Evening star., 1932-12-20
BINGHAM CR|T|C|zES'
REORGAN|z|NGP PLAN
Independent Agencies Offer
Major Question, He Says
= in Forum Talk.


possibility of limiting the operations of
the larger independent agencies. Sena-
tor Bingham, Republican, OF Connecti-
cut, said last night in an address in
the National Radio Forum, arranged by
The Washington Star, and broadcast
over the COaSt-to-cCaSt network of the
National Broadcasting Co.
Senator Bingham, who is chairman
of the Senate Economy Committee,
spoke through WRC, discussing the de-
velopment Of the many agencies in the
executive branch of the Government,
and the present reorganization plan
advanced by President Hoover.
Cost to Exceed Savings.
The principal independent groups
are untouched by this program, Bing-
ham said, and whether or not the
by most of the proposals now being
considered in the Congress is not so
easy to determine" He added that
''one of the leading financial experts in
the Government is authority for the
statement that the cost of carrying
out the various proposals will exceed
any possible savings. certainly during
the first year, by possibly a million
dollars"
Summing up, he said:
The big problem still remains as to
whether the administrative duties con-
cerned with semi-judicial boards. like
the Interstate Commerce Commission
the Federal Trade Commission the
Federal Radio Commission and others
in that category might not be better
transferred to definite members of the
cabinet. the boards reduced in size and
restricted to judicial rather than ad-
mtniStrative functions. That would ef-
feet real economies, but it is still in
the future.
Text of Address.
Senator Binghams address follows:
During the political campaign Just
past both political parties recommended
reorganization. The platform OF the
Democratic party contains the follow
ing plank: We advocate an immediate
and drastic reduction of governmental
expenditures by abolishing useless COM
missions and offices. consolidating de-
partmentS and bureaus and eliminating
extravaganza to accomplish a saving of
not less than 25 per cent in the cost of
Federal Government The Republican
platform contains the following: We
urge prompt and drastic reduction Of
public expenditure and resistance to
every appropriation not deronstrably
necessary to the performance of the
essential functions OF government. ma
tional or local. Efficiency and economy
demand reorganization of Government.
bureaus
Both are clear and concise ans in
accord with the wishes Of the people Of
the United States.
The question of reorganization is not
o new one. In 1920 Joint Congress
sional Committee on Reorganization
was created by act of Congress. That
committee made certain recommended
tions.
THE President has also sent to Con-
greSS very recently an important mes
sage on this subject There is not time
this evening to consider the historical
development of the executive branch of
the Government or the many interest
ing details in the growth Of the Federal
administrative agencies. Needless to
say, the details of form and organiza-
tion in the many Government depart
ments are constantly changing as the
results of congressional and adminiStra-
tive action. Unfortunately, hardly
session of Congress passes without the
enactment of legislation creating new
executive agencies, Transforming old
ones or imposing new or larger duties
upon existing establishments. Hardly
q year goes by when some executive
department does not organize new
bureau or division for the purpose of
carrying out new requirements Of law.
1.-THE departments and establishments
are not more than the instruments
made available to carry into execution
the laws from time to time enacted by
Congress.
In sense then. the executive
branch of Government is composite
resulting from the action of successive
Congresses each of which adds to OF
subtracts from the duties of existing
bureaus and offices, and occasionally
creates new agencies as it prescribes
new functions. It is but natural under
these circumstances to find some need
for reorganization. involving the sinful
taneouS consideration of the work done
by all services and such rearrangements
as may be necessary to reduce duplica-
tions Of activities and to bring about
more effective administration.
Irregularities Well Known.
1.-THE irregularities Of organization
which exist in the executive establish
ments today are probably well known
to every one who follows public affairs.
Unanim1ty Of opinion in matters of de-
tail IS not found among students OF
government, and, of course, could not
be expected. But there is substantial
agreement that attention should be
given to the presence in certain depart
ments Of bureaus or offices which per-
form functions having little or no ap-
parent relation to the major depart
mental purposeS-the maintenance by
two or more departments of agencies
which do work in the same or analogous
fields of activity, and the existence of
considerable number of governmental
agencies outside the 10 executive de-
partmentS.
In the main, these conditions are so
evident that it is hardly necessary to
discuss them at any length as matters
of fact. The Treasury Department fur
nishes a good example of the condition
first cited 1t IS the fiscal agency OF
the Government. But in addition to its
fiscal bureaus it includes such patiently
non-fiscal esta blishments as the Public
Health Service and the Supervising
Architects Office. The War Depart
ment embraces a large organization
engaged in public works CT strictly
civil character The administration of
national forests and of the Govern
ments public roads program Is intrusted
to the Department of Agriculture, al
though on their face these matters seem
to have but an indirect relation to the
major functions of that department.
And so it goes. There is hardly de-
partment which does not have some
administrative task or other which has
no apparent connection with the larger
problems absorbing its chief interest.
1T should not be supposed however,
~
structural defects. that they are irregu-
larities which necessarily must be elm
mated in orcer to pave the way to
effective administration. In the case
of the War Department and the De-
partment of Agriculture the facts are
not so clear. There are those who be-
lieve strongly that much or all of the
civil engineering work of the War De-
partment should be permitted to remain
in its present status, and also there
are those who believe that the pres
Of D,,h1io PnoHc ond