Imperial Valley press., 1938-04-06
News Behind
the News
Partisan Smoke :.
Ind Party Pressure
Nv RODNEY BUTCHER

WASHINGTON Clouds OF par
tisan smoke obscure the merits ana
dement's of the reorganization Dill.
The average citizen who wants TO
make up his mind effectively Will
need more time for study and more
opportunity for experience with
government problems than he can
ever expect to have.
The Senate wouldn't have pass
ed the bill if the Roosevelt admin
istration hadn't brought the bulk
of its friends into line for the
measure and applied most of the
lobbying pressures which any adj
ministration has at its command.
On the other hand, the opposition
wouldn't have amounted to much
If Mr.. Roosevelt's most persistent
critics and opponents hadn't band
ed together in an effort to give
the President a personal beating
Although there was honest con-
yiction on both sides, the lineup
showed most of the New Deal Dem
ocrats and machine followers on
publicans and administration
Democrats furnishing the bulk OF
nays. This is true even though
large partisan outside groups
also fought the bill.
One net result is the White House
has won its first bitter, close fought
major congressional battle since the
I,Sai1 let PC
must now battle again in the House.
And again the issue is the ques-
ton of how much power ought to
be given the President in the hope
of improving government efficiency.
The Senate bill and the House
reorganization committee bills give
the President about half as much
scope as he originally asked for.
The chief remaining controversial
points arc:
|. POWER TO REORGANIZE--
The President would be authorized
to transfer regroup, consolidate, re
organize and abolish administrative
agencies with the exception of agen-
cies which include the Interstate
Commerce, Federal Trade, Securities
Exchange. Communications, Power,
Coal and Maritime Commissions,
the National Labor Relations Board,
Federal Reserve System and others.
He could not abolish any executive
department. His orders must lie
before Congress for so days before
becoming effective and could be
nullified only by a congressional
which, as usual, would
be subject to veto.
,. CIVIL SERVICE-The Presi-
dent is authorized TO place non-civ.l
service employees whose duties do
not involve determination of policies
under civil service, assuming they
can pass non-competitive eXamina
tions This might affect about
100000 employees.
3. COMPTROLLER GENERAL
The Senate bill would abolish this
office, setting up a joint congress
sional committee on accounts which
would appoint an Auditor General
responsible to Congress- The House
committee bill retains the Comp
troller General but makes him re-
sponsible to and removable by the
President.
Both Senate and House have ap-
proved the relatively -contro-
verSial proposals to give the Presi-
dent six executive assistants and to
create Department of Public Wei
fare.
SandcringS, small shore birds
have been clOcked at more than sc
miles per hour.
Crying is usually beneficial a,
a safety valve, it relieves emotional
tension
Marconi'5 yacht Electra, has
been given 10 Italy by his widow
/ will house a scientific museum
II is estimated that when regu-
lar transatlantic airplane service
is established, one-way fare will
be approximately $400.
S u NJ NJ Or vs.
Nh 1QUIc