Evening star., 1937-08-02
SEES TENDENCY
TO RE0RCAN|zE
Charles {. Merriam Tells
Senators of Trend in
States and Cities.
1y the Associated Press.

8y the Associated Press.
Charles E. Merriam of President
Roosevelt's Executive Reorganization
Committee testified today there was
growing tendency" toward reorgani-
cation Of State and city governments.
Merriam was the first witness when
. special Senate committee opened
hearings on bill to reorganize the
administration machinery of the Fed
eral Government.
He said the Presidents committee
had no hand" in drafting the bill
before the Senate committee, but it
had drawn two bills. considered by
the Senate committee earlier this
year. carrying out its recommended
tions.
The bill under consideration today
was introduced by the late Senator
Robinson of Arkansas. 1t would ex-
tend civil service to many new Gov
ernment departments and give the
President broad power to group, con-
Federal agencies.
1t also would authorize appointment
OF six administrative assistants to the
President.
Merriam asserted the trend among
cities was toward the city manager
plan Of government. Senator Nc
Nary. Republican, of Oregon said he
hall
ward giving more governmental power
to an individual.
Merriam replied he thought the
trend was the other way despite the
increase of manager type government.
Senator Byrd, Democrat, of Vir-
ginia interrupted Merriams testimony
to assert the reorganization bill would
give the President vast power over
the Governments business which Con-
gress could not recover without a
two-thirds vote if the President used
his veto power"
Merriam told the committee, Il don t
know whether Senator Byrd seriously
intends to intimate the committe did
not intend to maintain the democratic
form of our Government. If he did,
resent it."
Byrd shot back, Il said nothing
about anybody's intentions. 1 only
said what was in the bill and nobody
can deny it's there. I don't know
anything about your intentions and
I don't care anything about them"
Byrd said that if Congress should
not approve of something the Presi-
dent might do under the bill. an ef-
fort to invalidate the action would be
subject to executive veto, requiring a
two-thirds vote of Congress to over
ride.
Byrd is chairman of Senate COM
mittee studying Government reorgan-
ization along lines somewhat different
from those suggested by the President,
Power to Remain Same.
Merriam asserted the President S
committee intended only to leave
the balance of governmental power
where it is
He contended the language of the
bill was similar" to a law enacted at
the close of the Hoover administration
and to the economy act of 1888
Under Hoover, he said, the presi-
Dental power was broader than that
proposed in the bill before the COM
mittee. Minority Leader McNary said
the Republican measure had an 18-
month time limit.
Byrd asserted either branch of Con-
gress could have by resolution nulli-
fed any Of the Presidents reorganiZa :
ton acts under the economy measures
Merriam said the Republican plat
form, Will Hayes, former Postmaster
General, former Vice President Dawes
and former Gov. Frank LoWden of
Illinois had indorsed similar programs
None of these individuals has the
slightest influence on me or this COM
mittee." McNary said. Are We to
listen to mere citations of what people
think and political platforms, or are
We to have an analysis of this bill?"
If it's embarrassing to the committee
for me to cite provisions in political
platforms, III withdraw it," Merriam
said.