Evening star., 1940-01-04
Bill 10 Standardize'
Board Procedure 10
Guard Public Pushed
PorIey Held to Speed
Action on Regulating
The Regulators
BY ]. A. O'LEARY.

A move is under way in both
branches of Congress to obtain early
action on the administrative law
bill, affecting the rules of procedure
of numerous Government agencies
that deal with the public.
Left over from the last session,
the measure is designed to bring
about uniformity in the process of
rule making by Federal boards and
commissions, and to define the con-
ditions under which aggrieved in
dividuals may seek judicial review
of the orders of such agencies.
Within a few hours after Con-
gress had convened yesterday, the
Senate Judiciary Subcommittee in
charge of the bill, and Representa-
tive Walter, Democrat, of Peansyl-
vania, sponsor of the bill in the
House, met to discuss plans for hav-
ing it called up as soon as possible
in each branch.
King Heads Senate Group.
Senator King, Democrat, of Utah
was made chairman of the Senate
Subcommittee, succeeding the late
Senator Logan of Kentucky, who
died following adjournment OF the
last session. Senator Logan was
co-author of the bill.
Senator McCarran, Democrat, of
Nevada, who was named to the
subcommittee vacancy, made this
comment today:
This is one of the outstanding
| bills by which we will return to the
people the rights guaranteed them
by the Bill of Rights. It re-estab-
fishes and re-emphasizes the exist
ence of three coordinate branches
of Government, the Legislative,
Executive and Judicial"
The bill passed the Senate at the
last session, but was called back for
further consideration, and is pend
ing on the calendar of both Houses.
The first chance to reconsider it in
the Senate may come Monday, when
the calendar is called under the
unanimous consent rule. If unani-
nous consent cannot be obtained at
that time, supporters indicated
they will make formal motion to
take it up at the first opportunity,
which, if carried, would make it the
Senate's unfinished business for ex-
tended debate.
Federal Control Extended.
In reporting the bill favorably,
the Senate Judiciary Committee
pointed out that, following in the
wake of the Interstate Commerce
Commission Act to regulate rail-
roads, Congress has extended gov
ernmental control to many other
lines of endeavor through the Fed
eral Trade Commission, the Federal
Communications Commission, the
Securities and Exchange Commis-
sion, the Wage-Hour Act, the Ma
tional Labor Relations Act and
others.
Throughout the period since 1887,
the report continued. the prime con-
sideration and emphasis have been
on strengthening "the powers of the
Federal Government so as to regu-
late and control the governed with
practically no consideration being
given to providing means and meth
ods whereby the governors could be
governed and the regulators could
be regulated"
"The time has come" the report
added, when some of these regula-
tors consider themselves above the
statutes and when they show con-
temptuous disregard for both the
Congress and the courts"
Cite Totalitarianism Fear.
The basic purpose of the bill was
described in the report as designed
to stem and. if possible, to reverse
the drift into parliamentarism
which, if it should succeed in any
substantial degree in this country,
could but result in totalitarianism.
This drift has become pronounced
in the past so years with the increas-
ing complexity of social and eco il.
nomic problems, the report said.
The bill is divided into four parts
l., mandatory requirement for the
administrative formulation of rules
and regulations, or the exercise of
quasi-legislative power by the exist
ing personnel, in filling in the de-
tails of the statutes which agencies
administer; 2, the establishment and
uniformity of procedure for hearing
administrative appeals by agencies;
3, establishment and uniformity of
procedure for, and scope Of, judicial
review of all administrative rules
and decisions or orders; 4. author
ization of the Supreme Court to
issue uniform rules of trial practice
and procedure before administrative
agencies in their exercise of quasi