Evening star., 1942-01-10
Smith Asked 10 Delay
Agency Shifts Pending
Farley With President
BorkIey Apparently
HoIts Price Bill Rider
To Bon Transfers

Hoping to obtain an early confer
ence with the President In their
efforts to kesp the Government
establishment intact in or near
Washington, members Of the Sem
ate and House District Committees
today awaited the results Of another
request sent to Budget Director Har-
old D. Smith last night to delay
removal of any agencies pending
further negotiation.
Senate Majority Leader Barkley
yesterday afternoon told a special
subcommittee of the Senate and
House District groups he would CO.
operate with them in seeking con-
ference with the President, and
urged them not TO offer rider to
the price control bill 10 halt the
transfer of the IL agencies slated
for removal to other cities.
Senator Barkley said later that. as
a general proposition, he favored
keeping Government activities In
Washington, and suggested 1t may
have been shortsighted on the part
of Congress in not providing ade-
quate facilities on the space that rs
available here. At the same time. he
said. it may be necessary to move
some agencies temporarily during
the emergency, but that he would
not favor permanent decentraliza-
ton.
Smith Withholds Files.
The special subcommittee was ap-
pointed to ask Senator Barkley
about the possibility Of amending
the price control bill, after Budget
Director Smith had failed to send
the Senate District Committee the
files it had requested bearing on the
proposed decentralization. Mr..
Smith wrote that he had some hesi-
fancy about complying with the re-
quest because he had acted in the
matter at the direction of the Presi-
dent and that the records we're to
some extent confidential No amend
ment is expected to be offered to
the price control bill now
The reply sent to Mr.. Smith last
night read, in part, as follows:
The committees will. of course,
be glad to meet with you in execu-
tive session in order that all infor-
nation be treated as confidential.
1T would be a very serious and
expensive error, in our judgment,
If you were to proceed further with
out being in possession of the facts
and testimony adduced by our COM
AS this is a serious mat
ter, affecting not only the efficiency
of the Government and the change
IN our national policy without legis-
lation to authorize the same, as 1t
affects the seat Of Government, and
deals with the welfare of thousands
of Government employees, many of
whom are buying homes IN the Dis
trict, we again renew most respect
fully our request as contained in
the chairman's letter of January 8,
1912, and further request that no
action looking to the removal of the
agencies be taken until you can con-
fer with our committees and see
whether or not the alternate pro-
posals which we have developed
would not more ef11caciously dis
pose of the matter than the plan
which seems to be contemplated"
The reply to Mr.. Smith also re-
viewed the testimony which
prompted the Senate committee to
give approval last week to a bill rec
ommending a $40 900, 900 appropria-
ton to build sufficient temporary
office space in or near the District
as an alternative to moving IL
agencies to half dozen widely sepa-
rated cities.
1t calls attention to testimony in
dicating that an average of about
so per cent of the employees in the
affected agencies probably would
not move with the bureaus. The
letter also renewed the contention
that the cost of moving the bureaus.
including construction of living
quarters, approximateS the cost OF
providing the additional temporary
facilities needed to keep them here.
I'VE likewise have learned from
testimony before the committee, the
letter continued. that many of the
heads Of the agencies proposed to
be removed have not been inter-
viewed, or given but little oppor-
tunity, and in some cases none at
all, as to the scope of their opera
tions, which requires much confer
ence with other Governmental de-
partments before any action can be
taken.'