Evening star., 1936-12-06

for all their military character they
are but civilian employees in charge Of
the barracks and management of the
camps.
For the Army to take over the camps
in any reorganization plan affecting
them would be to make them centers
for military instruction of youth. This
has been advocated. Gen. Moseley Is
not the first to broach the subject.
The camps here would become an
integral part of the Army, welfare
would no longer be one of their rea-
sons for existence. all youth in the
land would be eligible for enrolment
and their general character would be
training in the military for national
defense. From the Army the camp
enrollees would go forth to the various
fields Of activity of the Interior De-
partment and the Agriculture De-
partment But their administra ton
and full responsibility would be that
Of the Army.
camps, the Agriculture Department
and the Interior Department also have
been rumored as interested. The Agri.
culture Department, with its vast. far
flung activities in connection with the
national forests, soil conservation
Biological Survey, Animal Industry.
Plant Industry and engineering, is
reported as more than interested in
control Of the camps This department
has already full control of c. C. C.
enrollees in Alaska and Puerto Rico.
Another argument advanced by Ag-
riculture control proponents is that
about three -fourths of the camps to-
day are devoted to Agriculture De-
partment projects. These cover the
United States ana overseas posses
sions. They range the field enumer-
ated in the paragraph above. The
corps would be valuable to the de-
partment also in carrying out its
long-range programs. largely intensi.
fed by the economic times We are
now on.
In the case of the Interior Depart
ment the work there is largely forest
and conservation work Today. with
the exception of few camps centered
around military reservations. the bulk
of the quarter Of camps remaining,
outside Of those on Agriculture prof.
ects. are doing work for the Interior
Department. The argument against
the Interior Department is that il
could not supply work for the entire
camp set-up-some 1000 scattered
throughout the country.
To meet this situation there would
have to be, undoubtedly. some shift
ing Of conservation work from other
departments to the Interior Depart
ment. This has been advocated by
Secretary Ickes Last Congress he
stood for a bill introduced to change
the name Of the Interior Department
to that of Conservation, heading into
the department all conservation work
Of the Government The bill failed
Attention Of Congress.
Present indications are that the
c. c. c. will receive a great deal o1
attention in the forthcoming Congress
When the item of appropriation comes
up for consideration-an item that
will run around $500 900 to $4.000,.
600 - for the continuation of the
camps through to June 80, 1888. there
will come up the question of the
future Of the c. c. c. In the discus
sion there will be heard those who
favor its transfer to the Army. to the
Agriculture Department, to the In.
terror. There will also be heard the
present administrators of the camp.
as q separate emergency unit, as II
now exists. To date politics has moi
entered into its administration: bu,
as it approaches its end of usefulness
caused by returning prosperity, there
Is bound to be some grasping for its
control by the several interested de.
partments Of the Government.
Further, over and above all this is
the question of sufficient work
throughout the country to keep 800. 900
men busy the year round. The for
ests of the nation are pretty well
cleaned up today; trails have been
built back into the hinterland woods: /:
firebreaks have been built: streams
have been put under control-a thou
sand and one projects, all having for
their objective the conservation and
continued upkeep along a high type
plane Of the natural resources Of the
country, have been performed by the
c. c. c. Is it necessary to keep 300,-
900 men yearly on the job?
It Is these thoughts that are re-
volving around c. c. c., the most pop
ular and without question, the leading
useful emergency project of President
Roosevelt. But founded on human well
fare, based on the need Of relief and
slipping on that ground because Of
returning prosperity and mission full
filed, into which direction will it be
catapulted in the government reorgan-
ization now in the air?