Evening star., 1937-01-12
Five-Point Program
Set Out in Report.

ization plan an opportunity not only
TO give the country better govern
mental service but also a chance to
save approximately $4,000, 900 a year
in the cost of Government.
He does not undertake at this time
to say under which department the
various bureaus and agencies are to
go. That he regards as an executive
function which he will exercise after
the plan has been written into law
and he has authority to act.
He does not ask for authority to
create or to eliminate Government
agencies. The Government agencies
must be created or eliminated by
statute. He does ask for authority
to transfer and to consolidate.
The final picture Of the reorganized
Government service must wait, there
fore, until the legislation has been
passed and become law. 1t is not the
dent that Congress will seek in draft
ing reorganization bill to say Just
where each governmental agency is
to 60.
The governmental budget is in
round figures 000,000,000. OF this,
the President estimates. about $4,o00,-
100000 will be expended for purposes
on which practically no savings can
be made. For example, there Is ap-
proximately $3.50 100000 to be paid
in interest on the public debt. This
cannot be reduced-until the debt
is reduced. There will be no saving.
either, on the machinery for paying
pensions which is efficient. Indeed,
the overhead on the payment of pen
sions is almost negligible. The only
big saving that could be made is in
a reduction of pensions, which is not
contemplated. 1t is not possible to
save on the food and clothing, to any
material extent, for the Army and
Navy. Nor will there be possible any
saving on the pay of employees of the
Federal Government, which the Pres
ident considers in many instances too
low.
President Sees Saving.
The President does feel, however,
that saving will result through con-
solidation and the elimination Of over
tapping jobs. In those States where
governmental reorganizations have
taken place in recent years, savings
have been made in the cost of govern
ment ranging from 11a per cent to
"a Of / per cent.
One Of the first of the States to
reorganize its executive and admin
istrative agencies was Illinois. In
1917 Gov. Frank o. Lowden of that
State took lot agencies and made
them over into nine. In 1919, Gov.
Calvin Coolidge of Massachusetts,
whipped 1913 State agencies into 20,
and in 1925. Gov. Alfred E. Smith.
starting with 180 agencies, brought
them into 18. More recently, Gov.
Harry Flood Byrd, now Senator Byrd
and head Of the Senate Committee on
Governmental Reorganization, took
95 government agencies in Virginia
and consolidated them into II depart
ments and two agencies.
II the savings made in the Presi-
dents Federal reorganization are
comparable to those made in the re-
organization of the State govern
ments, it should be possible to save
per cent Of the $4,000, ,0o0, ,o00-on
which savings can be made. This
would be $30,000,000.
Good Management" Aim.
In the opinion Of the President,
these reorganizations are matters
simply Of common sense manage
ment-good management, as the term
4 understood in American parlance,
whether it Is applied to the housewife
O to the business man. { What be "