Evening star., 1937-01-13

Controller General McCarl tangled
with some official in the executive de-
partments over legality of expendi-
lures.
"A most important check is the in
dependent audit of all expenditures
by an official responsible to Congress,
and this work has been very admir-
ably performed, in my judgment, by
the Office of controller general"
Byrd said THE principle of an in
dependent audit has been recognized
for many years by Congress. The
controller general is appointed for a
term of IS years. and, as stated in
the law, is independent of the ex-
ecutive departments
Interprets recommendations.
"As I read the recommendations.
most of the effective power to prevent
illegal disbursements is taken from
the Controller General and conferred
upon the Secretary of the Treasury,
who of necessity must be political
appointee responsible to the Presi-
dent and removable at his pleasure.
"The authority of the new officer
known as the Auditor General is
limited to post audits- In other
words, to the auditing of funds after
the money has been spent, and it
follows that if then determined IL
legal. the money cannot be recovered"
Byrd is willing to make some con-
cessions, it was indicated, as he would
go along on proposal to amend the
accounting and budgeting law. per-
mitting an appeal to the courts from
decisions of the controller generals
Office At present, redress is had
through the Court of Claims and Con-
gress.
There was critical comment also
from other Democratic senatorial
sources.
Senator Clark of Missouri said he
was opposed to establishing two new
agencies, which means making per-
manent lot Of emergency agencies.
and very much opposed to eliminating
the controller general"
King Denounces Plan.
King of Utah joined with Austin,
Vermont Republican, in rapping the
plan as centralizing and concentrating
too much power in the Executive"
Bulkley of Ohio thought the sec
ton dealing with the Controller Cen
eral will have to be studied"
To the contrary, whole-hearted
support came from Senator O'Ma-
honey, Democrat of wyoming, a Byrd
committee member, who told a mass
meeting of Government employees last
has flowed from the
creation by Congress of the quasi
judicial agencies which were scorched
by the Presidents Committee. These
are so centralizing Government.
O'Mahoney said, that the choice now
Is presented Of either intensifying
this situation, "or returning to the
old, free democratic institutions Of
this Government.
Five other Democrats-George,
Georgia: Pittman, Nevada; Minton,
Indiana; Radcliffe, Maryland, and
Texas, lined up with the
President, as did Johnson, Republican,
of California.
Senator Borah, Idaho Republican,
sees mo savings in sight"
McNary Not Impressed"
Senator McNary of Oregon. the Re-
publican leader, said he was not
awfully impressed: that the message
struck him as rather indefinite" Sem
ator vandenberg of Michigan, one of
the Republican leaders, advocated cut
ting out some emergency agencies.
consolidation isn't enough. In our
we want relief from need
less bureaucracy rather than more
in larger units"
It seems apparent that the opposi-
ton will have a much better oppor-
tunity to crystalline when the Byrd
committee goes into action. According
to the Virginia Senator, the President
has told him that the senatorial
groups work would supplement" the
White House program.
The one item in the presidential
plan which is due to get the greatest
of support is that dealing
with the extension of civil service to
cover all but policy-making posts.
Members of the Senate and House,
weary of job-hunters, will welcome
change, and employe organizations
are jubilant.
The principal difficulty there will
come in the methods to be employed.