Evening star., 1937-01-12

budget and efficiency research, with
personnel and with planning, as man.
agement-arms Of the Chief Executive;
3. Extend the merit system upward,
outward and downward to cover prac-
tically all non policy determining
posts; reorganize the civil service
system as a part of management
under q single. responsible admins
traitor, and create q citizen board to
serve as the watch dog of the merit
system. and increase the salaries of
key posts throughout the service so
that the Government may attract and
hold in career service men and
women of ability and character;
4. Overhaul the 100 independent
agencies. administrations, authorities,
boards and commissions and place
them by executive order within one
or the other of the following IL ma jor
executive departments: State, Treas
ury. War. Justice. Post Office, Navy,
Conservation, Agriculture, Commerce,
Labor, Social Welfare and Public
Works, and place upon the Executive
~O@NN@AA6 ACoPOilolbllOy lOl IllC
maintenance Of effective organization.
5. Establish accountability of the
Executive to the Congress by providing
a genuine independent post-audit of
all fiscal transactions by an auditor
general. and restore to the Executive
complete responsibility for accounts
and current transactions.
Basis Rests Solidly
On Constitution.
AS you will see, this program rests
Solidly upon the Constitution and
upon the American way of doing
things. There is nothing in it which
is revolutionary. as every element is
drawn from our own experience either
In Government or large-scale business.
lndorse this program and feel con-
ndent that it will commend itself 10
you also with your knowledge of gov
eminent. and to the vast majority ,t
the citizens Of the country who want
and believe in efficient self-govern-
ment.
No important advance can be made
toward the major objectives of the
program without the passage by the
Congress Of the necessary legislation.
1t Will be necessary to provide for
the establishment of two new depart
ments, a Department of Social Wel-
fare and a Department of Public
Works, for the assignment by the Pres
ident Of all the miscellaneous activi-
ties to the II major departments thus
provided. for reorganizati ton of the
civil service system. for undermining
and strengthening the managerial
agencies of the Executive, and for
making the Executive more strictly ac-
countable TO the Congress. BY the
creation Of two new departments
nearly 100 agencies now not under reg
ular departments can be consolidated
as to their administrative functions
under a total of IL regular depart
ments of the Government.
The remaining elements of the five
point program, though they must
await your action on the basic legisla-
tion, may be initiated through appro-
priations and Executive orders.
Increase in Powers of
Presidency Not Urged.
In placing this program before you
realize that it will be said that I
am recommending the increase of
the powers of the presidency. This
is not true. The presidency as estab-
lished in the Constitution of the
United States has all Of the powers
that are required. In spite of timid
souls in 1887, who feared effective
government, the presidency was estab-
lished as a single strong Chief Execu-
tive. Office in which was vested the
entire executive nnXer of the National