Evening star., 1932-02-17

The special message today to Con-
gress Of President Hoover follows In
full text
To the Senate and House of Repre-
sentatives:
Because Of It's direct relation to the
cost Of government, I desire again to
bring to the attention OF the Congress
the necessity of more effective organi-
| Zation of the executive branch of the
Government, the importance of which
I have referred to in previous messages.
This subject has been considered many
times by the Executive and by the Con-
gress, but without substantial results
Various projects are now before the
Congress.
The need for reorganization Is OBJ
vious. There has been with the years
gradual growth of the Government by
! the accretion in its departments and
| by independent executive establish
mentS, boards and commissions as prob
| lens requiring solution confront the
President and the Congress. Today the
Government embraces from $50 to 200
separate units, dependent on the meth
| cd of notation used. Governmental units
when once set up have tendency to
grow independently of other units. This
leads to overlapping and waste. More
over, there is marked tendency to
find new occupations when the initial
duties are completed. The overlap and
the number of agencies can be reduced.
Saving in Consolidation.
A few consultations, notably in law
enforcement and the Veterans services,
have been effected. Both of these re-
organized agencies have been able to
discharge the very greatly increased
burdens imposed upon them without
such an increase in administrative ex-
pense as would otherwise have been
the case.
In the present crisis the absolute
necessity for the most drastic economy
makes the problem OF governmental
reorganization one of paramount i'm
public funds to be effected by a thor
oughgoing reorganization. while diff
cult to estimate accurately. will be
material. amounting to many millions
of dollars annually Not only will the
| Governments business be conducted
more efficiently and economically, but
the great body of citizens who have
business relations with their Govern
ment will be relieved of the burden
and expense Of dealing with a multi
tude of unnecessary and sometimes
We may frankly admit the prac-
| tical difficulties of such reorganization
Not only do different fractions Of the
Government fear such reorganization,
but many associations and agencies
throughout the country will be alarmed
that the particular function to which
they are devoted may in some fashion
be curtailed Proposals to the Con-
gress Of detailed plans for the reor-
ganization Of the many different bu-
reaus and Independent agencies have
always proved in the past to be signal
for mobilization Of opposition from all
quarters, which has destroyed the pos
sibility Of constructive action.
Need of Authority.
There is little hope for success in
this task, unless it is placed in the
hands of some one responsible for 1t,
with authority and direction to act
Moreover. the consummation of COM
prehensive reorganization at one mo-
ment is not in the best public interest
Such reorganization should be under
taken gradually and Systematically,
predicated on sound and definite
! theory of government and effectuated
as the result of study and experience
gained in the actual processes OF re-
organization.
I recommend therefore that the Con-
gress provide for:
(a) Consolidation and grouping OF
the various executive and administrative
activities according to their major pur-
poses under single-headed response
bility, the Congress designating the
title of the officer to be placed in i'm
mediate charge of such groups as are
not now possible under existing organi-
zation.
(b) Adoption of the general principle
that executive and administrative func-
tions should have single-headed re-
sponsibility and that advisory, regula-
tory and quasi judicial functions should
be performed by boards and commits
sions, thus permitting the transfer OF
certain regulatory functions from ex-
ecutive officials to existing boards OF
commissions and executive functions
from boards and commissions to execu-
tive officials.
(c) Authority under proper safe
guards to be lodged in the President tc
effect these transfers and consultations
and authority to redistribute executive
groups in the 10 executive departments
of the Government or in the independ-
ent establishments, as the President
may determine, by executive order, such
executive order to lie before the Con-
gress for go days during sessions there
of before becoming effective. but be-
coming effective at the end of such pc
riod unless the Congress shall request
suspension of action.
The 10 major executive departments
and the major regulatory and financial
boards and commissions should, Of
course, be maintained. Some of these
existing agencies are already organized
upon the basis of their major purpose
but functions of the same major pur-
pose now outside Of these groups should
be transferred to them.
New Positions Necessary.
1t will be necessary also to authorize
changes in titles of some officials and
to create few new positions in order
to permit grouping and consolidation
not now possible. With the enormous
growth of governmental business there
has been great expansion and diffusion
of authority among minor officials. At
the same time. there is an insufficient
! number of officials of definite and con-
ccn.rated responsibility TO the public.