Evening star., 1937-01-13
Good MANAGEMENT.

organization OF the executive Depart
ments and agencies of the Government
has as a fundamental purpose good
management - better management - of
the greatest business in the world, the
running of the Federal Government.
Under the Constitution of the United
States there is but one manager, one gov
ernmental manager, in this country.
That is the President. While the sweep
ing changes recommended by the Presi-
dent may appear to place the govern
ment, the executive administration, more
exclusively within the hands of the
President, he really is not to be given
more power than he already has 1t will
merely make it easier for him to do a
good management job.
The executive departments and agen-
cies of the Federal Government have
grown up in this country much as Topsy
grew, without any particular rhyme,
although with plenty of reason. Congress
has from time to time by statutory enact
ments provided for new governmental
activities. They have been placed within
the various regular departments of the
Government or have been created as
independent agencies. The grouping has
been in some cases incongruous. with
bureaus entirely unrelated comprised
within one department. Now and then
efforts have been made to change this.
There remains, however, the fact that
bureaus in one department are doing
what bureaus in other departments are
doing, at least in part. This has led to
confusion and to overlapping of authority
and work At present there are ten regu-
lar departments, headed by cabinet off,
GERS, and some ninety-five independent
agencies SO called. In the opinion of the
President this is all wrong. He plans to
have all the agencies placed under and
within twelve regular departments. This
seems the part of wisdom. 1t is certainly
what any well managed private business
would undertake.
Undoubtedly there will be criticism of
the Presidents reorganization plan.
There would be of any plan, for when an
agency of government has once taken
root in certain place any transfer to
| another means a decided wrench. And
| particularly will there be criticism of
the proposal to place such independent
agencies like the Interstate Commerce
| Commission, the Federal Trade Com
mission and others which have quasi
| judicial functions, under department
| heads. Attack is likely to be made on the
Presidents plan to abolish the Civil
Service Commission and create in its
stead civil service administrator, di-
rectly under the President. And there
will be a roar from Capitol Hill, perhaps,
| over the plan to do away with the Con-
| troller General, who now has power to
pass upon governmental expenditures
and their relation to the law. In the
place of the Controller General the
President offers an auditor general,
whose only function will be to make
poSt-audit of Government expenditures
and report annually to the Congress on
illegal and wasteful expenditures, if he
finds any. The auditor general is to be
creature of Congress entirely, although
appointed by the President.
Take it by and large, despite the at
tacks that may be expected, the re-
organization plan is sound in the main.
1t should result in more efficient man.
agement and better service to the people.
The people are entitled to as good serv-
ice as they can get for their money.
If, however, the projected changes with
regard to the independent agencies hav-
ing quasi judicial functions should result
in drawing them into political control,
it would be an error and result in ia
voritism rather than in good government
and fair treatment. 1t is the Presidents
contention, however, that these agencies
will still be in position to continue their
judicial functions undisturbed by poll
tics; that only their administrative func-
tions are to be under department heads.
The Presidents determination to make
a career" service out of the Civil Service
and to place all Government employees,
except the policy making Offices, within
this service, on merit basis, should be
step in advance. His plan to pay more
adequately the men and women in re-
sponsible positions in the Civil Service
should do much to improve that service.
Assertions that John d. Rockefeller
intends to go on living after the 100