Evening star., 1939-09-10
Nv the Associated Press.

HYDE PARK, N. Y, Sept. "
Following is the teri OF state
ment and executive order, issued
TO-DAY BY President Roosevelt, out
lining a reorganization OF White
House Offices to propide "adequate
resources for management" IN
periods OF emergency:'
The Seventy-sixth Congress, in
the Reorganization Act OF 1889,
required the President, subject
to the approval of the Congress,
to undertake the reorganization
of the executive branch. The first
steps toward effecting this re-
organization have been taken.
Among other organizational
changes there have been trans
ferred to the executive Office of
the President, with the concur
renee of the Congress, certain
agencies having to do with the
over all management and CEN
tral direction of the executive
branch of the Federal Govern
ment.
Heretofore, the intimate and
immediate direction of business
by the President has been con-
fined to the White House Office.
Although the President, under
the Constitution and the stat
utes, actually is responsible for
the conduct Of the administra-
tive management of the execu-
tive establishment, he has not
heretofore had appropriate means
to discharge this responsibility
effectively. Particularly, under
the Pendleton Act of 1883. he was
charged with certain duties with
respect to personnel, and in the
Budget and Accounting Act of
1921 he was made responsible
for the preparation and the exc
cution of the budget: and. in
many acts of Congress since
1889, responsibilities have been
placed directly upon him for
which he had no compensating
authority or machinery for carry
ing into effect.
Needs More Orderly
Form of Organization.
This is all part of the con-
tinuing growth of the Nation S
business. Forty years ago Presi-
dent Mckinley could deal with
the whole machinery of the
executive branch through eight
or ten persons, and small per-
sonal secretarial staff was suffi-
cient to care for all his personal
and official correspondence. Now,
when inquiries with respect to
the business of the Government
come to the President from
private citizens in thousands
every day. to say nothing of the
complex character of the busi-
ness of the Government itself,
the President can conduct the
executive business of the Govern
ment only if he has a more or
derly organization. The services
that the Government renders,
and the tasks of protection and
supervision that are imposed
upon it are carried on through
departments and agencies spe-
cially set up by the Congress
and provided with the funds to
carry out the work that had
been determined upon by the
people and the Congress. but,
nevertheless, the task of general
supervision and overall manage
ment continues to rest upon the
President as the constitutional
chief executive.
This particular responsibility
Of the President requires better
organization, and to that end,
with the concurrence of the Con-
gress, under the Reorganization
Act, certain agencies and func-
tions were transferred to the
executive Office of the President.
These transfers give the executive
Office no new powers, no new
duties, no additional RESPONSE
UlllllCS, Wv al tAlC vi
ganizational expression of exist
ing law and practice.
Functions of Each Unit
Must Be Clearly Defined.
But the mere transfer of these
agencies and functions to the
executive Office of the President
is not sufficient. They, along with
the White House Office, must be
nodded into a compact organi-
zation, with the functions and
duties of each unit clearly pre-
scribed, with relationships be-
tween units carefully defined,
and with systematic procedures
developed so that the flow of
work will be speedy, smooth and
effective. Only after this has
been accomplished will the Pres
ident have adequate machinery
for the businesslike handling of