Evening star., 1937-01-12

WullSLTdtlNc management III lIlc OAlCc
Of the President will work more
smoothly and effectively in the task
of executing the judgment and deci-
sions of the Nation and carrying out
the general policies Of the Congress.
Committee Proposals
Are Summarized.
The proposals Of the committee
may be summarized as follows:
/. Expand the White House staff
so that the President may have
sufficient group Of able assistants in
his own Office to keep hir, in closer
and easier touch with the widespread
affairs of administration and to make
speedier clearance of the knowledge
needed for executive decision.
2. Strengthen and develop the man
agerial agencies Of the Government,
particularly those dealing with the
budget. efficiency research, personnel
and planning, as management arms
Of the Chief Executive.
3. Extend the merit system upward,
outward and downward to cover all
non -policy-determining posts; reor-
ganize the civil service system as a
part Of management under a single
responsible administrator, strengthen
ing the Civil Service Commission as
q citizen civil service board to serve
as the watchdog Of the merit system,
and increase the salaries of key posts
throughout the service so that the
Government may attract and hold in
q career service men and women Of
the highest 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 major
executive departments: State, Treas
ury, War, Justice, Post Office, Navy,
Conservation. Agriculture, Commerce,
Labor, Social Welfare and Public
Works; and place upon the Executive
continuing responsibility for the main
tenance Of effective organization.
5. Establish accountability Of the
Executive to the Congress by provid-
ing a genuine independent post-audit
of all fiscal transactions by an auditor
general, and restore to the Executive
complete responsibility for accounts
and current financial transactions.
Would Eliminate Evils
OF Patronage System. e.
These proposals have the merit, We
believe, of eliminating the evils OF
the patronage system; of opening out
our civil service more fully and COM
pletely as a sound career service, per-
manent, non-partisan, competent, fair
ly compensated and affording promo
ton to posts of eminence; of unifying
the responsible direction Of personnel
activities while at the same time pro-
viding for disinterested citizens super
vision OF the whole program.
These plans are designed to make
possible a more responsible and ef1ec-
tive supervision and direction of fiscal
management than hitherto, first, by
strengthening the Bureau OF the
Budget, particularly through the de-
velopment Of efficiency research; sec
ond, by returning to the Executive the
powers inappropriately exercised by
the controller general; and third. by
departmental reorganization. This
opens the way for genuine executive
direction and for efficiency and
economy.
At the same time, provision is
made for what is equally essential,
namely, genuine accountability OF the
executive office of the Congress
through adequate audit and through
general supervision of broad policies
of fiscal and other administration.
The proposed arrangements provide
for the organization Of planning
management through a national re-
sources board with an advisory func-
ton Of overhead consideration Of the
conservation and utilization Of our
national resources, both natural and
human. Department reorganization,
also. will increase the scope and
effectiveness of planning.
These changes taken together Will
give to the executive agencies OF
fiscal management, personnel man
agement and planning management.
Under the plans proposed these three
arms of management are knit to-
gether in the White House, under the
immediate direction of the President.
The drastic reduction in the num-
ber of departments, commissions,
boards, authorities, agencies and &C
tivities from over 100 to IL will have
many implications. 1t will take us
back to the Constitution in that 1t
ties in the wandering independencles
and abolishes the irresponsible and
headless fourth branch" of the Gov
ernment which has grown up un-
noticed. It will re-establish a single
executive branch, with the President
as its responsible head, as provided
by the Constitution. Moreover, it will
make it humanity possible for Presi-
dent to do his job, and to coordinate
the activities for which he is con-
stitutionally, legally and popularity
responsible, by greatly lessening the
contacts and detail which now engulf
him. 1t will make of the Govern
ment a businesslike organization for
effective and efficient service, and,
finally, will render the whole Gov
ernment more easily understood and
controllable by the people. and thus
a more faithful servant of the people.
Better Public Service
Is Aim of Committee.
At the same time, sharper lines OF
accountability to the Congress are
traced, and forms Of decentralization,
both geographical and departmental,
outlined.
Your committee fully appreciates