Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1921-current, 1922-12-23

gress may not do as much as some
people think 1t should. 1t may waste
a lot OF time. 1T may devote its ener-
gies and IT'S talents largely to the less
consequential things. it may put on
the brakes when it should he going
full-speed ahead. 1t may indulge in
great talk about it, and about" and
evernore cone 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, suggestions and recommended
tons.
On the contrary, if congress under
took to. do half the things urged upon
1t or to take up an even smaller frac-
ton of the subjects submitted for it's
consideration, it would find it neces-
sary to work "a hours a day and o65
days a year. There is a manifest de-
termination to keep congress busy.
Advice, prayers, petitions. demands.
descend upon the capitol from every
direction and from every conceivable
source, and in addition to all that. con-
gress must give ear to the messages
of the president and the reports Of ~
cabinet members, to say nothing or the
suggestions from numerous lesser gov
ernmental dtgnitaries and agencies.
In fact. congress would have its
work cut out for it if it devoted itself
to the recommendations Of a single
member of the presidents official fam
ily. There is the annual report OF the
head of the department Of commerce
by way of illustration.
Herbert Hoover is known as q man
who does things and in this document
he proves himself q man of ideas. One
of his most important suggestions is
the reorganization of the various gov
eminent agencies that have TO do with
commerce, manufacturing, mining, rail
transportation. shipping and fisheries
into three bureaus or sub-departments
with an assistant secretary at the head
of each. Obviously Secretary Hoover
believes 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 econ
omy.
Substantial Saving Promised
a saving of at least a million dol
lars annually in administration expense
is estimted to result from such a re-
organization. Overlapping and dupii-
cation of service would be eliminated
and personnel could be reduced or used
with greater benefit to the public. Ii
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 in
dustry. These various agencies are
now divided among seven different
departments. Mr.. Hoover points out,
with the result that there is ''inevita-
BILE overlap, duplication and lack Of
purpose
This recommendation is patiently so
wise that it is difficult to see why it
should not be carried into effect i'm
mediately. Any private business insti-
tuition confronted with such a weakness
in its organization plan would adopt
the necessary reform without Il days
unnecessary delay.
However. the pubiic's big business
estab iishment-the governments not
conducted that way. or at least it
hasn't been SO conducted up to date.
What viii be said By the heads of the
other departments from which Mr..
Hoover expects to withdraw the vari-
Gus agencies he purposes to CONSOLE
date into three groups under his de-
partment? Unless they differ radical
" from all cabinet secretaries who have
preceded them they will say nothing
doing" never" and q lot of emphatic
words of similar import. Each secre-
tary naturally wants his department
to be the largest and most important
in the government. and hence he will
resist the removal of any of his bu-
reaus. Each secretary has his friends
in congress to whom he will appeal to
prevent the Outrage" as he charac-
terizes it. That gets the fight we'll
under way.
Then almost every individual gov
eminent employee has Il friend or
n in the house or senate. The
words consolidation and "reorgani-
cation mean fewer Jobs to govern
ment workers. and they fight rs if for
their very lives when such proposals
are advanced. They believe in effici-
ency and economy, but not if that in
wolves making one job out of two, or
two out of three.
congressman Have Their Own Ideas
congressman. whether of the upper
or lower branch of the national law
making body, also have their W ideas
about how Uncle Sans business should
be run, and they rarely agree with
cabinet members and ~infreguently
among themselves. An Influential
senator OF representative might block
IL reform such rs advocated by Mr..
Hoover merely because he thought
the reorganization should be affected
under another department, or because
he did not believe in increasing the
number of assistant secretaries of any
department.
Accordingly Washington observers
know full well that whereas the see
rotary of may have started
something it will be many long moons
before it is finished. 1t takes bull
dog %tenacity of purpose and infinite
patience. to say nothing 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.
But if congress does not take kindly
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
of bonded ware houses, to be
undertaken as a contribution to the
American merchant marine in increas-
ing the volume of trade carried in
American ships.
Radical reduction of the fees now