Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1925-07-16

Dudget. 1t has established the classification. But
until congress authorizes some one or some agency
to reorganize the executive departments-why, no
reorganization that's ALL
SO we have this anomalous situation: The
Executive and the heads of the executive depart
ments urging reorganization; the rank and file OF
bureaucracy fighting reorganization and congress
nesltatlng between the two and evadng the issue.
Inc explanation of this anomalous situation is
plain Every item in the reorganization program
steps on somebody's toes. Everybody is in favor of
every item except the which cramps his
activities Every item is opposed by some
ganized minority. Congress is lost in a babel Of
voices shouting approval and opposition
Organization and coordination are essential in
business. They are highly essential in government
for the government is the greatest business
taking yet submitted to the mind of man. Bad
coordination among industries finally home
to the people whole in the form Of increased
prices. And bad organization in government comes
home in many more directions than the taxes
It wastes.
SO says Secretary Hoover in an address before
the Chamber of Commerce of the United States In
which he advocates Reduction of Waste In Gov
eminent by Reorganization of the Executive
Departments" He first points out that as the
bureaus and agencies are now grouped and
organized there are two primary causes of waste.
One is the confusion of basic principles The
other Is the grouping that divides responsibility
Consequently there is a lack of definite national
overlap and conflict. AS to the confusion of basic
principles he has this to say, in part:
with the growing complexity of government
problems 1t has been necessary for congress to
delegate to the executive side many secondary
legislative functions in the making of regulations
and many secondary judicial functions in the en-
forcement of them. That is the so-caIled admin
istrative law And there has been the crudest mix
ing of these semilegisatve and semijudicial
functions with purely executive functions These
semijudicial and semilegislative duties are fire.
ed tO inrr1o xuyhiI
administrative functions often carried on by
boards All Of this is exactly the reverse of the
basic principles of sound administration Boards
and commissions are soundy adapted the DELHI
crate processes necessary to semijudcial and
semilegislative and advisory functions but they
are absolutely hopeless where decisive admnistra-
tive action is necessary. And likewise most of
such functions should not be entrusted to a single
mind. There is not single successful business
organization in the country that confuses such
functions the way we do in government.
He cites the shipping board as a glaring case
and says there 'other breeds of this same sort
of confusion between individual and joint re-
sponsibility." The federal board for vocational
education and the federal power commission are
two he names. And he continues
The same chaos of function is carried into other
directions where administrative or executive Off
Gals are given these semjudicial and semiegisla-
tive authorities. The secretary of agriculture has
been loaded with powers of a semilegslative and
semijudicial character in the administration of
the stockyards and commodity exchanges. The
Semijudicial powers over navigation
branches of communications, and the secretary of
labor has certainly judicial authority over mat
ters of immigration. Nor do these confusing
functions solely reside in cabinet officers; many
bureau heads have such powers The responsible
ities In decisions under these powers are at least
important those of Federal courts, with this
important difference, however that while there is
theoretical appeal to the court in cases. yet
practically most decisions final. Worst of ALL
there none of the safeguards as to the right
of individuals in the determine ton. of questions
submitted such in courts. Duties of
this semilegislative and semijudical character
should not be imposed administrative Off
Gals. In those matters where they involve semi
legislative action they should not even be con-
ferred upon Judge, much less upon executive
officials No individual should be same time
legislator, policeman, prosecutor, judge and jury.
Every single department, bureau and board in
the entire government should be placed upon the
operating table and a cleancut separation estab-
lished between semijudicial and semilegigIative
functions on the other The former rightly belongs
individuals.
AS TO the division of authority over services
directed to the same major purpose by scattering
them through unrelated groups he says: