Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-01-17
GROWING BUREAU POWER
DEPLORED BY ECONOMIST
Gradual Invasion of Prerogatives of
Congress Declared to Be One of
Greatest Problems Before Nation.

lens Of public policy.
Even when on the floor Of Congress
| the legislator is not immune from
constant interruption. The men in
Congress, naturally enough, are men
in middle life. and they have no sur
plus energy to meet the strain OF this
| constant interruption. SO they strug-
| gle along, each of them chained to a
multitude Of local interests when he
ought to be free to deal with public
| business. Because the tired legislator
cannot find the time to deal with the
| many questions that he would like
to handle he only too willingly dele
gates broad powers to the executive,
allowing the latter full leeway to ex-
pand and fortify those powers through
the interpretative process. Congress
should be made to take upon itself all
, the lawmaking that there is and leave
to the executive only the purely adj
ministrative work.
Q. What brought this situation
about and why is there a strong tend
ency to belittle Congress as you say?
A. The growth of the country has
had most to do with it. The legisla-
ture is not In session more than two
thirds of the time, and consequently
people have looked up to the Execu-
tive. which is more continuously at
the year around. Its members should
be paid enough to justify this service.
The House, which today is too large
for a legislative body and too small for
an army" should be cut to workable
proportions. With the development of
our country, when emergencies arose
the Executive was given new services
TO meet them-more and more in re-
cent years with lump-sum appropria-
tions, which allow the executive to
spend it as it pleases. The pressure
of myriad organizations in recent
years has done much to enlarge the
powers of the executive.
Opposes Blanket Power.
Congress is comforting more and
more blanket powers upon the eX-
ecutive to carry out the multi
tudinous reforms attempted. The
process has been a steadily grow
ing one. 1t was developed haphaz-
ardly and without careful perspec-
tive in view. The original simple
devices have been built upon at ran
dom-a wing here, turret there,
few bay windows somewhere else
for statesmen looking for a place in
the sun, and no end of cyclone cellars
for those DESTROYS of safely and in
definitely staying out of range of the
rays of publicity. The net result of
all this is a blind distribution of
powers and much friction between the
multiple bureaus.
Q. Can the Executive be simpli-
fed?
a. Yes. In two ways. First. the
hand of the Executive should be
strengthened over his vast number
ofs subordinates. The President is
in need of a sort of switchboard of
intelligence-not merely more clerks,
but Subordinates who can keep the
presidential office regularly and di-
rectly in touch with a uniform policy
that should lie back of each divi
sion of the administrative machinery.
Secondly, to consolidate and regroup
the bureaus and commissions TO elm
mate duplication of function and
eliminate friction.
Q. Do you still believe in the
threefold division of powers as plan
ned by the fathers or do you vel
come this unification of the EXecu-
tive and Congress, due to the control
of the latter by the former?
Three Issues Before People.
A. l certainly cling to the hope
that the original constitutional struc-
ture of the republic will not be de-
parted from, especially by the grad
ual process of an absorption slowly
Of the real power of the legislature
by the Executive, through the use
of favors or intimidation, through the
decadence Of legislative machinery
and the aggressivenesS Of the bureau
cratic advance. And the slow evap-
grafton of the sovereignty of the
States Is a problem of equal mag
nitude. There are three paramount
issues before the American people
today. First, we must restore the
legislative branch of the Government
to it's position of freedom alike from
Executive domination through the
seduction of patronage and the cloak
room activities of executive officials,
as we'll as attempt to stife the free
dom of discussion; secondly, the
management of the administrative
apparatus so that the unwholesome
features of bureaucracy are avoided;
and thirdly. the vindication of the
principle of State sovereignty. upon
which in such great degree the Sc
curity Of the people will depend. Here
is the basis of a national movement
quite above the proportions of a
political or partisan program.