Evening star., 1932-12-10
Speaker Says Congress Is
Against Taking Rivers and
Harbors From Army.
TWO GROUPS TO STUDY
PLAN EARLY NEXT WEEK
Expenditures and Economy Com
mittees to Meet on Hoover
Proposals.

Speaker Garner told newspaper men
today that opponents in Congress of
some Of President Hoover's regrouping
of Government agencies probably will
get through some action" to stop re-
organizations they object to.
Garner said "the sentiment of Con-
gress is against" transfer of rivers and
harbors work from the War Depart
ment to the Interior Department, as
proposed yesterday by the President.
For 10 years, he said, Congress has
refused to let this work be taken away
from the Army Engineers, but, he OBJ
served:
"Of course, every time before the
transfer has required congressional ac-
ton. This time the situation is differ
ent-if Congress does nothing, the
transfer becomes effective. 1t must act
to stop it."
Either House May Act.
House parliamentarians have held
that any phase of the regrouping
ordered by President Hoover can be
stopped by a simple resolution agreed
to by majority of either House or
Senate, and that joint action is not
needed.
With action on the Presidents plan
due early next week before the
House Committee on Expenditures and
the Senate Economy Committee, there
was arising on Capitol Hill, par
ticularly on the House side, considerable
opposition to some of the proposals.
Chairman Cochran of the House
Expenditures Committee, which will
meet Tuesday, announced that his
group would begin study of the
Presidents message Immediately. He
said his committee would insist upon
knowing how much savings in the cost
of Government could be effected by
carrying out the reorganization pro-
posals.
Bureau Heads Summoned.
The heads of all of the Government
bureaus affected by the Presidents re-
organization plan will be called before
the Special Senate Economy Committee
to give their views, 1t was announced by
Chairman Bingham.
The date for beginning these hearings
on the Presidents recommendations has
not been fixed, but Senator Bingham
called a meeting for Monday to confer
with Treasury officials on one phase OF
reorganization which has been proposed
by Senator King, Democrat, OF Utah, to
combine the disbursing agencies OF the
Government. The Utah Senator has
just prepared lengthy bill on the
subject. The Economy Committee has
invited Secretary of the Treasury Mills,
Controller General McCarl, Budget d.
rector Roop and Gen. Frank T. Hines,
director of veterans affairs, to discuss
the consolidation of disbursing agencies.
Senator Bingham said the confer
ences dealing with the Presidents plan
will not start until the Economy Com
mittee has disposed of the proposed
changes in the economy law affecting
working conditions throughout the Gov
ernment service, on which hearings
were held earlier in the week. These
questions include the future Of the fur
Tough plan and the proposed additional
percentage cut. bans on promotions and
filling vacancies as well as other pro-
visions of the law regarded by en-
ployes as inequitable.
viii Require Study.
Commenting individually on the Pres
identS reorganization plan, Senator
Bingham described it as the most revo-
lutionary reorganization scheme that
could be imagined and one that will
require months of careful study because
1t affects countless acts of Congress
establishing various agencies.
Senator Bingham said that in general
he favors reorganization where the saw
ing might not diminish efficiency, ''but
casual examination Of some of the
recommendations leads me to doubt
whether the gain will equal the losses"
Commenting on the proposal to
abolish the Board of Trustees of the
National Training School for Boys with
a transfer of its duties to the District
of Columbia Board of Public Welfare,
Senator Bingham said this would tend
to place the expense of this institution
on the District.
Some House members were reported
preparing to organize powerful blocs to
prevent the shifting of 58 Federal
agencies and the elimination of Is
others.
Senate Less Critical.
In the Senate there was less criti-
cisn, and both Democratic and Repub-
lican leaders thought the changes would
become automatically effective within
so days-as the law provides-without
opposition from that branch of Congress
There was particular objection in the
House to the proposal that the rivers
and harbors and flood control work be
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