Evening star., 1936-10-12
BYRD COMMITTEE
FEELS PRESSURE
Virginia Senator, However,
Intends to Force Show
down on Agency Cuts.
BY WILL p. KENNEDY.

Pressure against abolishing or cur
failing certain Federal agencies in
the proposed reorganization Of the
administrative branch Of the Govern
ment is already being felt by the
special Senate committee, headed by
Senator Byrd of Virginia. This press
ure is exerted. Cd from within by
those who fear reduction of personnel,
activities or prestige, and ~ groups
whose interests are being served by
that particular unit. In the last 25
years such pressure" has repeatedly
thwarted reorganization efforts, and
Senator Byrd. who is determined to
rush the reorganization, intends to
force a showdown on the issue. He
will call into counsel with his COM
mittee E. Pendleton Herring, profess
sor of government at Harvard Uni
versity. who has written extensively
on Reorganization of the Federal
Bureaucracy" and Public Admins
tration and the Public Interest"
Prof. Herring has pointed out that
"a bureau can tempt support OF
Congress through the jobs it makes
possible" and says that 1.-The con-
gressional maxim seems to be:
"Upsetting the applicant never but
ters political parsnips."
Bill Was Pigeonholed.
An illustration of how cabinet
officers disagree over reorganization
proposals was given when bill
sponsored by Chairman Cochran OF
the House Committee on Expenditures
to change the Interior Department
into a Department of Conservation
and Works was pigeonholed by his
own committee. Secretary Ickes was
strong for it, saying that the name
Interior had become more of an
epitaph than a designation. Secretary
Wallace vigorously opposed the
Cochran bill on the ground that
many phases of conservation are
primarily agricultural, and said that
to concentrate all conservation activi-
ties in one department Is neither
possible nor desirable.
How special interest rroups have
oAtSOooAully OkROcCo 50hADaeAOAA
proposals is shown by a few ilIustra-
tions: The reorganization plan sub
mitted by Walter F. Brown during
the Harding administration pro-
posed uniflcation of merchant marine
activities, but this was blocked by
a large group of shipping concerns.
The big national organizations Of
farmers have always successfully op-
posed any regrouping that might
weaken the Department of Agricui-
ture. The American Federation Of
Labor vigorously objected to the pro-
posed transfer of the Children's
Bureau and the Women's Bureau
from the Department of Labor to
q contemplated new department of
public works.
Pressure Has Dictated.
Prot. Herring emphasizes that there
has been no united nor consistent
concept of the proper limits Of govern
mental activity and that pressure,
rather than merit, has dictated the
services the Government has under
taken. Group pressure is brought
to bear when curtailment is threat
ened. or feared, In services from which
members Of the group benefit.
Senator Byrd hopes to get his
committee together soon after the
elections next month, and will then
arrange for public hearings on various
phases Of reorganization. He has ap-
pointed Haywood Bell. formerly of
the Associated Press, as secretary to
his committee and has q mass OF
information collected and co-ordinated
for use by the committee.