Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1936-12-23
BUSINESS PLAN
PROCUREMENT
PRESIDENTS AIM
Reorganization of Executive
Branch to End Waste Is
His Objective.
SPECIAL COMMITTEE
WORKS ON PROBLEM
Further Conferences to Be Held
Before Recommendations Go
to Congress.
BY J. RUSSELL YOUNG.

President Rooeevelt's main objective
In bringing about a reorganization of
the executive branch of the Govern
ment will be to establish a good, sound
business organization.
Saving money will not be a primary
objective in this undertaking. The
Presidents study of this problem al
ready has convinced him that while
the mere saving of money is desirable,
it should not be the paramount objec-
tive. His purpose is TO eliminate
waste, to abolish duplication of effort
and to remove overlapping authority,
all Of which will 60 toward developing
a real business establishment OF
greater efficiency and accomplishment.
This was brought out at yesterdays
White House press conference.
To bring about any great saving
by reorganization it would be neces-
sary actually to abolish some func-
tons as well as to limit the functions
of other agencies, and it is doubtful
if this can be done without sacrifice
ing efficiency.
The President recently has held
conferences with the special commit
tee appointed by him some months
ago to make study of reorganization,
and he will have further conferences
with this body before he sets down on
paper any definite plan to be recon-
mended to Congress.
Charles C.. Merriam and Luther
Gulick. members of the committee,
had White House appointments today.
Will Confer With Byrd.
The President will confer in the
near future with Senator Byrd of Vir-
ginia, chairman of special Senate
committee studying the reorganization
problem, and Representative Buch-
anan of Texas, who heads similar
committee in the House. Just how
these two congressional committees
and the President will consolidate their
ideas for definite plan has not yet
been revealed. Neither has the Presi-
dent decided Just how he will present
the matter to Congress.
The manner in which the President
is approaching the reorganization
problem strongly suggests that he will
be Influenced greatly by the reorgani-
zation done by Alfred E. Smith when
the latter was Governor of New York
State, by Senator Byrd when he was
Governor of Virginia and by Frank
o. Lowden when he was Governor of
Illinois. In the case of New York
there were l20 independent agencies
in the State government, all of which
reported to the Governor. When
Governor Smith completed his reor.
ganization plan they were reduced to
ID. All of the other agencies were
placed in one of these 10 established
departments.
1t has been developed in the Presi-
dents study that it is more practicable
to have smaller number of Govern
ment departments or agencies. This
does not mean that the President is
contemplating a reduction in the
present number of established depart.
ments. In fact. his plan may include
a provision for increasing the num-
Der possibly by two. A department of
public welfare may be considered es-
sential, as we'll as a new department
to take over all the public works
functions. The President himself is
not authority for this speculation, but
it is being considered by some Of his
advisers.
Consultations Held Timely.
The study of reorganization so far
has indicated that consultations and
transfer of activities from one de-
partment to another are desirable. A
number of old established depart
mental bureaus are doing work today
entirely different from the work they
were doing 20 years ago.
Among bureaus of the Government
whose work has been greatly changed
in recent years is the Procurement Di-
vision of the Treasury Department.
Another problem is presented by
the quasi-judicial agencies in the Gov
eminent. The heads of these agencies
are appointed by the President, but
he has little if any authority over
their functions and most of them re-
port directly to Congress and not to
him. There are approximately 100 Of
these agencies. Study suggests that
the administrative functions of these
agencies be transferred under the di-
rect SllrerviSior If thu Dree;da,t