Evening star., 1937-02-01
THE POLITICAL
MILL
BY G.. GOULD LINCOLN.

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for the first session of the Seventy fifth
Congress. House and Senate have pro-
vided for joint committee to tackle
the Presidents recommendations for
reorganization of the executive depart
ments of the Government. The Senate
has named nine members of the COM
mittee and the House appears to be
content with seven Senator Harry Flood
Byrd of Virginia has been included in
the membership of the Senate COM
mittee. 1t is natural that he should be,
considering he is the head of Senate
committee to consider reorganization
appointed during the last session OF
Congress. The Virginia Senator, how
ever, has very different ideas from
those of the President and his commit
tee, headed by Louis Brownlow, which
drafted the reorganization plan which
the President sent to Congress a couple
of weeks ago. He believes that there
should be a real contraction OF Govern
some. not by placing them under other
departments, but by wiping them out.
Byrd, however, Is surrounded and
completely blanketed by the rest of the
Senate committee membership, which is
inclined to follow the wishes of the
President. Senator Robinson Of Arkan-
saS, Democratic leader, is chairman. and
others are Senators Byrnes of South
Carolina, recognized as spokesman for
the White House on many occasions;
Harrison Of Mississippi, OMahoney Of
Wyoming and Barley OF Kentucky. all
Democrats. OF the three minority men,
bers one is Senator Norris of Nebraska,
a stanch supporter Of the President,
and the others are Senator McNary of
Oregon, Republican leader, and Senator
Townsend of Delaware. With such
committee it does not appear that Byrd
could make much headway-in conflict
with the wishes Of the President. The
Virginia Senator. however. may be
counted upon to fight for his kind of
governmental reorganization, even If he
has to stand by himself.
Byrd Is one of those who does not
believe in placing the Federal Trade
Commission, the Interstate Commerce
Commission and other quasi judicial
agencies of the Government under de-
partment heads, cabinet officers, for ad-
ministrative purposes. He feels that II
such a course is followed the agencies
will lose their independence of thought
and action when it comes to exercising
their judicial functions. Senator Norris,
who has been supporter of the Fed
eral Trade Commission and other in
dependent agencies in the past has
said nothing about his position in re-
gard to this proposal to place them
under the department heads. However,
there have been reports he might not
approve such a plan.
The reorganization bill has yet to be
drafted. Presumably the joint commit
tee will hold hearings. 1t will take some
time, even with the exhaustive study
which has been made by the Presidents
committee, before bill can be whipped
into shape. However the need for gov
ernmental reorganization is clear enough.
And the President has shown himself
thoroughly in earnest in his quest that
| something be done.
y
The disastrous floods in the Ohio and
Mississippi Valleys and the automobile
strike have taken the front pages of
the newspapers away from the Con-
gress in recent days. Both will claim
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in measures which will come before it
before long. The Senate today is ex-
pected to deal with the first deficiency
bill. carrying relief appropriations. The
Senate Appropriations Committee re-
| ported the bill out with an item of
S79O, 900 900 for relief. Senator Robin
son, the majority leader, is of the opin-
| ion that, due to the floods. if for no
| other reason, additional sums will have
| to be appropriated before the close OF
the fiscal year for relief. He believes,
however that the relief appropriation
should go through as it is, instead OF
adding more at this time. The future
will show better, he contends. what is
needed.
Miss Perkins, either with or without
the entire agreement of the President,
stirred Capitol Hill when she sent to
Senator Robinson and to Speaker Bank
head her request for the power OF
subpoena, to be used by the Department
| of Labor in dealing with labor disputes.
| Whether she can have this power at the
| hands of Congress remains to be seen.
| Congress likes to do its own Investigate
| ing through its own committees, with
| the power of subpoena, and some OF
| the members look askance at the re-
quest of the Secretary of Labor. The
| congressional committees have gone far
| in the matter of investigation in the
| past, and some of the persons called
before them have complained that con-
| stitutional rights have been invaded.
The congressional Investigations are
based. however, on the theory that the
information obtained is to be used in
helping to shape legislation. Miss Per-
kins is asking for inquiSitorial powers
to be used in aiding conciliators and
mediators of the Department of Labor
in settling labor disputes.
| X X y +
| There is one difference between a
congressional committee inquiry and
| that of head of one of the executive
departments of the Government. Rep
| resented on the congressional commit
tees is the minority. There is no rep
resentative of the opposition, however, In
an inquiry entered into by a depart
ment head. Probably this Is not one
| of the major objections to placing the
power of subpoena in the hands of a
| cabinet officer, but it has its place. The
| Department of Labor, whose head is now
seeking the subpoena power, was set up
| to advance the interests of labor, just
as the Department of Commerce was
set up to advance the interests of COM
merce. Presumably, the Department OF
Labor. in conducting an inquiry and in
u t%r