Evening star., 1938-04-04

fTanklln Roosevelt became President,
and long before we were worried
about either Fascists or Communists
What is the history of this legis-
lation? A reorganization of the
executive departments of the Govern
ment was urged by Theodore Roose-
velt, Woodrow Wilson, Warren Hard
ing, Calvin Coolidge and Herbert
Hoover During the Harding admin
istration the President recommended
to the Congress a program for a re-
organization of the departments. The
next morning, the bureaucrats and job
holders in Washington, who feared
the curtailment of their power, began
a campaign against the proposal AS
result the Congress did not even
give serious consideration to the
recommendations of the President.
In the Hoover administration the
President urged Congress to give him
power to reorganize the executive de-
partnents. A bill was passed in June,
1882 The bill, however, provided that
the order of the President had to be
submitted to the Congress and either
house could disapprove it. When
President Hoover submitted an order,
the jobholders immediately got busy
and the order was promptly dis
approved.
Cites Earlier Move.
In February, 1888. an amendment
which I offered to an appropriation
bill contained the exact language
with reference to reorganization pow
ers contained in the pending bill. 1t
was adopted in the Senate without
objection. Many of those who now
fear the Republic will fall if this re-
organization bill is passed were pres
ent in the Senate and not one of them
voiced an objection to It,
Under the 1888 act, the President
created the Farm Credit Administra-
ton and issued about 10 other orders
merging bureaus. promoting efficiency
and economy. There was no demand
for repeal of any of these No mem
Der of the House and not one of the
self-appointed sentinels Of the Re-
public, who charge that the President
would use the present bill to change
the form of American Government,
suggested anything Of the sort in con-
nection with these earlier orders.
The bill now passed by the Senate
does not give the President power 10
change any law. It does not give him
power to abolish an agency unless the
powers and duties of that agency are
first consolidated with another agency.
All that 1t does is give the President
power, in the interest Of efficiency. to
consolidate some Of the more than 1870
Government bureaus scattered all over
the City of Washington.
Any order signed by the President
consolidating agencies must be for
warded to the Congress and will not
become effective for so days after the
date of the order. During that 60
days the Congress can pass Joint
resolution disapproving the whole or
any part of the Presidents order.
Agreement on Veto.
1t is argued that, if this should be
done, the President might veto it and
it would require a two-thirds vote to
pass the resolution over his veto.
That is true OF any bill. But the
President might, upon consideration,
agree with the Congress. If he did
not, we can be assured that any
order that curtails the power Of bu-
reau chiefs or reduces their number
will cause such pressure to be brought
upon the Congress that it will be
difficult to sustain the Presidents
veto.
Then, what is the cause of this
propaganda and this effort to instill
fear in the hearts of the people? It
is nothing but determined effort of
a remnant of the Republican party to
injure a Democratic President, believ-
ing they will thereby defeat a Demo-
cratic program.
1t is absurd for any one to state
that in the bill there is any provision
affecting either freedom of religion
or freedom of speech. The console
dation of several bureaus in some de-
partment in the City of Washington
will certainly have no effect upon the
religious views of any individual.
It has been charged that, by the
establishment of Department Of
Welfare, free education would be
abolished. The only excuse given for
this charge is that, under this bill, the
Department Of Welfare would be au-
thorized to administer the existing
laws with reference to education.
For instance, in the Interior De-
partment we have, and for many years
have had, a Bureau of Education. In
one or two other departments there
are bureaus having charge OF some
particular educational subject. Under
this bill, these bureaus could be trans
ferred to the Department of Welfare.