The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1939-03-30

Byrd, of Virginia, voted for the reor-
ganization bill, which passed the Sen
ate last Wednesday, is pretty good ev-
idence that the offensive features
which year ago aroused such ma
tion-wide opposition have been elm
znated.
In its present shape the bill repre-
SCENTS an almost complete denial to the
President of what he wanted. No one
can compare this measure with the
one he originally sponsored and escape
that conclusion. That is too clear to
dispute. When the record is reviewed
it is also clear that if it had not been
for the determined two-year fight
made by Senator Byrd, the President
would be in possession today of the
really dictatorial power with which
the original proposals sought to clOthe
Gnim.
In any history of the Roosevelt
regime, his course on this re0rganiza-
Eion issue is bound to rank as one of
mis- two major mistakes-just little
less damaging than the court-packing
proposal, of which it was companion
piece. Conceding to Mr.. Roosevelt the
same desire other Presidents have had
to reshape the great sprawling gov
ernmental structure so as to pro-
mote efficiency and reduce confu-
sion, it is, nevertheless, accepted that
he was inspired by two other motives
not nearly so admirable. Unquestion-
ably one was determination to blan-
ket Senator Byrd, the real organl-
cation pioneer of the period, who had
presented a bill as early as 1885.
***
Resenting Senator Byrd's insistence
upon economy and his general dissent
from New Deal policies, the President
moved to deprive him of credit. That
rs no biased statement. 1t is fact
FULLY known and attested. The other
motive was an itch to gain the con-
troll denied him by the Supreme Court
over those great quasi-judicial boards
such as the Interstate Commerce, Fed
aaral Reserve and Federal Trade. There
was the further desire to wipe out the
Comptroller General, whose tendency
TO publicly question New Deal expen-
ditures was deeply resented, to re-
vamp the Civil Service setup, to Gre
ate two new Cabinet posts.
***
When you consider what Mr.. Roose-
welt wanted and what he gets it is
easy to understand why he is not
pleased. In the first place, the Senate
on motion of Senator Byrd, and by
unanimous vote, has written into the
preambly its first economy declaration
since 1888. "The Congress-" it reads,
~'declares that by reason of continual
national deficits begun in 1881, it is
desirable to reduce substantially gov
eminent expenditures and that such
reduction may be achieved in some
measure by proceeding under the pro-
visions Of this Act"
Thus, economy is not only made the
primary purpose of the bill but its
desirability is unanimously voiced by
Congress. This clashes with the Presi-
dents original utterance on reorgani-
cation in which he asserted that econ
omy was minor consideration and
the money saved would be trivial. 1t
also directly contradicts the Roose-
welt-Eccles theory, as outlined in the
January message, when the President
said that to reduce was to "invite dis
4aster'-an idea to which, despite M.
Eccles' tongue-in-the-c cheek gesture,
they both still cling.
*"*
But for the skill of Senator Byrnes,
not enough of the Presidents pro-
posals to even measurably save his
face would have been left. AS things
stand, every one of the quasi-judicial
Boards is exempted from the provi-
sions of the bill; the Comptroller Cen
aral remains untouched and untOuch-
abel; the Civil Service Commission is
mot to be changed and there are not
to be two new Cabinet officers and
departments. Moreover, the President
is specifically prohibited from incor-
porating into permanent departments
any Of the emergency agencies which
expire at definite dates, unless Con-
gress, itself extends their lives by law.
In addition, he is required to report
In detail with every recommendation
what economies are to be expected.
In brief, there are in the bill many
things to which the President was
stongly opposed and there has been
taken out almost everything he partic-
uIarly wanted, except his six addi-
tionaI secretaries. Against this, al