Evening star., 1932-06-21
lays S|LLSOF U.S
TO TOBUREAUCRACY
James M. Beck's Book Pre-
diets Present Government
Will Disappear.
By the Associated Press,

By the Associated Press.
NEW YORK, June 81. James NJ
Beck, former Solicitor General of the
United States and now Representative
from Pennsylvania, predicts the even
tual disappearance of Americas pres
ent form of government under the en-
croachments of Federal bureaus in his
book, Our Wonderland of Bureau
craoy," published today.
Philosophically and basically this
will be due, Beck says, to the American
peoples apathy, their willingness to
accept an apparent immediate gain at
the sacrifice of a principle, and their
lost appreciation of these moral values.
Each generation of Americans" Mr..
Beck says, Ito gain some immediate
and practical advantage. will sacrifice
some remaining principle of the Con-
stitution, until that noble edifice will
one day become as the Parthenon,
beautiful in its ruins, but nevertheless
a useless and deserted temple Of lib
erty."
Ten Million bholders.
Here are some of the things which
lead Representative Beck to his con-
cluSion:
The taxpayers are directly or indi-
rectly supporting at least 10.000,00
people in the Government, Federal
State and municipal, or one-twelfth of
the population of the country. and as
many of them exercise large discretion
ary powers, bureaucracy has become a
real menace to the welfare of the Ma
tion.
Many of the Federal bureaus have
no justification in any grant of power,
and are fast making the Constitution
mere rhapsody of words"
Publicity has been a potent factor
in the growth Of bureaucracy.
When the Government was removed in
1900 from New York to Philadelphia
all the records were shipped in seven
large and five small boxes, but in the
year 1880 it required eight hours day
for 64 linotype machines to set the
type for the printing required by one
bureau of the Department of Commerce.
Government Reports Increase.
1.-THE Public Printer reports that
copies of each Of the various annual
issues of Government publications will
fl! $50 feet of shelf space"
The Secretary of the Navy admits
In his annual report for 1881 that there
were 2,017 administrative clerks in
the department at Washington, and
45,956 at stations outside of Washing
ton. an increase from 1877 and 1925.
respectively, since the prewar year of
1916"
Had our civil service grown proper
tionately with population, it would to-
day be about 100000. Today it ap-
proximates 100000"
The House of Representatives can
never regain its lost prestige as a leg
1slative body until its membership is
reduced to about 200 members and
their tenure increased.
Above all, there should be a re-
vival of that jealousy of the rights OF
the people. so much in evidence in the
Continental Congresses the Congress of
the Confederation, and the early Con-
crosses under our Constitution.
otherwise, our form of Government
will disintegrate and become less and
Jess representative, as the bureaucracy
completes its conquest of Constitu-
zion whose ideal once was that 1t was
Tor, Of and by the people.
To prevent this the people must
reform themselves. Once they prided
themselves upon the fact they lived
under benign and free Government
To-day many are Indifferent to the fate
bf their Constitution.
ITO them government Is an agency
70 live on, and not under"