Evening star., 1937-01-14
THE POLITICAL
MILL
BY G. GOULD LINCOLN.


something when she opened a box full oi
trpubles. President Roosevelt certainly
started something on Tuesday when HI
sent to Congress his recommendation,
for the reorganization of the Fedora
Governments administrative and execu.
tive agencies. 1t was a foregone conclu.
sion that any drastic reorganization
plan would bring complaints. Within a
hours after the Presidents recommends
tions, and the accompanying Brownlou
committee report had been given pub
licity, the critics were on the warpath.
If The President is to get his reorgan.
izatiG1 plan through Congress at the
present session, it seems clear he will
have to exert much of his admittedly
great influence. Nearly all the members
OF Congress are willing to admit that a
reorganization of the executive branch
of the Government is crying need. Few
OF than are ready to agree how this re-
organization shall be made. In addition,
the Piesident's plan is so all-inclusive
and gos SO far that the enemies of GER
tain festures of the plan, If they combine,
are Likely TO be an effective opposition.
The Hans to abolish the Office of con-
troller yeneral as 1t Is now established
and to do away with the Civil Service
Commission have been singled out par
ticularly for attack on Capitol Hill But
there will be other points of attack,
among item the proposal to place some
of the bng-time independent agencies
like the Federal Trade Commission and
the Intestate Commerce Commission
under he,ds of the regular departments.
There iS.too, a strong demand in GER
tain QuSters for the elimination Of
some of he governmental agencies, set
up during the period of the depression.
The planto place these agencies in the
permanent structure of the Government
meets witt their strong opposition.
The Presdent's message transmitting
his reorganization plan to Congress was
couched ic strong and emphatic terms.
He likenedthe need of governmental re-
organization better to serve the people
with the Struggle which the founders
Of the country made for freedom from
political tyrnny. Judging from the mes
sage, the Prudent not only feels strongly
on the sublct, but he intends to make
it one OF themajor issues Of his second
term in otfio. His praise of the report
Of the Bronlow committee, officially
known as In Presidents Committee on
Administratie Management, was un-
stinted. He |eclared it would be recog-
nized as graf document in the years
to come,
The PreSldet might, with considerable
effect. try wittmembers of Congress the
plan he has aopted with the Washing
ton correspondents. When he has a
budget to seDc to Congress. or a plan
for the reorganization of the Govern
ment, he announces there will be SEM
inar," ATTENDED " the representatives of
the press. Bfoe the seminar begins the
correspondents re furnished with copies
OF the document which are to be sent to
Congress, with he understanding they
will be held in nfidence until they are
delivered. The rwSpaper men are given
couple OF hourao scan the documents
to do their "hone work"-before they
are ushered into the presence of the
President in the eecutive Offices. Chairs
are brought over rom the White House
and ranged in Ing lines. When the
school room is lied with the corre-
Spondents, the P,sident goes over in
detail his recommendations. He gives
invariably clearexplanation of what
he has recommend, with enough back
ground to furnishthe reasons for his
proposals. Then. the conclusion of
his statement, thecorrespondents ask
questions. This 1sthe plan which he
has adopted with tn press before send
ing In his budget lessages for several
years, and this was ,e plan he adopted
before sending his reorganization recon-
mendationS.
Seated near the resident at these
particular conference.-the the press are
the heads of departnnts and some of
their experts. OccaSiollly when ques-
ton dealing with someJetail is asked the
President calls on the to make an ex-
PLANTATION. But, gene,lly speaking, the
| President is able to anger with remark
able exactitude every question that is
| propounded At the rent seminar on
the reorganization planall the members
| of the cabinet were pIsent and heard
the same explanation ( the plan as
the newspaper men-altAugh the Presi-
dent had earlier met wit his cabinet on
| the same subject. Lais BroWnlow,
chairman of the Presidsts Committee
on Administrative Malgement, also
was present-at the Present's elbow
and was asked by the Rsident to ex-
| plain several points in thgecommenda-
tions. A seminar, by the ay, is defined
| in the dictionary as "a grcp of students
pursuing an advanced coue of study in
a college or with q Speciateacfer." In
this case the special teacheis the Presi-
dent himself. No other Cief Executive
has undertaken to give suchxplanations'
of his recommendations to be press.
~ 4
James M. Curley, until Fently Gov
ernor of Massachusetts,, h been the
stormy petrol of Bay statpolitics for
years. He has more friend and more
enenies-than any otherD rDemocratic
leader In the State. Now ID then his
enemies believe that they HE seen the
last of him politically. 1rAriably he
has bobbed up again andridden to
victory. Three times he has hen elected
as Mayor of Boston-after sae historic
fights. Four years ago he rs elected
Governor, although despete effort
was made to head him of. It Novem-
ber he was defeated for action as
United States Senator, altholh Presi-
dent Roosevelt carried the StaA by q big
plurality. His failure was d to the
number Of enemies who simplyIould not
support him, although he oeipied a
prominent place on the Dmocratic
ticket. This year, however, Cuey is to
seek again election as Mayor cBoston,
accordinO IN tho prosent.dav c,ssir,