Evening star., 1939-04-25
Presidents Letter to Congress Reorganization Order

The tert of the Presidents
message to Congress today. trans
mttttng reorganization plan No.
I, tolloaUs::
To the Congress of the United
States:
Pursuant to the provisions of
the Reorganization Act of 1899
public No. 10, Seventy-Sixth
Congress, first session., approved
April 3, 1899, herewith transmit
Reorganization Plan No. l, which
after investigation I have pre-
pared in accordance with the
provisions of section 4 of the
act; and I declare that with re-
spect to each transfer, consolida-
tion or abolition made in Reor-
ganization Plan No. I have
found that such transfer, con-
solidation or abolition is neces-
sary to accomplish one or more
OF the purposes of section (a)
of the act.
In these days of ruthless at
tempts to destroy democratic
government it is BADLY asserted
that democracies must always be
weak in order to be democratic
at all; and that, therefore, it
will be easy to crush all free
states out of existence.
Confident in our Republics $50
years of successful resistance to
all subversive attempts upon it,
whether from without or within,
nevertheless we must be con-
stantly alert to the Importance
OF keeping the tools of American
democracy up to date. 1t is our
responsibility to make sure that
the peoples Government is in
condition to carry out the peo-
pies will promptly, effectively,
without waste or lost motion.
Former Strides Cited.
In 1883 under President Ar
thur we strengthened the ma
chinery of democracy by the civil
service law: beginning in 1905
President Roosevelt initiated i'm
portant inquiries into Federal ad-
mlnlstration; in 1911 President
Taft named the Economy and
Efficiency Commission, which
made very important recon-
mendations; in 1921 under Pres
ldents Wilson and Harding we
tlghtened up our budgetary pro-
cedure. Presidents Theodore
Roosevelt. Taft. Wilson, Harding,
Coolidge and Hoover in success
sion strongly recommended the
rearrahgement of Federal ad-
mlnlstrative activities. In 1887
proposed, on the basis of an in
qulry authorized and appro-
prlated for by the Congress. the
strengthening of the administra-
tive management of the execu-
tive establishment.
None of all this long series of
suggestions, running over more
than a quarter of a century, was
in any sense personal or par
tisan in design.
THESE measures have all had
only one supreme purpose-to
make democracy work to
strengthen the arms of democ-
racy in peace or war and to
insure the solid blessings of free
government to our people in in
creasing measure.
We are not free if our admin
1stration is weak. But we are
free if we know, and others
know. that we are strong; that
we can be tough as we'll as ten
der hearted, and that what the
American people decide to do can
and will be done, capably and ef-
fectively, with the best national
equipment that modern organ
lzlng ability can supply in a
country where management and
organization is so we'll under
stood in private affairs.
Seeks Management Gain.
MY whole purpose in submit
ting this plan is to improve the
administrative management of
the Republic, and I feel conf
dent that our Nation is united
IN this central purpose, regard
less of differences upon details.
This plan is concerned with
the practical necessity of reduc-
ing the number of agencies
Which report directly to the
President and also of giving the
President assistance in dealing
with the entire executive branch
by modern means of administra-
tive management.
Forty years ago, in 1899, Pres
ldent Mckinley could deal with
the whole machinery of the ex-
ecutive branch through his eight
cabinet secretaries and the heads
OF two commissions; and there
was but one commission of the
so-called quasi-judicial type in
existence. He could keep in
touch with all the work through
eight or ten persons.
Now, forty years later, not only
do some thirty major agencies
Ito say nothing of the minor
ones) report directly to the Pres
ident, but there are several
quasi-judicial bodies which have
enough administrative work to
require them also to see him on
important executive matters.
1t has become physically i'm
possible for one man to see so
many persons, to receive reports
directly from them, and to at
tempt to advise them on their
own problems which they submit.
In addition, the President today
has the task of trying to keep
their programs in step with each
other or in line with the national
policy laid down by the Congress,
And he must seek to prevent un-
necessary duplication of effort.
Regrouping Only Solution.