The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1932-12-30
FEDERAL REORGANIZATION

The latest Democratic plan for congress to give
the next President fuller power to reorganize the
federal government is good one. Economy and
efficiency both require reorganization.
In theory. strong case can be made against
vesting such powers in the President or any other
one man. 1t be said that the method smacks
Of autocracy. But even in democracy there come
times of crisis when short cuts necessary That
time has arrived in the Of federal organization
Admitting that this method involves evils. the
real question is to choice of evils. What is the
alternative to this plan? Inaction.
For many years there has been much talk of re-
organization Commissions have been appointed for
the purpose, such the in the Harding admin
istration. Recommendations are made. President
Hoover is the latest to make recommendations But
nothing ever is done, no large scale reorganization,
at any rate.
II this failure had occurred only once, it might
be accurate to blame one administration or one
party But obviously, a failure stretching over so
many years and administrations involves both
parties.
Experience shows that we will get nowhere with
reorganization under the present system of divided
responsibility between the President and congress.
Congress seems peculiarly unable to act in this
matter.
Perhaps it is the patronage system. Perhaps it
is the opportunity for trading and log rolling Per-
haps it is the mpossibity of two large deliberate
bodies getting together on the complicated details
and balancing of function involved in this job
Perhaps the cause is something else But what
ever the cause congress has had plenty of oppor-
tunty to achieve reorganization and has failed
Therefore, practical people, we should try
another method to get results
To be sure, there is no guarantee that Mr.. Roose-
velt-or any other President-would not abuse the
extraordinary power if it were granted him. But
that is a risk we not very we'll avoid. The
chances that he would not abuse it,
We say this not only because we have confidence
in Mr. Roosevets good intentions of such matter,
but also because the temptation of any political
official would be to err on the side of too little
rather than of too much.
At best, all that we can hope for is partial
reorganization, in which vested bureaucratic inter-
ests will be minimzed, rather than entirely elm
mated.
Above all, what the country has to fear from any
reorganization plan is that the Oldest largest
strongest and most extravagant bureaucratic organ
izstions, such as the army and the navy, will be
able to escape the pruning knife; while the
and weaker services virtually are wiped out.
The regulatory bodies which the people and
the government much more money than they cost,
such as the interstate commerce commission, and
the humanitarian bodies which save the lives and
character of the nation, such the chdren's
bureau, already are starved by inadequate appro-
priations.
They are of greatest value precisely because they
nonpolitica but, because they are nonpolitical
they not lobby effectively for appropriations or
to protect their bureaus from being submerged under
general governmental reorganization
Fortunately, Mr.. Roosevelt on his record, APP
preciates the value of the humanitarian scientific
and regulatory organs of government.