Evening star., 1937-01-12
regard to the problems Of COM
merce and industry.


tablish standards and practices,
and enforce laws with regard
to manufacture, merchandising,
communication, and transpor-
tation.
o. The Department of Labor
To advise the President with
regard to labor problems.
To conduct research on en-
ployment, wages, cost Of living,
and working conditions; to
handle labor relations and con-
troverSies; to enforce labor
laws; and to administer EN-
ployment Offices and the Federal
aspects of Federal-State pro-
grams of social security where
right rather than need Is the
basis OF payment to beneficial
ries.
Il. The Department OF Social
Weltare.-
To advise the President with
regard to social welfare.
To administer Federal health,
educational, and social activi-
ties; to conduct research in
these fields; to administer Fed
eral grants. II any. for such
purposes; to protect the con-
sumer; to conduct the Federal
aspects Of Federal-State pro-
grams of social security where
need is the basis of payment to
beneficiaries; to administer all
Federal eleemosynary. correc-
tive, and penal institutions; and
to administer probation and
parole.
IL. The Department OF Public
Works.
To advise the President with
regard to public works.
To design, construct, and
maintain large scale public
works which are not incidental
to the normal work Of other
departments, except as their
agent on request; to administer
Federal grants, If any, to State
or local governments or other
agencies for construction pur-
purposes; and to gather infor-
nation with regard to public
works standards throughout the
Nation.
We shall not attempt to assign to
40 pl nf thoco 6eno ~, re no ri
ar establishments, agencies and bu-
-eaus. To do so. We are persuaded,
would be to undertake an executive
ask which should be performed only
oy the Executive, on the basis of care
'ul research and discussions with those
most intimately involved, after the en-
actment by the Congress Of law
setting up for his guidance the gen.
eral departmental structure.
The major departmental structure
which We have suggested is designed
% accommodate all of the existing ac-
,ivities of the Government without
whether they are tempo
AIRY or permanent. What activities
he Government is to carry on is not
/ question of organization or a prob
EN- for this committee. but for the
Congress and the President, and
should be settled primarily through
he budget. 1t should nonetheless be
loted that the general departments
lere recommended will not be af-
ected seriously by the abandonment
'f all the so-called emergency" ac-
ivities such as relief, resettlement, re-
finance, etc. AS long as
re 60 forward with social security,
added to the established activities, We
hall need the IL departments here
suggested.
We do not wish to imply, however,
hat this plan Of departmentalization
S in our judgment a final or perma-
lent pattern. The number, the titles,
and the content of the departments
must of necessity change from time to
line to fit the activities of the Gov
.rnment.
Agencies Must Be Brought
a Department.
There are those who believe that
emergency" activities should not be
into the recommended de-
,artmental set-up. They fear that to
10 SO would constitute an acceptance
~ the Federal Government of re-
possibility for the continuation Of a
JUNCTION, and that the discontinuance
If the work would thus be made far
more difficult. We are lead to the
contrary view. The inclusion of
and emergency activities
within departments, where they are
into juxtaposition with estab-
ished related services and under the
urveillance of the regular managerial
gencies for which We have provided,
will, we think, subject them to a
,reater pressure for discontinuance
han if they are left to themselves. AS
! matter Of fact, demobilization is
arried on by the overhead, not by
he staff, and can be more vigorous
Vhen the overhead is permanent, as
n a department. and is not itself
marked for extinction. Moreover,
here is the great difficulty of de-
ermining what is and what is not
and what to do with tenn
,orary activities while we are waiting
or them to pass. We have no hesita-
ion, therefore, in recommending that
very activity and agency be brought
within department, whether 1t is
Intended to continue, to modify, or to
ABANDON it. Any other solution Is un-
'ertain and unsatisfactory.
D. THE INDEPENDENT REG
ULATORY COMMISSIONS.
Redistribution of Functions-
The following proposal is put for
ward as a possible solution of the in
dependent commission problem, pres
mt and future. Under this proposed
plan the regulatory agency would be
yet up, not in a governmental vacuum
outside the executive departments,
out within department. There it
would be divided into an administra-
i've section and judicial section.
The administrative section would be q
regular bureau or division in the de-