Evening star., 1925-09-21
Senator Favors Giving Presi-
dent Full Sway in Co.
0rdinating Work.
BELIEVES SM00T BILL
Is DOOMED TO FAILURE
Will Introduce Substitute Measure
to Further Steps to Bring
Greater Efficiency.
BY j. RUSSELL YOUNG.


Reorga niZation of the executive de
partments of the Federal Government
should be left entirely to the discretion
OF the President of the United States
according to Senator Walter Z. Edge
Of New Jersey. who discussed reorgan-
ization with President Coolidge today,
and who is going to introduce a reso-
luton embodying his ideas at the
coming session Of Congress.
Senator Edge believes the Executive
should have blanket authority to
transfer bureaus from one department
TO another and to place independent
agencies within some one of the ex
listing departments whenever he deems
1t to the best interest of the Govern
ment. The New Jersey Senator is a
firm believer in reorganization of the
departments. but he is not very opti-
nlistic over the changes of the general
reorganization bill drafted by the joint
congressional committee on reorgan-
iZation and which has the stamp of
approval of the President, at the com
ing session. He would support this
legislation if It ever came to a vote.
He assured President Coolidge of this
today, but he does not believe he will
ever have an opportunity TO do soy
Feeling that there is such an urgent
need for reorganization of the de-
partments and independent agencies
Of the Government, in the interest of
efficiency and economy, especially the
former, Senator Edge is going 10 be
ready to spring his resolution making
reorganization possible through the
office of the President when he is con-
vinced that the general reorganiZa-
tion bill has no chance.
Sees His Bill Approved.
Moreover, Senator Edge feels that
his resolution, giving the President
discretionary powers in the matter of
! co-ordinating and shifting Govern
ment work. will meet with sufficient
j approval to be pa ssed. He feels con-
/ fdent it will have better opportunity
| than will the so-called Smoot reorGani-
| zation bill. There are all sorts Of op-
! position to the latter, Senator Edge
| points out. while his plan would he
objected to probably only upon the
grounds that it tends to further in
crease the powers of the Executive
and that the latter already has too
much power.
Senator Edge did not indicate after
talking with the President just how
his proposition impressed Mr.. Cool
iidge. Mr.. Edge had no hesitancy in
saying that no one questioned the
| Presidents desire to effect a complete
reorga ntzation a S soon as possible. and
every one knows that the President
| is determined to use the full weight of
his office this Winter in an effort to
accomplish it. Whether or not the
| President intimated that he would
| throw his support TO Senator Edges
resolution, when he concludes that the
general reorGa MIA ton bill cannot be
put through, Senator Edge would not
/ say.
| By way of explanation Senator Edge
said that his resolution would give the
President authority to bring about
| transfers and combinations such as
were exercised by Mr.. Coolidge within
| the past year. when he transferred the
Patent Office from the Interior De-
partment to the Department Of Com
merce and the Bureau of Mines from
the Department of the Interior to the
Department of Commerce.
Would End Ship Board.
/ Senator Edge admitted that his
i idea for bringing about reorganiza-
| ton came to him while he was figur-
| ing on how to do away with the
United States Shipping Board, which.
he has no hesitancy in declaring. is
an absolutely useless waste of time
| and money. AS one of the ranking
members of the commerce commit
| tee of the Senate Senator Edge draft
ed a resolution at the last session
abolishing the Shipping Board, but
! he did not press it. This year he
| will introduce a similar measure in
| the event the general reorganization
! bill, to his surprise, passes
He explained that his idea regard
! ing the Shipping Board would be to
| abolish it and the Emergency Fleet
| Corporation outright, and to give the
| President full power to transfer its
/ functions to some one of the existing
! departments, preferably the Depart
| ment of Commerce.
If the general reorganization bill
| fails to pass then Senator Edge will
amend his resolution so as to extend
| the powers of the President. He will
| not anly be given full authority 10
| abolish the Shipping Board and Emer-
gency Fleet Corporation and transfer
| this governmental activity to some de
partment, when he could so ahead and
| reorganize the whole Governmental
| machinery just as though the re-
| organization bill had become a law.
This resolution, however, would not
| give the Executive authority to create
any new department, cabinet Off
GERS, or any new governmental activi-
ties without additional legislation.
| Although Senator Edge did not care
| 10 make pubic what ..no IreSluonC
said about his proposal TO v<t In him
! blanket authority to reorganize the
departments at will. he did say that
| he would be divulging no secret by
saying that the President is inclined
to favor abolishing the Shipping
Board.
| Calls Ship Board Wasteful.
| "It is a waste Of public money to
continue the Shipping Board" Sena-
| tor Edge said. 1T is Of no use
! whatever to the advancement Of the
American merchant marine, nor is it
| helpful to the operation of the ships
under the Emergency Fleet Corpora
| tion. Then why should it be kept
alive? If the shipping act had given
the board some judicial powers such
| as 1t gave to the Interstate Com
! merce Commission it would be diff
! ferent story. There would then be
some excuse for such a tribunal. But
the sooner we get rid Of this useless
body the better off we will be-"
| Senator Edge said that. while
/! American adherence to the World
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