Evening star., 1933-01-04
HOOVER EFFORTS
ROOSEvELT'S GAIN
Democratic Explanation of
Delay in Reorganizing An
-
L, Z, ticipated by G. 0. P.
BY MARK SULLIVAN.

BY MARK SULLIVAN.
i what the Republicans and wash
ingtor generally row anticipate from
the Democrats Is q statement Of the
reasons why the Democrats prefer to
wait and have President-elect Roose-
welt put In effect reorganization OF
Government departments when one has
already been worked out by President
Hoover, was laid before Congress by
him on December o. and would auto
Y1atically go into effect go days later,
unless Congress. by affirmative action,
guspends It.
ri is presumed, indeed it has already
been announced. that the Democrats
controlling the House will suspend Mr..
Hoover's reorganization in order to give
MIR. Roosevelt the opportunity to do the
work.
Surnise about the motives Of the
Democratic action cover. of course.
wide range. There could be at least
one perfectly legitimate reason. 1t may
be that the Democrats think President
Hoover's reorganization does not go far
enough and wish to make more thor
'oughgoing one. Washington, habit
aiIally cynical. smiles with more than
unusual broadness at the notion that
"A new party entering into power with
an enormous mass of its members
clamoring for Jobs will actually lop
of more Offices from the Government
bureaus than would be Topped of in
the reorganization worked out by the
retiring President.
View Of Development.
Washington. indeed, has always
doubted whether 1t is political posi-
bility for either party at any time to
really effect genuine and material re-
-duction tn the number of politically
valuable Federal Offices. Since WASH
inrton habitually feels this way, 1t now
tends to regard the present development
as merely the latest in long series OF
actions which have postponed and de-
feated Government reorganization for
20 years.
Notwithstanding this skepticism
close examination of the long history
of the movement shows that in its re-
cent stages it has made real progress
toward fulfillment. The proposal first
attracted sensa tional attention during
the Taft administration when Senator
Aldrich said that if given free hand
to revamp the Government organization
as any private business would have 1t,
he could reduce expenses by 25 per cent.
The Taft administration made gesture
toward It. The Wilson administration
promised to do 1t, but the war inter-
vened and necessarily brought about
an immense enlargement Of Federal
functions When President Harding en-
tered Office following the war. the prob
lem was more serious than ever.
Harding Efforts Futile.
Harding as he took Office hopefully
Reorganization of the Government de-
g. h. En &oy1 lit1ey
achievement of his administration by
which he would be known in history.
Nothing, however was done. Nothing
was done in the Coolidge administration.
Although Hr. Hoover repeatedly urged
the action, nothing was done untn last
June
Throughout all this the picture was
one of all Presidents recommending the
reorganization, but Congress at all times
refusing to act. It was clearly demon
strated that 1t was politically impossible
for Congress to enact such reorganiza-
ton. The reason was and is that each
oficeholder who would be removed or
transferred, and each local community
that would receive less Government
money. Laid down" on its Congressman.
The aggregate Of this pressure made
reconciliation by Congress literally i'm
possible. The thing could only be done
II Congress would first bind itself not
TO interfere.
Then, Oh June 80 last, q real step
forwa.u IS taken. Congress pressed
by President Hoover and by public opin.
ion, abdicated to q degree its power.
1t authorized President Hoover to make
the needed reductions and transfers,
and it decfeed in advance that the
changes. should 90 into effect. This au-
.thorization was subject only to the
limitation that Congress should have 60
days in which to veto whatever the
President might do. This was a quite
real abdication by Congress. Congress
reduced its own control from a complete
one, which could only be exercised by
affirmative legislation, to mere power
70 veto II 1t chose, whatever the Presi-
dent should do.
Changes by Hoover.
!. Mr.. Hoover made the changes, among
others consolidating 58 Government de-
pArtments into nine, and reported his
action to Congress on December 8.
Congress. or at least the Democratic
House, now proposes to use its power
to veto and at the same time announce
they will have Mr.. Roosevelt do the
work after he Is in Office.
Washington tends skeptically to
think this is the same old story, that
the forces which have prevented re-
Organization for 20 years are now do
ing the same thing in new way.
The suspicion is, in part, probably
unjust. Presidert-elect Roosevelt may
have the most earnest intention to do
the work and do it with great thorough
pess. He may, however. have the ex-
pe-ience Of five Presidents preceding
him in discovering that the forces op-
posed will again find a way to save
what they regard their vested in
terests.
tCopyrlght 1933)