Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-12-06
Commissions.

President Hoover is recommending
special commissions to deal with gov
ernmental problems and problems that
affect the individual citizen. He believes
in having all the information possible
clearly in hand, to aid the executive,
legislative and judicial branches of the
Government in performing their func-
tons.
In some quarters this prediction Of
the President for the appointment Of
commissions has been criticized on the
ground that it sets up a large number
of new governmental agencies when the
Government already has become COM
pick and when Government depart
ments and commissions are overlapping
in their work now. But the criticism is
not justified. The commissions which
President Hoover has appointed and
those whose appointment he now rec
ommends are not in any sense executive
agencies. They are merely for the gath
ering of information which is to be
submitted either to the President or to
Congress or to both for what action the
circumstances may demand. This is a
vastly different thing from setting up
an independent commission with au-
thority to act in either an executive or
a judicial capacity. 1t is against the
enlargement of the number of such
commissions that President Hoover and
other men In public life have frequently
inveighed. The list of these commits
sions, created by law, is long.
Mr.. Hoover, in his message to Con-
gress at the opening of its session this
week, recommends the appointment of
a number of new commissions. In al.
most all instances, however, these COM
missions are to be temporary, appointed
to perform q certain task, to formulate
their recommendations and report, and
then pass out Of existence. Such would
be the commissions which he recon-
mends for the study of the country's
banking laws, for the study Of the Hal
tan problem and to dispose Of Muscle
Shoals. He is frankly opposed to the
setting up Of further independent and
permanent governmental commissions
or new Government departments.
Certainly, in the Presidents opinion,
no new permanent Government agen-
cies should be created until after there
shall have been a reorganization of the
present agencies, with duties and func-
tions distributed among them in more
orderly fashion. One of the Presidents
most important recommendations to
Congress in his message dealt with such
reorganization. Two principles, the
President said should govern reor-
ganization: First, all administrative &C
tivities of the same major purpose
should be grouped under a single ex-
ecutive head. Second, all executive
and administrative functions should be
removed from boards and commissions
and placed under individual RESPONSE
bility, while all quasi-legislative and
quasi judicial functions and advisory
functions should be taken from indi-
vidual authority and placed under
boards and commissions. These are
sound principles, designed to bring
about better administration Of the Gov
| eminent.
Whether Congress will agree with the
President that the executive should &c
ahead with a reorganization Of the Gov
! eminent departments and agencies
along the lines suggested remains to be
seen. Mr.. Hoover Is ready TO tackle the
task, with the aid of Joint committee
of Congress, or under certain reserva-
tions of power of revision laid down by
the Congress. Congress itself has SC
far failed to deal with the matter fol
many reasons. although for score
of years it has been apparent that some
thing should be done.