Evening star., 1924-01-20
Heard and Seen

14Sdl u SI1ISA oSSA
Nobody has asked my opinion about
this reorganizat tion Of the government
departments business he said.
yet 1 have been attending all of
the hearings for the past two weeks
and probably know about as much
concerning the departments as
whole az any man who testified before
the joint congressional committee.
Everything from good common
sense to theory running wild has been
heard by the committee. To hear
some of them talk one would think
the departments are on their last
legs and about to dissolve unless
something is done about it.
still others have made it appear
that to change single bureau or a
single department would throw the
government at Washington into
sort of chaos. A dark and sinister
autonomy is grabbing the bureaus.
All is not well on the Potomac.
But, take it from me-the govern
ment departments are pretty able,
after all They have been running
along, most of them. since the days
the government was founded, or from
various dates thereafter, and have
done good work.
Take the War and Navy depart
ments. If there ever was plain
case where the argument of senti-
ment looms large, this is it. Here
these two old departments have been
plugging along since this republic
was in knee breetches. and now
somebody comes by and proposes to
unite them into so-called depart
ment of national defense.
Sounds something like the banker
who advised the grown man to
change his signature--it was too
easily forged, he told the man. Well,
my signature, after all these years.
just because you think this or that
about it, you are sort of crazy re-
piled the offended citizen.
"Why the War and Navy depart
ments. in one sense mean this repub-
lie Almost might as well propose
changing the name of the United
States, it seems to me. Secretary
Weeks and Secretary DENLY pointed
out to the committee that even the
result in a department of defense,
since the defense Of a nation in these
times depends upon the coordination
of the entire resources of the coun-
try.
* :;
81 was mighty glad, too. when Post
master General New told the COM
mittee that he was heartily opposed
to the change of the name of the
Post Office Department to the De
partment of Communications
THAT is about the most absurd
proposal, to my way of thinking, in
the whole plan for reorganization.
under the so-called Presidents plan,
or the Brown plan, as it is sometimes IS
called. named after Chairman Walter
+. Brown of the committee.
Here is a great old department
that employs 100000 men and women
that has been functionirg since the
days of Benjamin Franklin, that has
been doing exactly what its name
says.
rAnd they come along with the
proposal that it lose it's old, honored
name, a name that could never be
replaced and give it a name dragged
in by the back of the neck from
other countries.
"The name could never even begin
TO approximate appropria tenesS until
the telephones, telegraphs and radio
of the country were placed complete
ly under government control. You
see visions of that right away, don't
you? You do not.
"The Postmaster General wants 1t
to remain Post Office Department and
so do the 10O.O0O,000 peoples, more
or less. who daily receive their let
ters and parcels.
x *
"As a matter of fact, the bureau
of the budget is supposed to be saw
ing the government a lot Of money
and it's organization and effective
operation have taken away one of the
necessities for reorganization of the
departments.
"A Department of Education, which
will function in a large way, is a
necessity. and probably will come
about The rest of this reorganiza-
tion business is simply a matter of
taking several misplaced bureaus and
putting them in the right place.
'YThis business of talking as though
the government service is all wrong
makes me tired. And l. am not in
Scores of years of fine achievement
are behind the departments, as or
ganized-don't forget that.
Here is the way / would like to
see this reorganization settled:
"Put Senator Reed Smoot and Sen
ator Pat Harrison in Il room by
themselves and give them three hours
have as good reorganization as
could be effected"
| CHARLES Z. TRAcEWELL.
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