Evening star., 1937-01-12
Text Of Presidents Reorganization Message

and practical, and that it furnishes
the basis for immediate action. The
broad facts are known: the need is
clear; what is now required Is action.
Chaos of Establishments
Excludes Effectiveness.
The Committee on Administrative
Management points out that no en-
terprise can operate effectively If set
up as is the Government today. There
are over 100 separate departments
boards, commissions, corporations, au-
thorities, agencies and activities
through which the work of the Gov
ernment is being carried on. Neither
the President nor the Congress can
exercise effective supervision and di-
rection over such a chaos Of establish
ments. nor can overlapping, duplica-
ton and contradictory policies be
| avoided.
The committee has not spared me:
they say, what has been common
knowledge for 20 years. that the
President cannot adequately handle
his responsibilities; that he Is over
worked, that it is humanity impossible,
under the system which we have, for
him fully to carry out his constitu-
tional duty as Chief Executive because
he is overwhelmed with minor details
and needless contracts arising direct
ly from the bad organization and
equipment of the Government. I can
testify to this. With my predecessors
who have said the same thing over
and over again, plead guilty.
The plain fact is that the present
organization and equipment of the
executive branch Of the Government
defeats the constitutional intent that
there be a single responsible Chief
Executive to coordinate and manage
cordance with the laws enacted by the
Congress. Under these conditions the
Government cannot be thoroughly
effective in working, under popular
control, for the common good.
The committee does not spare the
Controller General for his failure to
give the Congress q prompt and COM
plete audit each year. totally inde-
pendent of administration. as means
of holding the Executive truly TO &C
count; nor for his unconstitutional
assumption of executive power; nor
for the failure to keep the accounting
system of the Government up to date
| to serve as the basis of information,
management and control.
The committee criticizes the use of
boards and commissions in administra-
| ton, condemns the careless use of
corporations" as governmental in
strumentalities. and points out that
the practice of creating independent
regulatory commissions, who perform
administrative work in addition to
| judicial work, threatens TO develop a
fourth branch of the Government
| for which there is no sanction in the
Constitution. Nor does the committee
spare the inadequacy of the Civil
Service system.
Five Point Program
| Set Out in Report.
To meet this situation and bring
our administrative management up to
date the committee presents an in
tegrated five-point program which you
will find set out in its report. 1t in
cludes these major recommendations :
/. Expand the White House staff
so that the President may have a
sufficient group of able assistants in
his own office to keep him in closer
and easier touch with the widespread
affairs of administration, and to make
the speedier clearance of the knowl-
edge needed for executive decision:
2. Strengthen and develop the man
agerial agencies of the Government,
| particularly those dealing with the