Evening star., 1936-11-15
ROOSEVELT PLANS
CONGRESS ACTION
ION REORGAN|z|NG
Also Will Seek Legislation to
Bring New Units Into
Civil Service.
RECOMMENDATIONS DUE
IN HIS ANNUAL MESSAGE
Number to Get Status Dependent
on Emergency Agencies to
Be Retained.

President Roosevelt, at the coming
session Of Congress. will seek legisla-
ton to reorganize Government DEPART
ments In the interest of economy and
efficiency, and to bring under claSsi-
fed civil service employees Of those
emergency agencies which are to be
made permanent.
This was learned at the White House
late yesterday, after the President
had conferred with members of the
Civil Service Commission and mem
bers Of his special committee on gov.
ernmental reorganization.
The President will discuss the oues.
ton Of reorganization in his forthcom-
ing annual message to Congress, it
was learned, and later in the session
will send to Congress a special message
specifically recommending legislation.
This legislation would empower the
President by executive order to extend
the classified list, but the intention is
not to do this by blanket order, but
to admit emergency employees through
examinations, which would not neces-
sarily be competitive in nature. There
are approximately 100000 unclassified
workers now employed in the entire
Government establishment.
Civil Service Long Urged.
Harry B. Mitchell. president Of the
Civil Service Commission, who, in
company with Commissioner Leonard
D. White, discussed this matter with
the President. said the number Of
workers to be brought under civil serv-
ice would, under a commission pro-
posal. be guided by the extent to
which emergency agencies are TO be
retained. The Commission has con-
sistently urged civil service for the
new groups that are to be permanent.
The President already has indicated
that Resettlement, the Civilian Con-
servation Corps and the National
Youth Administration will be alb
sorbed by existing departments or
some new agency to be created under
reorganization, and there are other
establishments. set up outside Of civil
service that are destined to remain q
part of the Government machine.
MIR. Roosevelt discussed reorganiza-
ton with Louis Brownlow, former
District Commissioner and now chair
man Of the committee which the Chief
Executive named on this subject A
Senate group headed by Senator Byrd
Of Virginia, and one from the House.
of which Representative Buchanan Of
Texas is chairman, also are studying
the subject. Luther H. Gulick of New
York, one of Brownlow's aides, accom-.
panied him to the White House.
Brownlow and Guhck were with the
President two hours. They said their
report would be ready for the Presi-
dent in a few weeks.
Committees Mark Time.
The Senate and House committees
virtually are marking time pending re-
ports from the Brookings Institution.
which is engaged in some fact-find-
ing studies for them.
While the reorganization studies
were, generally speaking, entered on
for the purpose of eliminating So
called useless agencies and overlapping
functions, there were indications yes
terday some officials are looking at
the problem from a much broader
standpoint.
''Simplification of procedure in do
ing business with the Government
should be one of the principal aims"
one official said. Economy is ad-
mirable, but in view of large fixed
charges, such as the interest on the
public debt, pensions, postal system
appropriations and similar items, the
amount that could be saved by per-
sonnel reduction and bureau elimina.
ton would be comparatively unim-
portant."
In connection with the reorganiza-
ton plans, the old agitation for merger
of the War and Navy Departments
into a Department Of National De-
fense is stirring again, it was made
known. A number Of such bills are
lying dormant in committee files, and
1t was said that requests had been
received for reconsideration of these.
The Navy budget was another topic
(See ROOSEVELT, Page Asp