission will hear each depart
ment separately and that these hear
inGs will be thorough.
OF that part of the report to be con-
sidered first. the most important fea-
lures proposed are, briefly, the con-
solidation of the Army and Navy into
one department, to be known as the
Department of National Defense; the
transfer of the enforcement section
of the prohibition Office from the
Trea sury Department to the Depart
ment of Justice and the control and
distribution of alcoholic liquors from
the Treasury Department to the pub
lie health service; the creation of one
central department of investigation.
which will have jurisdiction over all
the various governmental investigat-
ing agencies, such as the secret serv-
ice, postal inspectors and Depart
ment of Justice agents, and which
will be placed under the supervision
of the Attorney General.