Evening star., 1933-03-21
The I. c. c. and Reorganization.

A large part Of the work Of reor-
ganizing and resrouping the govern
mental agencies consists Of talking
about what might be done. The new
administrations reorganization plans
are now in the talking stage. 1t Is
characteristic of such plans that, just
as the fish In the Department Of Com
merce aquarium are getting acclimated
and really beginning to feel at home in
their relatively new surroundings. there
is talk OF moving them to the Depart
ment Of the Interior. This talk, Of
course. disturbs the fish. Instead Of
laying eggs and settling into the nor
NAL, daily routine Of happy, contented
fish, they are now engaged in . tre-
mendous amount of futile swimming in
circles. This Is, Of course, highly dam
aging to the morale of the fish, and
will continue to be damaging until 1t
is finally announced that the fish will
remain where they are.
The steel workers and the stone
masons are now At work ON the new
Interstate Commerce Commission Build
ing at 18th street and Constitution ave.
nue.. It Is not known whether their
morale, like that Of the fish, has been
damaged by reports that the I. c. c. Is
going to be placed In new transporta-
ton bureau under the Department Of
Commerce. But II they are wise steel
workers and stone masons they will
continue at work on the new building,
moderately assured that when it is COM
pleted the !. c. G. will move into 1t
as planned, and not into the Depart
ment of Commerce.
1t might be regarded as certain that
this administration will accomplish q
regrouping Of all Of the Governments
transportation agencies under one head.
The proposal for such q regrouping Is
generally regarded as sound, one Of the
major reforms sought by governmental
reorganization. But it will not come
about without q continued period Of dis
cussion. Much Of the discussion will re-
volve around the future Of the I. G. c..
and whether that Independent agency Is
to lose its independence as well as much
of its individuality by being merged
with other agencies now concerned with
forms Of transportation other than the
railroads, or whether the I. G. C.. viii
be the nucleus about which will be
formed the new transportation unit,
with the I. c. c. reorganized only to the
extent that it will be able to supervise
all transportation as well as railroad
transportation.
In q separate and supplemental re-
port, Al Smith disagreed with his COL
leagues who wrote the recent National
Transportation Committees recommen-
dations on regional consolidation Of the
railroads by declaring:
I favor the abolition OF the Inter-
state Commerce Commission and the
creation in its place of a new depart
ment of transportation headed by one
man, or q one-man bureau head in the
Department Of Commerce, determining
policies with the approval of the Secre-
tary Of Commerce. What we need is a
new transportation system, not endless
hearings on Q system that does not
work.
But the committee report recon-
mended that the I. G. c., instead Of
being scrapped, should be reorganized
and declared, that the studies of the
committee clearly indicate the advis-
ability Of extension Of regulatory juris-
diction to the whole transportation
system"-the rebuilt machinery Of the
I. c. G. handling the larger task. The
Brockings Institution, which made q
study for the National Transportation
Committee, recommended that the /.
G. G. be vested with control Of all
forms Of transportation. THE Inter-
State Commerce Commission" the re-
port held, is clearly the logical Federal
agency to exercise control over inter-
state rates and service. With single
exception 1t is the only Federal body
that has authority over rates. The
exception Is the United States Shipping
Board, wldch y primarily concerned