Evening star., 1924-11-26
YOU AND UNCLE SAM
Series of Educational articles Telling Ho Federal Govern
ment Is Organized and Functons--Wrtten
Expressly for School Children.
BY WILL p. KENNEDY
No. l4-The Cabinet and Administrative
Departments.

lishment was not then recognized as
an executive department and it's head
was not originally of cabinet rank.
The Postmaster General was admitted
to- the cabinet in 1929. The Post Of
flee Department, which is now the
biggest communications system in all
the world, was not established on it's
present footing until after the Civil
War.
The first important reorganization
of the executive branch of the Gov
ernment occurred in 1849 with the
establishment of the Interior Depart
| ment, March 3. This new depart
ment was intended to be the home de-
partment, as it's name implies, to
have jurisdiction over strictly domes-
tic affairs within the scope of the
Federal Government.
To this new department were
transferred from the four other de-
partments activities relating to pat
ents, public buildings, pensions and
the accounts of officers of the United
States courts, as we'll as those relat-
| ing to public lands and Indians. The
| head of the Interior Department has
been of cabinet rank from the be-
ginning.
Besides being legal adviser to the
President and his department heads,
the Attorney General had to conduct
all litigation to which the Govern
ment was party before the Supreme
Court. Congress established the De-
partment of Justice June %, 1870,
and placed the Attorney General at
its head. The purpose was to CEN
tralize the legal work done on behalf
Of the Government. Two years later
the Post Office Department was for
| mally established of equal rank with
| other executive departments.
The Department of Agriculture had
it's inception in the growing desire
OF the farming, StOck-raising and
horticultural interests of the country
for the active support and help of the
Federal Government. The act of
May 10, 1852, had created an estab-
lishment Independent of any executive
department, with a commissioner of
agriculture at its head. He was not
of cabinet rank. Twenty-seven years
later Congress made this an execu-
tive department and placed at it's
head the Secretary of Agriculture on
equal footing with heads of other
executive departments. This depart
ment has since had steady growth
and development, but many of it's ac-
tivities are not authorized by sub
stanive law, often being created
merely by making appropriations for
some particular line of work.
An important realignment in the or
ganiZation of the executive branch of
the Government came in 1903. when
Congress created the Department of
Commerce and Labor, in recognition of
the growing interests Of trade and in
dustry in the Government and the de-
| sire for separate treatment of the spe-
| cial problems arising in these fields
Many activities were transferred to
this new department from the other de-
| partments earlier established.
Department a Compromise.
The new Department of Commerce
and Labor was in reality a compromise
of two propositions recommended to
| Congress. One was for a separate de-
| partment given over to the general idea
of fostering and encouraging manufac-
| lures and commerce. and the other for
| similar organization to represent the
| interests of labor. But labor was never
satisfied with the Department of Com
merce and Labor. and largely as a re-
suit of its representations Congress on
March 4, 1913. split this depa rtment
| into two.
There are bills now pending in Con-
gress for establishment of other new
departments, and a general plan Of re-
| organization of Uncle Sans workshop
| has been proposed by a special joint
| committee of Congress headed by a
| personal representative of the President
This legislation is expected to be con-
| sidered during the coming session of
| Congress, which opens on December 1.
Copyright 1924, by VIII P. Kennedy
(The fifteenth article in this series will
| be How Uncle Sans Work Has
| Grown" 1t will be printed In this paper
| next Sunday)