The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1942-12-05

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SATURDAY. DECEMBER 5. 1882
GOVERNMENT REPORTS
Americans, worried by the in.
ereasing number OF government
forms they are required % I'M OUT
because OF rauoning programs and
wartime business regulations, are
finding time to write letters of pro-
test. Congress is being swamped
With them. sen. Arthur II. Nanden-
berg (Rl Mich, says he has re-
oe!yed thousands Of what he terms
SOS. letters" Sen. Harry F.
Byrd Cd Va, also reports bullying
mail sacks.
Byrd says the joint committee
on reduction OF non-essenuai gov
eminent expenditures" OF which
he is chairman. will investigate the
number Of reports which the gov
eminent makes business men and
average citizens fill out.
Farmers too are troubled. They
have 20 read $4,000 words OF in
struction to fill out forms so they
can operate their trucks
Promising a speedy, investigation
and quick relief, the senator says
We should do something 10 stop
these practices before they get well
Csta blished. When Byrd said that
the public was fed up" with the
government red-tape, other mem
bers OF Congress commented that
his remark was a great understate-
ment OF fact.
Vandenberg. who says that one
farmer wrote him complaining that
he had 10 fill out a twO-page form
10 get a new pair OF rubber boots.
declares that the red-tape menaces
national morale. Telling Of another
case where a business man had 10
fill out a l3page application to bid
on government work, Nandenberg
adds that the situation is a serious
threat to the war effort itself
The Expenditures Committee has
unanimously approved a resolution
sponsored by Vandenberg and Byrd
calling for an investigation into the
number OF questionIaires and what
happens to them once they are
filled out. Ii seems significant thai
even Secretary OF Treasury Nor
genthau and Budget DireCto.
Smith. who also are members OF
the committee voted aye on the
resolution.
The resolution was adopted after
five Witnesses. including Senator
Vandenberg, appeared before the
committee and singled out the OPA
for attack Byrd says that aside
from OPA Chief Leon Henderson
every government department in
Washington will be ordered to sub
NIT report on the number OF qhes-
tionnaires they have sent out in
the past year.
Spokesman for Henderson say
that his office has sent out only"
236 Questionnaires. They say this
number is small in view Of the fact
that there are 279 different price
regulations, u rationing orders and
400 rent control orders. They do
not estimate the number Of copies
printed. In one program-nation-
wide gasoline rationing-7i00o 600
ration books. l09 100000 appliaat ton
forms, $4,000 900 windshield stick
ers, and 90,5O0000 gummed sheets
for gasoline stations were run of
the government printing presses,
according to OPA reports
Representative OF both the drug
and building construction Industry
complain that il is physically i'm
possible 10 produce for he war ef.
fort and fill out the questionnaires
too
Others express similar views and
hope for relief in the investigation.
Perhaps some OF the Red Tape
will be eliminated. but YOU may be
sure that there will still be plenty
OF reports The government wants
information. QuestiOnnaires pro
vide the easiest means Of securin :
It. Principal objection is the dupli
cation which indicates unnecessary
overlapping OF bureaus and author
ity. Elimination Of some OF these
bureaus and consolidation Of others
might aid materially In speeding ~
the production program and in paci
flying people who are required 70
give more time than they feel is
justifiable 10 reports
Liquidation Of the WPA Is a be-
ginning in the right direction. There
are more bureaus whose usefulness
has changed since the surplus OF
labor has suddenly been converted
into shortage. These can be and
probably will be closed TO good ad
yantage-the double advantage. in
fact. OF reducing government ey
pense necessary 10 maintain them
and transferring officials to fields
OF needed war production.