The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1914-1938, 1937-01-28

couse Stir element attend
ant upon SUCH
things, as the new session set
fled down to it's annual consldera-
ton of public affairs. In each OF
these we're Presidential declara-
tions that are beginning to rever-
berate and that means they are
highly controversial.
In Mr.. Roosevelt's annual mes
sage ION the state of the Union,'
he took occasion to tell congress
how much he appreciated its Co
operation" with him. He followed
that bit of back patting with prob
ably the boldest statement he has
made since entering the White
House four years ago for the first
term. He called upon the Supreme
Court of the United States. in a
roundabout way to "co-operate'
with the other two branches OF the
government, the legislative and ex-
ecutive.
The other wave of excitement, not
to say disturbance, was caused by
the Presidents special message
asking congress for wholesale re-
organization of the executive de-
partments and notwithstanding
this proposal a plan for moderniz-
ing the government.
One can circulate through the cor
ridors and offices of the Capitol
and office buildings and hear NUT
terings aplenty and even a consid-
cradle bit of outspoken criticism
by senator's and representatives OF
the two circumstances have men,
toned. There are many members
of the legislative branch who are
entertaining a feeling that the de-
mand for Supreme court co-opera-
ton was equivalent to carrying the
ball out of bounds. But that part
of the Presidential announcement
is not likely, in the end, to produce
the battle on the floor of the senate
or house that will result from some
phases of his undermining pro-
gram.
The fact is that our national gov
eminent has become structure,
insofar as the executive agencies
are concerned, that sprawls out like
an octopus. About IS per cent of
these units and agencies are prod
ucts of the New Deal recovery
program; they work at cross pur-
poses; they move in their own
sphere and make their own poll
cies with almost no direction from
the White House. Certainly, the
time is ripe to clean up that mess.
Yet, in cleaning up these condi-
tons, in recognizing, it is undoubt-
edly the consensus of those charged
with responsibility for the job that
common sense must be used and
discretion employed or else untold
damage will be done to the govern
ment and to the whole economic
structure of the nation, including
the taxpayers. s5@t @e G
The Presidential reorganization
program was sweeping in charac-
., ter and that is the
NeoTgdnizd- reason why it has
ton Program run into obstacles.
For example, the
plan calls for placing the interstate
commerce commission, the general
accounting office, the federal trade
commission and the civil service
commission largely inside of old
established departments over which
cabinet officers preside. Now, a
cabinet officer is and always has
been in the past a political APP
pointee, an individual who had been
active in promotion of a party cam
palgn and usually one who has
made important contributions of
money to his party campaign
fund. So. it becomes plainly evil
cent, ] believe, that to place such
agencies as those I have named in
regular departments, is to place
them completely under political
domination. .~...,
Where it is good, therefore, to
place strictly administrative agen-
cleS under cabinet control, it be-
comes equally dangerous to place
under political domination such
quasi-judicial agencies as the ice
ana the general accounting office.
mere can be no doubt of that fact.
mat is the crulx of the disturb
ance among the legislators under
@e reorganization proposal.
inose of us who have had long
experience as writer's and observ-
CTS In Washington have seen evil
uence In almost every admins
ration of attempts of politicians to
ee' their fingers into the pie of rail-
.oaa rate making. They have adopt
~ al sorts of tricks; they have used
suo'erfuges and they have en-
r.oyed strong political pressure
ie after time to gain control of
road rate making. Through all
" mese years since the ICC was
s'aoilshed, there has always been
saoueh sane minds in congress who,
VIZ. White House backing, could
~ 'St this political move. Natur-
y' therefore. it is a matter of