The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1936-10-28

ployeS Of regular departments?
They had their pay reduced and
many were discharged in the
name Of economy. And this Is
not good government.
The net result has been that
the proportion Of executive en-
ployeS under the Civil Service
has dropped from above 80 per
cent in 1898, to approximately
so per cent last June. The prog
ress of a quarter of a century
under five Presidents has been
loSt-loSt in three and one-half
years under one President
President who said only q year
ago:
"The merit system has been
and will continue to be ex-
tended during my AdminiStra-
ton"
DEMANDED GREAT POWER
This Administration insisted
that the depression had all the
aspects Of a great war. It main
tanned that ordinary traditional
methods must be set aside
that great power must be Gen.
tralized temporarily in the Ex-
ecutive. It pleaded that all par
tisanship be forgotten-that
petty advantage be sunk in this
time Of common need.
Along with the great major
ity of my fellow-citizens I CO.
operated with the Chief Execu.
tive in our common fight for
national reconstruction. We
all had the right to assume
that the Administration would
set aside partiSanship and work
as a genuine national govern
ment. This it has not done.
The great authority asked, and
given, in the name of emer-
gency has been used for per-
sonal and party advantage.
Cynical Disregard"
For three and one-half years,
both the letter and the spirit
of the merit system have been
cynically disregarded. Govern
ment employees have been
forced into the ranks Of a ma
tional political machine, headed
by the President and his Post
master General machine Or
ganized by the Presidents cam
paign committee, supported off
the public pay rolls, and con-
trolled by the Presidents power
of appointment and removal.
And this is not good govern
ment.
The Administration has gone
hog-wild in adding new agencies
and accommodating new powers.
It has created rs new alphabet
ical whatnots. Many of these
are little more than Implications
OF agencies already in existence.
The conflict and confusion
among all these agencies is so
great that finally the President
has appointed grand coordina-
tor-a grand coordinator whose
functions overlap the functions
Of three overlapping agencies
studying the problem of overlap
ping functions Of overlapping
agencies. ~
Some Of these agencies have
immense powers, yet are respon-
sible to no Cabinet officer. They
report to the President or to
some independent agency.
In addition, under this Ad-
mfniStration AZ corporations
have been created by Congress
or incorporated under State
laws.
Run without Control
Many of these are absolutely
independent Of Congress. Many
have the power to pledge the
Governments credit without
control by Congress and can
even compete with private bus
mess. And this is not good gov
eminent.
Small wonder that the Pres.
ident told Congress in his report
on the state of the union last
January, that his adminiStra-
ton had set up new instruments
Of public EMBELLISHMENTS
capable Of Stacking our Iber-
ties and enSlaving the people
unless they were in the hands
OF a peoples government.
The Republican party is op-
posed to powers and policies
that could be used by anyone to
shackle the liberties of the peo-
PIE or enslave the public. It is
doubly opposed to such powers
end policies when the peoples
government is itself threatened
by disciplined national politi.
cal machine. We are seeing to-
day. for the first time, the ma
chine politics of our large cities
applied on q national scale. We
are getting the first taste Of the
bitter fruits of personal govern
ment. We are feeling the yoke
Of a government of Spoilsmen,
by spoilsmen and for spoilsmen.
With the increasing RESPONSE.