The Washington times., 1937-01-12

the surgeon and his scalpel and
not be tempted to call in the
butcher with his cleaver.
To equip the Executive branch
with better means of managerial
direction, better personnel, better
fiscal controls, better machinery
for planning; to simplify its or
ganization and reduce the num-
ber of its agencies; and to sharpen
its accountability to the Congress
will result in Savings-savings in
money, in time, in energy. To
estimate these savings in terms
of dollars and cents would be but
to guess in a situation where not
guessing but intensive scientific
research is the means, and the
firm and courageous application
of the results of the research is
the method, if the aim is to be
achieved.
Stronger System
The paramount purpose Of your
committee has been throughout
to find modern methods of carry
ing out the national aims and pro-
grams of America as far as this
duty is imposed upon our Execu.
tive by our Constitution. We have
not been concerned with strength
ening the Executive alone and as
such, but with the larger aim of
strengthening the American Sys.
tenn as a whole in it's practical
operations.
We should be the first, more
over, to recognize that there is
wide room for differences in the
details of any program, but we
believe that there should be no
division upon the soundness of the
broad principle that the man.
agerial powers and equipment of
the President should be equal to
his responsibilities under the Con-
Stitution.
With the program here sug-
geSted, your committee believes
that this may be accomplished,
and that administrative manage
ment in the office of the Presi-
dent will work more smoothly and
effectively in the task of executing
the Judgment and decisions of the
nation and carrying out the gen.
eral policies of the Congress.
These proposals have the merit,
we believe, of eliminating the evils
OF the patronage system; Of open
ing out our civil service more fully
and completely as a sound career
service, permanent, nonpartisan,
competent, fairly compensated,
and affordng promotion to posts
of eminence; of unifying the re-
sponsible direction of personnel
activities while at the same time
providing for disinterested citizen
supervision Of the whole program.
Fiscal Management
These plans are designed to
make possible a more responsible
and effective supervision and di-
rection of fiscal management than
hitherto, first, by strengthening
the Bureau Of the Budget, partic-
ularly through the development of
efficiency research; second, by re-
turning to the Executive the
powers inappropriately exercised
by the Comptroller General; and
third, by departmental reorganiza-
tion. This opens the way for gen.
uine Executive direction and for
efficiency and economy.
At the same time, provision Is
made for what is equally essential,
namely, genuine accountability of
the Executive Office to the Con-
gresS through adequate audit and
through general supervision of
broad policies Of fiscal and other
administration.
ClOSe-Knit Organization
The proposed arrangements pro-
vide for the organization of plan
ming management through a Ma
tional Resources Board with an
advisory function of overhead con-
sideration of the conservation and
utilization of our national
resources, both natural and hu-
man. Department reorganization,
also, will increase the scope and
effectiveness of planning.
These changes taken together
will give to the Executive agencies
of fiscal management, personnel
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