Evening star., 1933-03-23
TRADE COMMISSION
MAY Be ABOLISHED
Plan Calls for Distribution of
Power to Commerce and
Justice Offices.
BY G. GOULD LINCOLN.

President Roosevelt will, 1t Is re-
ported, be called upon soon to determine
whether the Federal Trade Commission
is to continue as an independent agency
Of the Government.
In the reorganization plan for the
Federal Government, which has been
in major part already drawn up by the
Presidents advisers and Is now believed
to be in the hands Of Director Lewis
Douglas of the Budget. there is reported
to be proposal to dismembef the
Trade Commission. The economic d.
vision, under this plan. would 60 into
the Department Of Commerce and the
legal stan Of the commission into the
Department Of Justice.
In the name of governmental economy
it Is proposed to do away with this
independent agency of the Government,
designed to protect the American public
and American business against unfair
trade practices and monopoly. This
agency was set up in 1914, almost a
score Of years ago. on the earnest
recommendation Of the last Democratic
President, the late Woodrow Wilson.
Senator Norris of Nebraska, a cham
pion of the Trade Commission, when
told today of the reported proposal to
do away with the commission as an in
dependent Government agency, said:
"Such action would be Intellectual. I
do not believe that President Roosevelt
would do any such thing"
Will Defend Agency.
abandonment of the Federal Trade
Commission as an Independent agency
Of the Government, having quasi
judicial functions. Senator Norris,
Senator Robert M. La Toilette Of
ators and Representatives who strong
ly resisted the attempt In the
last Congress to hamstring the Trade
Commission by cutting in half the ap-
preparation asked In the budget, are
retention of the commission as an in
dependent agency.
leader in the last Congress for legis-
lation granting wide powers to the
President to reorganize the Govern
ment, said today that so far as he
knew, no plan to divide up the Fed
eral Trade Commission and place q
part under the Executive Department
had been advanced. He said he was
sure that II such plans were being con-
sidered it was entirely tentative, and
that no decision in the matter had
been reached.
Once the economic division of the
commission has been merged In the
Department Of Commerce and the legal
staff has been shunted into the Depart
ment Of Justice, 1t is argued that all
the valuable functions now performed
by the commission will become part
Of the administrative executive depart
ments. Right there Is where politics
may enter into the matter. As the COM
mission now stands, 1t Is independent
Of the control OF an administration;
it can function without the slightest
chance that politics may enter to cover
up facts that should be developed. The
commission. under the law, Is composed
of five members, not more than three
ntical party.
The Congress, in the appropriation
bill for the Treasury and Post Office
Departments, passed at the last ses-
sion, gave the President power to re-
organize the Government even to the
extent Of doing away with independent
agencies such as the Federal Trade
Commission or the Interstate Commerce
Commission or to merge them with
the major executive departments.
Rests With President.
President Roosevelt has, to all intents
and purposes, the final decision regard
ing the fate Of the Trade Commission.
Regarded as q progressive, the Presi-
dent has never been considered an
enemy to the Trade Commission or
to the work which 1t performs. One