Evening star., 1925-12-27
Mapes Plan to Have Board
Devise Procedure Held
Generally Approved. =
PRESIDENT SUPPORTS
SENATOR SMOOT PLAN
Canvass Shows Many for Prin-
ciple, But Differ on Method
of Approach.
By WILL p. KENNEDY.


limited number of ma jor problems
which the House rules committee is
seriously considering with a view to
getting favorable action early in Jan
uary so that the measure may be put
: through the Senate before June l,
which is the date tentatively set by
some adnlinistra ton leaders for ad-
journment.
This is one of the pieces of legisla-
! ton recommended by President Cool
idse and it will be considered by the
rules committee, which is the policy
and program committee of the House,
giving privileged place to measures
! which are considered of more press
! ing Importance.
There are now before the Senate
and House a number of bills proposing
j variations of two distinct principles
! on which the reorganization plan may
| be carried out. One calls for direct
action by Congress in allocating each
agency and activity of the Govern
ment under the reorganization plan
! recommended by the joint committee
and headed by personal representa-
tive of President Harding, under
whose administ,at ton the Brown COM
mittee was created. The other scheme
: mission to make the ALLEGATION of
agencies and activities subject to ap-
proval by the President.
Mapes Fathers Plan. -
The latter plan is fathered by Rep
resertative Mapes. Republican, Of
! Michigan member OF the Joint com.
! mittee. who formefly was chairman
1 Of the House District committee. and
who during his II years of continu-
Gus service1n the House has had eX.
ceptionaF opportunity to inform him
self thoroughly about the operations
of the Government. Sentiment in the
House rules committee, of which Rep
7resentative Smell of New York is
chairman. it is authoritatively de-
clared, inclines strongly toward sup
port of the Mapes resolution, This
would create the reorganization
board to be in existence until June
so, 1927, and authorize it to make
consultations, reorganizations and
transfers of agencies and activities,
and generally carry out the spirit Of
J President Coolidge's last recommenda-
! ton. in which he said:
NO final action has vet been taken
on the measure providing for the re-
organization of the various depart
ments. l, therefore. suggest that this
measure, which will be of great bene-
fit to the efficient and economical ad-
ministration of the business of the
Government be brought forward and
passed"
Mr.. Mapes' resolution was drafted
to carry cut the Presidents wishes
and is based on what his experience
tells him is the right course to pur-
sue to secure efficient reorganization.
There has been some confusion over
the reorganization plan since it was
suggested. first by Senator Walter E.
Edge of New jersey, that Congress
should act through a commission or
/ similar agency in making the alloca-
ton of various units of the Federal
service. Those who support this
scheme argue that a small group OF
two Senators, two Representatives and
! 2 fifth person to be named by the
President could thus deal eXpeditiously
with the problem in a much more
satisfactory way than in throwing the
matter open to the whole 96 members
of the Senate and 435 members of
the House for solution. This scheme
simply provides for a delegation OF
authority, always subject to presi-
dental approval, for the purpose OF
eXpediting the consolidation.
President for Smoot Plan.
President Coolidge has repeatedly
told callers who brought up the Edge
or other plans of reorganization that
he favored the Smoot proposition. 1t
was assumed that by this he meant
that he was behind the scheme orig
inally submitted by the Utah Senator
at the conclusion of the Brown COM
mittee's study. But Senators Edge
and Smoot and Mr.. Mapes have been
in conference with the President, and
a prominent member of the House
rules committee authoritatively states
that both Senator Smoot and Mr..
Mapes have discussed specifically with
the President the procedure outlined
in the Mapes resolution and that he
is not opposed to it.
THAT is the only practical and feas.
ible way TO handle the problem of al.
location" said this authority today.
While l cannot speak for the entire
rules committee" he said, Il feel quite
sure the common sense provision OF
the Mapes resolution will appeal to
them all, and that some such plan
will be reported to the House so that
it can be given consideration promptly
after the first of the year. We are
! exceedingly anxious to get for the
Government the benefits that will GER
tainly result from organization, and
/ am convinced that the easiest and
| quickest way would be through dele
cation of authority as suggested by
Mr.. Mapes." ~
May Tackle Old Work.
1t is foreseen that the reorganiza.
ton board proposed in the Mapes
resolution might be required to thresh
over again part, at least, of the work
already done by the Brown commit
tee. Assurances are given however,
that this review would not be any.
where near as extensive as would
probably be found necessary If Con-
gress itself should undertake to go
into the whole matter In debate and
attempt to decide each transfer upon
it's merits.
Mr.. Mapes' resolution provides that
the board shall Survey the admins.
trative branches Of the Government
with view to determining what
, changes in organization are necessary
to place under the same administra-
tive supervision all related activities
or activities which have a common
major purpose, and when it shall find
that. in order TO secure greater efb-
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