Evening star., 1943-05-28
Budget Bureau
Witness Told H e
Condemns Self
Stone Informed His
Recommendations
Bring Bad Results
BY WILL P. KENNEDY.

Donald c. Stone, head of the
Budget Bureaus division of admin
lstratlVe management, was told to-
day by members of the Ramspeck
Civil Service Committee that he was
condemning himself "if as you say,
the various Government agencies
accept your recommendations and
the results are as bad as you YOUR
self have told us"
At the close of a two-hour ses-
sion, Chairman Ramspeck said he
was frankly disappointed in the
work OF the management division.
representative Rees, Republican. of
Kansas criticized Mr.. Stone be-
cause he had said he mot onlv
doesn't have authority to order
agencies to stop waste of money
and manpower, but thinks he should
not have it,"
When Mr.. Stone protested that he
hadn't had much chance" to de-
scribe the work of his division and
It's accomplishments, Chairman
Ramspeck invited him to prepare
statement of the detailed work of
the administrative management dI-
vision and any accomplishments to
which you may lay claim
GAO Witnesses Next.
Mr.. Ramspeck announced that the
investigating committee will have
before it next week representatives
OF the General Accounting Office.
Much Of the time at today's hear
Ing was devoted to a discussion OF
Where authority should be placed
by Congress to stop waste and ey-
travagance, overstaffing. excessive
personnel, inefficient practices and
lack of coordination.
Mr. Stone frankly stated in reply
to repeated questions that he Gid not
have arbitrary authority to compel
any agency to follow his suggestions
and that he did not think he should
have such authority. He said that as
a staff agency he did not want to
have police authority" He de-
clared that the Budget Bureau can
junction only on behalf of the Presi-
dent. 1t must be subject always to
appeal to the President
Otherwise it would become the
executive of the various agencies and
does not have the staff of thousands
OF expert investigators necessary to
40 ay-ln-and-day out police duty
Makes Recommendations
He explained that we do advise
ana make recommendations. curtall
funds and set up reserves, represent
the President and represent Con-
/ greSs to see that its laws are car
rled out"
/ He emphasized also that the
/ President doesn't have authority to
aoollsh agencies or functions set IN
by law although he had admitted
that some functions should be abol-
lshed. Where an agency or function
( is set up by executive order it can
be abolished by executive order, he
admitted.
Mr.. Stone suggested that more
specific authority should be given
the Budget Bureau to withhold
funds from any agency because the
authority is not clean cut
Members of the investigating COM
, mlttee made it clear that thev def
nltely intend on the completion of
their civil service study to recon-
mend that statutory. authority be
placed somewhere to compel depart
ments and agencies of the Govern
ment to stop waste and eXtrava-
gance and inefficient methods when
brought to their attention.
Chairman Ramspeck told the wit
| ness:
Like a great many people in the
executive branch. you overlook the
tact that cannot be gotten away
from that the people hold us in
Congress responsible. They don't
let us make excuses or pass the
buck or explain red tape and COM
/ pllcated procedure. They insist that
we must see that the job is done
properly.
Yet you say we shouldn't put
such authority anywhere but in the
President. You ought to know that
he does not have time to make all
these Investigations, and for de-
tailed action. and, besides, we never
yet had President who was an
expert in industrial management.
Your attitude on this just doesn't
make sense to me-"