Evening star., 1937-01-12
The White House
Staff

iStrative reorganization the Wnlte
House itself is involved. The Pres
ident needs help. His immediate staff
assistance is entirely inadequate. He
should be given a small number OF
executive assistants who would be his
direct aides in dealing with the man
agerial agencies and administrative
departments of the Government.
These assistants, probably not ex-
ceeding six in number, would be in
addition to his present secretaries,
who deal with the public, with the
Congress and with the press and the
radio. These aides would have no
power to make decisions or issue in
Etructions in their own right. They
would not be interposed between the
President and the heads OF his
departments. They would not be
assistant Presidents in any sense.
Their function would be, when any
matter was presented to the President
for action affecting any part Of the
administrative work of the Govern
ment, to assist him in obtaining
quickly and without delay all peril
nent information possessed by any
Of the executive departments so as
to guide him in making his
decisions; and then when decisions
have been made, to assist him in
seeing to it that every administrative
department and agency affected Is
promptly informed. Their effective
ness in assisting the President will,
Iaiv hn
their ability to discharge their func-
tions with restraint. They would re-
main in the background, issue no
orders, make no decisions, emit no
public statements. Men for these
positions should be carefully chosen
bv the President from within and
without the Government. They should
be men in whom the President
has personal confidence and whose
character and attitude is such that
they would not attempt to exercise
poWer on their own account. They
should be possessed of high compe-
tence. great physical vigor, and a
passion for anonymity. They should
be installed in the White House itself,
directly accessible to the President.
In the selection Of these aides the
President should be free to call on
departments from time to time for
the assignment of persons who, after
tour Of duty as his aides, might
be restored to their old positions.
Completely Of Work
Requires Change.
10 ey;ca
Che growing complexity and magni-
tude of the work of the Presidents
Office. Special assistance Is needed to
Insure that all matters coming to the
ettention of the President have been
examined from the overall mana
ger1al point of view, as well as from
all standpoints that would bear on
policy and operation. 1t also would
facilitate the flow upward to the Presi-
dent of information upon which he Is
TO base his decisions and the flow
downward from the President of the
decisions once taken for execution by
the department or departments af-
Sected. Thus such staff would not
only aid the President, but would also
be of great assistance to the several
executive departments and the man
ngerial agencies in simplifying execu-
tive contacts, clearance and guidance.
The President should also have at
his command contingent fund to
enable him to bring in from time to
time particular persons possessed Of
particular competency for particular
purpose and whose services he might
usefully employ for short periods of
time.
The President in his regular Office
staff should be given greater num-
Der of positions so that he will not be
compelled. as he has been compelled
In the past, to use for his own neces-
sary work persons carried on the pay
rolls of other departments.
If the President be thus equipped he
will have but the ordinary assistance
that any executive of large estab-
aishment is AFFORDED as a matter of
course.
Prsident Must Be Given
Managerial Control.
In addition to this assistance In
his own ofsSe the President must be
given direct control over and be
charged with immediate responsibility
for the great managerial functions of
the Government which affect all of
the administrative departments, as is
outlined in the following sections of
this report. These functions are per-
sonnel management, fiscal and organi-
Eadonal management and planning
management. Within these three
groups may be comprehended all Of
the essential elements of business
management.
The development Of administrative
management in the Federal Govern
ment requires the improvement of the
administration of these managerial
activities, not. only by the central
agencies in charge, but also by the
departments and bureaus. The CEN
trel agencies need to be strengthened
and developed as managerial arms of
the Chief Executive, better equipped
to perform their central responsible
ties and to provide the necessary
leadership in bringing about improved
practices throughout the Government
The three managerial agencies, the
Civil Service Administration. the Bu-
reau of the Budget and the National
Resources Board should be part and
parcel of the executive Office Thus
the President would have reporting to
him directly the three managerial in
stitutions whose work and activities
would affect all Of the administrative
departments.
The budgets for the managerial
agencies should be submitted to the
Congress by the President as a part
of the budget for the executive Office.
This would distinguish these agencies
, from the operating administrative de-
partments of the Government, which
should report to the President through
the heads of departments who COL
jectively compose his cabinet. Such
an arrangement would materially aid