The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1933-04-13
SIMMONS GETS
CARS POWER
IN NEW SETUP
BIuffton Man Is King Bee
in Reorganization of.
State Government.
EFFECTIVE SATURDAY
Named Head of Department
of Public Works, With
Great Authority.

Virgil (Skits) Simmons, Button,
becomes No. man in Governor
Paul v McNutt's official family, un-
der the final reorganization of the
state government, effective Satur-
day.
Appointment Of Simmons as chief
administrative officer of the depart
ment Of public works was an
nounced by the Governor today,
when he gave the final draft of the
eight departments.
Final decision on departmental
grouping was made by the Governor
Wednesday night, after conferences
with several department heads. r.
Earl Peters. Democratic state cEair-
man, and Tom Taggart, Democratic
national committeeman from In
diana.
Given Wide Power Range
Under the plan, the department
of public works, with Simmons as
chief executive, has control over th-
conservation department, highway
commission, excise director, bureaN
OF printing, buildings and property
worlds fair commission, World war
memorial, George Rogers Clark
memorial, and the state purchasing
department.
This group puts Simmons OVCV all
state departments where major eX-
pcnditureS will be made.
With Simmons as administrative
officer Will be the governing board
composed of the Governor, Lieuten-
ant-GOvernor NJ Clifford Townsend,
James D. Adams. chairman of the
state highway commission, and Paul
Fry, state purchasing agent and
excise director.
Final Decision With McNutt
Simmons would have power to
over-rule any departmental deci-
sions, but all appointees are subject
to removal by the Governor, which
gives the chief executive absolute
power, in the last analysis.
Simmons has been a member of
the unofficial cabinet" group, WITH
headquarters at the Indianapolis
Athletic Club He assisted in pre-
paration and passage of admins
tration bills during the legislature
A former member of the house,
Simmons is a Democratic district
chairman and member of the state
committee His new position will
carry salary of $4,000.
Mayr Gets Crumbs
Other departmental groupings,
under the Cight-division plan, follow
generally the tentative draft made
by MCNutt during the session of
the legislature, when the reorgani-
cation bill was passed
An exception, however, is the de-
partment of state of which Secre-
tary of State Frank Mayr, Jr, is
chief administrative officer.
AT first Mayr drew a complete
blank and was to be Shorn Of all
power But, under the final ar
rangement. his office retains the
corporation and securities divisions,
election commission, and all profess
Sionsl licensing boards.
Can Make shifts
Governor McNutt pointed out
however. that additional shifts can
be made by him at any time. The
reorganization law gives the Gov
CrnOr complete power over all
boards commissions. departments
institutions and. above all, the purse
strings. He can shift funds at will
among his eight new divisions.
The Governor has contended that
around S3.0O00O0 Will be saved by
his reorganization plan He pointed
out that $4,000 will be saved in the
health department, 100000 in con-
servation, and that the highway de-
partment already has cut costs SIS
600 week.