Evening star., 1926-11-07
ENGINEERS. WILL PUSH CHANGE
In INTERIOR DEPARTMENT PLAN
National Public Works Unit in Government Is
Sought by Council in View of Halt i'm
Federal Reorganization Idea.

Action to create a. national depart.
ment of public works will he sought
when Congress convenes in December,
1t was announced here yesterday by
Dean Dexter S. Kimball of Cornell
University. president of the American
Engineering Council. 26 Jackson
place.
A Nationwide organization. already
complete in 36 States. Is being built
up by the council to push the public
works movement. according to Dean
kimball, who said that the best engi-
neering talent in the country had been
enlisted to develop a. sound plan for
bringing into harmony the vast engi-
neering functions of the Federal Gov
ernment
Seeing failure Of the administration
plan of Federal reorganiZa ton. the en-
gineering profession. Dean kimball
declared, will press for consideration
the Jones-Wyant public works bill,
approved by the council and other
bodies in allied fields
The general reorganization bill pro-
posed by the administration has"
Dean Kimball added. ut is felt, so
slight a chance of success that the
concerted effort Of the Nations engi-
neers in It's behalf cannot now be
asked for.
Inefficiency and Waste.
Engineers for many years have
been advocating the abolishment Of
the Department of the Interior in It's
present form and the substitution of a
new department In which the i'm
mense public works functions of the
Government shall be assembled and
cO-ordinated. The existing depart
mental structure is admittedly out.
worn, and the result Is both ineffl.
cheney and waste.
"Since the first public works con.
ference, held in conjunction with the
annual meeting of the American En-
gineering Council. In January. 1924,
the ones-Wyant public works bill has
been adopted by the engineers and
those associated with them in the pub
lie works movement and introduced
into both houses of Congress.
Action has not been secured on
this measure, although opportunities
for action have been sought continu-
ally.
while the administration measure
proposing general reorganization Of
the executive departments was be-
4 fore Congress representa- tives Of the
American Engineering Council and
those associated with them in the pub
lie works movement entered into an
agreement with administration lead.
ers in the Senate to support the gen.
eral bill. with the understanding that
the public works plan would receive
early cor-tAeration under 1t.
When the administration measure
failed TO receive action in the last
session Of Congress Senator Wesley
l.. Jones of Washington. sponsor Of
the public works bill in the Senate.
, and other administration leaders as.
sured us that we were at liberty to
go ahead with our own measure.
Would Transfer Bureaus.
THE administration measure was
backed because 1t was felt by many
engineers that II the small board pro-
posed in that measure could be created
there would be a better chance to
| secure early and effective action on
the public works plan sponsored by
engineers. In this measure II was
| proposed to leave the transfer Of GER
| tain bureaus to the President upon
the recommendation Of special board
created by the bill.
II this bill could have been en-.
acted into law It would not he neces-
sary to secure special act Of Con.
gress to effect the transfer Of each of
the bureaus. Since It was impossible
to get the reorganization board