Evening star., 1940-04-03
Merger Plan Creates
Treasury Fiscal Aide
At $4,000 a Year
Roosevelt Gives Congress
Third Departmental
Reorganization Order
By JOHN C. HENRY.

Selection OF a Fiscal Assistant
Secretary of the Treasury, at SIC, 1000
yearly, to be at the top of the Gov
ernment career service pay scale, is
the major personnel problem posed
by President Roosevelt's third de-
partmental reorganization order as
submitted to Congress yesterday.
Also contemplated by the plan,
however, are important appoint
ments of a director and two asst
ant directors of a new Fish and
Wild Life Service and an administra-
tor of a new Surplus Marketing Ad-
ministration. The former will be in
the Department of Interior, the lat
ter In the Department of Agricul-
ture.
Balancing these top administra-
tive additions is the proposed aboli-
ton Of the Office of the administra-
tor Of the Federal Alcohol Admins
tration and of six district commits
sioners of immigration and natur-
alization. In addition. although the
posts involved are now vacant. the
President suggested abolition of an
Office of Assistant Secretary of the
Treasury an dof the Offices of COM
missioner of immigration in several
cities.
S150,000 Annual Saving Seen.
According to the Labor Depart
ment, the six district commissioners
of immigration and naturalization
are located in New York, Boston,
Baltimore, San Francisco, Seattle
and San Juan. Their salaries range
from $500 to $6,500 yearly.
In his message to the Congress
yesterday President Roosevelt esti-
mated that the proposed changes
will mean an annual administrative
saving OF about $780, ,000-plus an in
creased efficiency in conduct of the
Government functions involved.
With all Of the third plan being
devoted to interdepartmental trans
fers and relatively little of a con-
troversial nature included, the Chief
Executive said studies were being
continued for the purpose of formu-
lating further proposals. At a press
conference later he said there prob
ably will be another order around
the end Of the week, but advised re-
porters not to 60 'out on a limb"
In speculating on what it might con-
tain.
Undoubtedly the most important
Of yesterdays program was the Sec
ton providing for consolidating the
fiscal and financing activities of the
Treasury Department under a single
Fiscal Assistant Secretary.
Functions Closely Related.
Brought into this new unit will be
the offices of the Treasurer of the
United States, the Public Debt Serv-
Ice and the Accounts and Deposits
Commission. Pointing out that the
functions Of these are closely re-
lated, Mr.. Roosevelt added that the
internal organization of the pro-
posed fiscal service will conform to
accepted principles Of financial
management and provide theframe-
work for adequate internal con-
trolls. . . = Under the proposed plan,
these functions can be co-ordinated
more effectively, Implications elimi-
mated, and a more efficient service
provided"
The only other civil service posi-
ton paying as much as that of the
fiscal officer is the director of un-
employment compensation for the
Railroad Retirement Board.
In proposing abolition of the Office
Of Administrator of the F. A. A., the
President recalled that the agency
theoretically is now under the Treas
ury Department, but has been op-
Grating with a near-independent
status. 1t would now be brought ac-
tually into the department, its super
vision to become the responsibility
OF the Secretary and it's functions to
be performed by the Bureau of In
ternal Revenue and by other divi-
slons Of the department.
The proposed Fish and Wild Life
Service Is merely consolidation of
the Bureaus of Fisheries and of |
Biological Survey in the Interior
Department. A Surplus Marketing
Administration Is to be created in
the Department of Agriculture by
merger of the Federal Surplus Com
modities Corp. and the Division of
Marketing and Marketing Agree
ments of the A. A. A.
Abolition of the Office of Recorder
Of the General Land Office and
clarif1cation of the duties of the Civil
Aeronautics Authority likewise are
nr0viHed