Evening star., 1938-12-08
Reorganization
Program Is
Revived
President Calls PurIey
With BrownIow
Committee

the agencies OF the Government
stirred fight in the last Con-
gresS that gre,o as intense as that
1Odged oUer the court reform
proposal. Attacked by opponents
as an attempt at Capitalization
OF poUer in the erecutiue, the
measure ,Cds defended by admin
,strdtton forces as a good house
keeping" proposition that Uould
sape the Government $30,o00,0 900
annually.
The administration program for
reorganizing the executive agencies
OF the Government was revived on
two fronts here today.
Announcement was made at the
White House that President Roose-
velt was calling into conference the
Brownlow Committee that drafted
the controversial measure beaten in
the last Congress. There also were
indications at the White House
that the President favors backing
the same omnibus legislation again
this session, rather than separate
measures.
At the same time, Senator Byrnes,
Democrat, of South Carolina, who
piloted the bill through the Senate
only to see it lose unexpectedly in
the House, returned to the Capital
and announced that he would call
a meeting of the Congressional Re-
organization Committee. He also
said he would discuss the matter
with the President. These steps
would be taken before he made any
plans, the Senator declared.
Urges Separate Bills.
Asked If he had changed his mind
about any of the main features of
the bill as it passed the Senate, Mr..
Byrnes said that if he were doing it
over he would introduce a series of
separate bills instead of trying to
deal with the whole problem in one
measure, as was done last session.
The old program was an omnibus
bill, main sections of which were:
Conferring general power on tho
President to rearrange bureaus and
Independent agencies; substituting
one-man administrator for the
Civil Service Commission; abolish
ing the Controller Generals Once
and setting up an auditor general,
limited to post-audits, with current
accounting in the Treasury.
Senator Byrnes made it clear he
still believes the Wheeler amend
ment, to retain in Congress a veto
power over presidential reorganiza-
ton orders, would be unconstitu-
tional. Opponents of the old bill
centered their fight on this pro-
posal, contending that Congress
should preserve its right to pass on
changes in the Government set-up.
Senator Byrnes said his personal
view IS that any revival of the de-
feated Government reorganization
bill should start in the House, where
the measure was blocked last sum-
mer after it had passed the Senate
by narrow margin.
Sees Little Gain.
The South Carolinian, who steered
the bill through the Senate after a
long, hard fight, said he sees moth
ing to be gained by having the Sen
ate take the question up first and
spend month on it, until it is
known what action the House will
take.
The White House explained that
the purpose of today's conference
with the Brownlow group was to
| discuss reorganization in a general
way and to determine preparatory
steps for presenting a bill to Con-
gress.
While President Roosevelt has re-
peatedly indicated he would include
reorganization on his legislation
program for the next session, he has
never definitely said whether he
would attempt to obtain enactment
of the same bill or whether he would
seek new legislation. Some observers
believe the President may seek re-
organization by piece-meal legisla-
ton, as Senator Byrnes suggests.
There Is feeling among the
White House authorities that the
President will stand by his original
reorganization plan and back the
same bill with possibly some minor
changes and notifications. This
theory is bolstered by the fact that
| the bill was beaten in the House by
a very small margin after winning in
the Senate.
1t has been pointed out in other
quarters, however, that some sena-
torial proponents of reorganization
fell by the wayside In the November
election.
Prior to the election, the Presi-
dent indicated reorganization would
be pressed without material change
from the lines laid down by Louis
brownlow, Or. Charles E. Merriam
and Luther Gulick, who are con-
ferring with him today.
Wants Stronger Defenses.
Senator Byrnes also expressed the
opinion today that Strengthening
OF Americas defenses. especially the
Army Air Corps, is the No. prob
lem awaiting the new Congress
Indicating his belief that little
reliance can be placed In treaties,
In view of world events, Senator
Byrnes declared that this country,
the greatest prize Of ALL" must have
adequate defenses for its coast lines.
He said he believed Congress will
give first attention to expenditures
for national defense"
Senator Byrnes declined to be
drawn into discussion Of the stand
taken in the last few days by two
other Democratic Senators, favoring
q third term for President Roose-
welt. Senator Gufiey Of Pennsyl.
vania advocated 1t Monday, and
Senator Smathers Of New Jersey
seconded the motion yesterday. Mr..
Byrnes also refrained from any
comment on the 1910 boom which
Texans have started for Vice Presi-
dent Garner.
A flrm belief was expressed by
Senator Byrnes that relief legisla-
ton passed in the new Congress will
contain some provision prohibiting
| ~>Ai.Sk.. H. lit.