Evening star., 1937-07-23
REORGANIZATION
BILL PASSAGE DUE
House Expected to Vote
First of Four Recon-.
mendations Today.
BY WILL P. KENNEDY.

BY WILL P. KENNEDY.
The House Is expected to pass to-
day the first of the four reorganiza-
ton bills to carry out President Roose-
velt's recommendations This is the
bill sponsored by Representative Rob-
tnson, Democrat. of Utah. authorizing
the President to appoint six additional
administrative assistants outside of
civil service laws, at salaries Of $40 .00O
to perform such duties as he may
dictate.
Republican opposition is to be led
by Representative Taber OF New
York, ranking minority member
on the Appropriations Committee
There is also some Democratic oppo-
sition which argues that this bill
would restrict the President, since
bow he can appoint as many addi-
tional secretaries as he may desire at
salaries up to $4,000.
It Is generally expected that this
bill will be approved by both the
House and Senate. and that 1t is the
only part of the Presidents reorgani-
cation program that will pass. It is
probably. also, that Congress at this
session will approve legislation to
extend the classified civil service to
include all positions not now covered.
Such measure has the support of
the House Civil Service Committee
and is favored in the Brookings Insti-
tuition report on Federal personnel,
made public yesterday by Chairman
Byrd OF the Senate Reorganization
Committee.
Department Urged.
Creation of Department of We'll
fare. OF which the present Labor De-
partment would be the nucleus and
N which would be co-ordinated ac-
tivittes Of the Federal Government in
the fields of labor. education. public
health and relief, is recommended In
another report to the Senate COM
mittee made public today by Senator
Byrd.
1t Is emphasized that this Is not
new department. as was proposed by
the Presidents Advisory Committee
and written into the omnibus reor-
ganization bill presented by the late
Senate Leader Robinson.
Summarized, the recommendations
IN the Brookings Institution report
are:
There should be a greater integra-
ton Of Federal-State relationships In
public welfare work
Rural welfare work should remain
In the Department of Agriculture.
Indian affairs should remain under
control OF single organization, which
might be placed in the proposed new
Department of Welfare. transferred
to the Agriculture Department: or re-
tanned in the Interior Department.
Penal and correctional agencies
should remain In the Justice Depart
ment
The Census Bureau might be placed
in the Department Of Welfare, II one
IS created.
Agencies concerned with the slum-
clearance and low-cost housing prof.
ects should be placed In the Depart
ment Of Welfare.
The Bureau OF Home Economics
should remain In the Agriculture De-
partment.
The Veterans Administration should
remain an independent agency.
No substantial benefits would accrue
from placing the then Employees Com
pensation Commission or the inde-
pendent labor boards in either the
Labor Department or the proposed
Department OF Welfare.
It is not feasible to concentrate
Federal activities in the field Of recre-
alton in a single organization, but an
interdepartmental committee should
be created to Coordinate recreational
activities.
Would Have Board Rule.
Consideration should be given to ad-
ministering welfare activities through
a board or commission, rather than
through a department with a single
Secretary. This suggestion follows
discussion Of the wide range Of in
terests involved in such a consolida-
ton. including those of labor, physi-
Clans, educators and social workers.
II such an "integrated department
should be established in the interests
Of administrative simplicity, the re-
port advises that the following aRen-
cies would come into 1t on the basis
OF their duties, responsibilities and
inter er-relationship':
In the field of labor-Bureau of
Labor Statistics, Womens Bureau, Di-
vision of Labor Standards, Concilia-
ton Service, Employment Service, un-
employment insurance unit of the
Social Security Board, immigration
and Naturalization Service. In the
held Of public health-Public Health
Service, Freedmen's Hospital; Gov
ernment Hospital for Insane. In the
sield Of relief-Social Security Board
work in the field OF old-age assistance.
old-age security insurance and relief
Tor the blind: what will remain of the
Federal Emergency Relief Admins
tration, what will remain of the Works
Progress Administration, the overhead
organization Of the Civilian Conser-
vation Corps, what will remain of the
National Youth Administration. In
the field of child welfare-Children's
Bureau. including its work under the