The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1937-01-28
Messages
Cause Stir

SOlSISSS ny the IISSluelI nave
ere a ted more
Messages than the usual ex-
Cause Stir element attend
ant upon such
things, as the new session set
tied down to it's annual considera-
ton of public affairs. In each of
these were Presidential declara-
tons that are beginning to rever-
berate and that means they are
highly controversial.
In Mr.. Roosevelt's annual mes
sage ION the state of the Union"
he took occasion to tell congress
how much he appreciated its "co-
operation" with him. He followed
that bit of back patting with prob
ably the boldest statement he has
made since entering the White
House four years ago for the first
term. He called upon the Supreme
Court of the United States, in a
roundabout way to cooperate"
with the other two branches of the
government, the legislative and ex-
ecutive.
The other wave of excitement, not
to say disturbance, was caused by
the Presidents special message
asking congress for a wholesale re-
organization of the executive de-
partments and notwithstanding
this proposal a plan for modernlz-
ing the government.
One can circulate through the cor
ridors and offices of the Capitol
and office buildings and hear NUT
terings aplenty and even a consid-
cradle bit of outspoken criticism
by senators and representatives of
the two circumstances l have men,
toned. There are many members
of the legislative branch who are
entertaining a feeling that the de-
mand for Supreme court co-opera-
ton was equivalent to carrying the
ball out of bounds. But that part
of the Presidential pronouncement
is not likely, in@Hne end, to produce
the battle on the floor of the senate
or house that will result from some
phases of his ''modernizing" pro-
gram.
The fact is that our national gov
eminent has become a structure,
insofar as the executive agencies
are concerned, that spraWls out like
an octopus. About rs per cent of
these units and agencies are prod
ucts of the New Deal recovery
program; they work at cross pur-
poses; they move in their own
sphere and make their own poll
cies with almost no direction from
the White House. Certainly, the
time is ripe to clean up that mess.
Yet, in cleaning up these condi-
tons, in reorganizing, it is undoubt-
edly the consensus of those charged
with responsibility for the job that
common sense must be used and
discretion employed or else untold
damage will be done to the govern
ment and to the whole economic
structure of the nation, including the
taxpayers.
The Presidential reorganization
program was sweeping in charac-
-. ter and that is the
NeCFSoEasACtiOt reason why 1t has
Program run into obstacles.
For example, the
plan calls for placing the interstate
commerce commission, the general
accounting office, the federal trade
commission and the civil service
commission largely inside of old
established departments over which
cabinet officers preside. Now, a
cabinet officer is and always has
been in the past a political ap-
pointee, an individual who had been
active in promotion of party cam
paign and usually one who has
made important contributions of
money to his party's campaign
fund. So, it becomes plainly evil
dent, I believe, that to place such
agencies as those have named in
regular departments, is to place
them completely under political
domination.
Where it is good, therefore, to
place strictly administrative agen-
cies under cabinet control, it be-
comes equally dangerous to place
under political domination such
quasi-judicial agencies as the ice
and the general accounting Office.
There can be no doubt of that fact.
That is the cruz of the disturb
ance among the legislators under
the reorganization proposal.
Those of us who have had long
experience as writer's and observ-
ers in Washington have seen evil
dence in almost every admins
tration of attempts of politicians to
get their fingers into the pie of rail-
road rate making. They have adopt
ed all sorts of tricks; they have used
subterfuges and they have en-
ployed strong political pressure
time after time to gain control of
railroad rate making. Through all
of these years since the ICC was
established, there has always been
enough sane minds in congress who,
with White House backing, could
resist this political move. Natur-
ally, therefore, it is a matter of
some question why President Roose-
welt should attempt to toss the in
terstate commerce commission and
its rate making power straight in
to the laps of the politicians.
Of course, the Presidential mes
sage on this point appears on its
face to provide against the end that
I have mentioned but old timers in
congress point out how this wedge,
driven only little further, will