Evening star., 1936-12-27
SMALL GAIN SEEN
in REORGANIZATION
While Costs May Remain
About Same, Roosevelt
Views Compact Staff.


The sprawling Federal Government,
which has grown upwards and side
ways at an amazing rate in the last
four years, Is about to be pruned.
That is, it will be pruned. provided
the Federal bureaus-the group bene-
ficiaries in the public at large, the
Federal employees and their oficials-
do not raise too much fuss against
tampering with the status quo. That
is q broad proviso.
One thing in favor Of measure Of
success in the administrative reorgan-
ization Of government which Presi-
dent Roosevelt plans Is the authori-
tative advance assurance that no
existing function Of the Government
Is likely to be abandoned and that
the rank and file of employees will
continue to be on the pay roll, doing
the same work they are doing now.
The Presidents idea is to correlate
and realign and, to a certain extent,
abolish names and titles. Instead Of
. multitude of departments, agencies
and commissions. all more or less re-
porting directly to the White House.
and many Of them semi-independent,
ne would have them grouped along
functional lines. His purpose would
be to have perhaps 20 administrators
reporting to him where there may have
been $50 previously.
Means No Great Saving.
While this assurance as to the
Presidents formula for reorganization
may aid the mechanical success Of the
proposition, the assurance itself elimi-
mates the possibility OF that kind of
success which in the popular con-
ception is held to be an attribute OF
a far-reaching reorganization plan.
Small economies are envisioned in the
White House formula. No important
activities of the Government will be
abandoned. Pay rolls will continue
substantially unaffected. In other
words, if Mr.. Roosevelt's ideas are
fully carried out, 1t will mean no large
savings in Federal expenditures.
IIlS AlCdAlo tA1at tAAS PAo~SOo VA ~
shufning departments, bureaus and
agencies Is not going to have much
bearing on the new level Of .
$1,000, 100000 annual Federal sx-
penditure which has taken the place
of the $500, ,0O0, 900 level of the early
'2Os and the $4,000, ,0O0,0 level of
1890 and 1881.
Nor will the contemplative reor-
ganization have very much bearing
on the number Of Federal employees.
On March /, 1888, q few days before
Mr.. Roosevelt was inaugurated for his
first term the number Of civil en-
ployes in all governmental depart
ments and agencies exclusive of the
judiciary. the legislative and the mill
tary establishments was $50, ,487. On
October 81, 1896, according to the
latest figures Of the Civil Service Com
mission. the corresponding number Of
employees was 84l,0l7. This was o
gain Of about SO per cent in . little
less than four years.
Small Part Of Cost.
The Presidents studies have indi.
Gated that corresponding State gov
ernment reorganizations have made
savings Of between / and per Get.
One per cent Of $1,000, ,000, 900 would,
of course, be considerable, but the per-
centage figure would have to be ap-
piled to q very much smaller item In
the expenditures. It would not apply
to the $500 900 900 Of A. A. A. bene-
fits, the $500, 900 900 for social Sc
curity, the 100000 in interest
charges on the public debt, the $780,
100000 in the budget for debt
retirement. the 81 900 .000, 900 for ma
tional defense, the $500 600, 900 for
veterans pensions and benefits, the
$500, ,000, 900 for the c. c. c. nor the
great part Of the $500, ,000, 900
conservatively estimated, which will
be spent for the Presidents recovery
and relief program in the coming
year.
But beyond the item Of some small
savings and some curtailment Of per-
sonnel, or at least . curb on its ex-
pansion. there Is very practical and
highly desirable objective foreseen in
q comprehensive reorganization. This
lies in the field Of administrative EN-
cheney. As the Presidents advisers
see 1t, an efficiently operating Federal
means better service to
the country and indirect savings of
substantial proportions in the long
run for the Nations economic ma
chine as . whole. It is physically I'm
possible for the President Is Chief
Executive to keep in touch with $50
agencies Of one kind or another.
Proper administration requires their
under responsible on
GERS few enough In number to be In
intimate contact with the President.