Evening star., 1932-12-30
Government Reorganization.

as it has been revealed, for balancing
the budget Is drastic reorganization
Of the Government. His plan Is to re.
duce expenditures rather than to in
crease taxes. It has a pleasant sound
except for the many employees and
officials of the Government whose heads
may fall into the basket. The Democrats
In Congress are planning, therefore. to
abandon their program for a new rev.
enue bill, upon which they set forth few
days ago. Instead they are to work on
an amendment to the appropriation
bills or on single bill which would
give to the President-elect broad and
sweeping powers" to make consolida-
tions and eliminations Of governmental
bureaus. The broad and sweeping powers
so far appear to be rather in con-
versation than in fact, and more In the
conversation from Albany than from
Washington. .'he members Of Congress
are still reluctant to yield to any Presi-
dent the power to cut and slash the
Government bureaus which Congress
has set up. without attaching string
whereby the Congress would have a
veto Of the cutting and slashing, II 1t
so desired.
Members Of Congress today, partic-
ularly the Democrats, who are about to
have all the responsibility Of Govern
ment. are quite willing to admit that
the costs Of Government must be re-
duced. At the same time, however, the
Congress as a whole Is not ready to
abdicate its control over the purse
strings-not yet. When it does the
Chief Executive will have been clothed
with all the powers Of a dictator, a
Mussolini, Louis XIV. Speaker Gar
ner, who is to become Vice President on
March 4, knowing the temper Of the
House and the traditions Of Congress,
is not so much inclined to let his en-
thusiasm run away with his judgment
as some Of the other Roosevelt sup
porters in Congress. The Speaker.
while declaring his entire support Of
the idea that Governent economies
must be made and expressing his desire
to have the President ELECT try out his
economy ideas. added: "At the same
time Congress would keep control Of the
situation"
After the World War, when the Gov
vernment had been extended to meet
the war needs and vast army Of en-
ployes were on the pay rolls, the pro-
posal was advanced that President
Harding be given the power to eliminate
and cut and slash. A commission was
provided for also to work out plan
for governmental reorganization. Mr..
Harding, like Gov. Roosevelt. had been
swept into Office on an avalanche OF
votes. In the end, however, such cuts
as were made came through the action
of Congress and the plans for reorgani-
zation Of the Government got prac-
tically nowhere. President Hoover was
given authority by the present Con-
gress to make consultations and
changes in the Government service, but
1t attached a proviso that Congress
could veto these changes If it was
not satisfied with them. Recently the
President sent to the Congress his exec
utive orders for many transfers Of bu-
reaus, and before a week had elapsed
it became clear that the Congress plan
ned to turn down these changes In the
Government service.
The Hoover plan for reorganization
has been attacked in some quarters be-
cause 1t does not 60 far enough. Well,
let Mr.. Roosevelt send in plan, for
example, which places the Farm Board
in the Department Of Agriculture, and
by which the Federal Trade Commis-
sion becomes q bureau in the Depart
ment of Commerce, and listen to the
roar that will 60 up. The changes sug-
gested are not here advocated, but
merely advanced as examples OF what
might be done under a drastic plan OF
consolidation.
There Is one way by which IT is pos
sible to reorganize the Government
expansion. When it comes to contrac-
ton. all the history Of the past is against
success. However, the idea Of saving
the taxpayers money is attractive and
and Democrats alike will
continue to hold out the hope OF gov
ernmental reorganization.