Evening star., 1937-01-12
BYRD ADVOCATES
REORGANIZATION
Urges Immediate Action in
Interest of Economy in
Radio Forum Talk.

ndulU TUi uIII ] aim
Immediate reorganization OF exist
Ing Government agencies to aid econ
omy, simplicity and economy of opera
ton was advocated last night by Sen
ator Byrd, Democrat, of Virginia,
chairman of the Senate Committee
on Investigation of Executive Agen-
c,es. He spoke in the National Radio
Forum, arranged by The Star and
broadcast on coast-to-coast network
by the National Broadcasting Co.
"As the emergency passes, do not
believe the country will long submit
to Federal expenditures to the ex-
tent of 10 per cent of our present
national income, as is the case today,
and to this must be added local and
State taxation" Byrd said.
Rent Bill Is S25,000,0
The Senator pointed out that the
annual Federal rent bill is SIS, 900 900,
that outside Washington the Gov
eminent leases 102,319,999 square
feet of floor space, equivalent to the
space in SO Empire State Buildings;
that the Federal and District Gov
ernmentS use 32,882 telephones in
Washington; that the 1l4,792 civil
service employees are twice as many
as were listed in 1927.
The Federal machine has become
50 top-heavy and unwieldy as to de-
feat by conflicting activity and need
less red tape the accomplishments OF
purposes for which legislation has
been passed" Byrd said.
AS a startling example of the cost
o1 Aderal Government, he pointed
Slt that the postage accounts OF the
executive departments is nearly dou-
bic the general fund budget Of the
State of Virginia and is nearly four
times what it was four years ago.
Text of Byrd Address.
The text Of Senator Byrds address
follows:
Today the postage account of the
executive departments of the Federal
Government is nearly twice as much
as the general fund budget of my own
State, Virginia, and this postage now
is nearly four times as large as it
was four years ago.
AS chairman of the Senate Com
mittee on Reorganization and Simpli-
this simple item of postage impressed
me with the colossal gro'Sh of our
Federal activities as measuring the
proportions of our executive agencies,
served as they are by a civil person.
mel more than twice the numerical
strength of our armed forces.
One hundred forty-seven years ago
O group of great Americans seeking
governmental simplicity-the soul of
democracy-created the Federal Gov
eminent. Since then much has been
said from time to time about Federal
aid in the solution of our national
problems; and much has been done,
but in our zeal to tighten other bur-
dens we have overlooked the fact that
we have loaded upon ourselves the
most complex and costly bureaucracy
of all times. With little regard for
order or coordination we have pyr-
amided agency upon agency as the
apparent necessity for each new func-
ton arose. This procedure has con-
tinued almost uninterrupted for nearly
$50 years, through times of emergency
and times of tranquility, until today
We have. hundreds of Federal agencies
employing regularly as of November 80
the latest available figures, nearly
$4,000 persons on the civil execu-
tive pay roll, but exclusive of those
on relief, military, legislative and
judicial rolls, or those receiving pen
sions in one form or another.
10 Reorganization Attempts.
There have been 10 so-called re-
organization attempts since the Gov
ernment began. The first was in 1880.
Several never got beyond the report
stage. Two of them resulted in the
creation of whole new departments.
Another, requested by President Will
son, was designed to strip down the
vast wall of governmental machinery.
but limitations of Senate amend
ment prevented its effectiveness. Still
another attempt was embraced in the
budget and accounting act of 1921.
In am attempt in 1880 tthe Presi-
dent was authorized to Consolidate
the Pension Bureau and the Veterans
Bureau.
President Hoover submitted recon-
mendations in December, 1882, under
terms of the economy act of that year,
but they died with his administration.
I introduced in the Senate about a
year ago a resolution calling for an
investigation of the executive agencies
of the Federal Government for re-
organization and simplification in the
interests of efficiency and economy.
If task is important to accom-
plish for the good of the country we
should not be discouraged by the
be met and overcome.
Retrenchment, as such, is always
unpopular, no matter how obvious the
need; no matter how much the re-
suits are necessary and to be desired.
Efficiency is always exacting. The
economical way is the hard way in
anything. But there are times in the
lives of individuals, when these things
must be brought about if we are to
continue on an even course in the
pursuit of national happiness. Such
0 time is upon us.
President Is Leader.
President Roosevelt has announced
his personal interest in the subject,
ordered his own study of the problem,
and requested the House of Repre-
sentatives to do likewise. Tomorrow