The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1943-08-05
Says War
Cabinet Is
Badly Needed
BY Albert 5. Goss
Master National Grange

Tin Montana Grange News
Washington has been aptly called
the National Center Of Confusion
During war times more or less dis
order can be expected, but the con-
fusion has existed since long be-
fore the war. Much of it comes
from failure to follow well-estab-
lished administrative procedure.
Our government is divided into
three branches, Executive, Legs
lative and Judicial. The Legislature
establishes the policies and makes
the laws. The Executive branch ad-
ministers the law and carries out
the policies SO established. The
Judicial interprets the law when the
constitutionality is challenged. The
Executive branch is larger, for there
all the activities Of government are
centered, under the supervision Of
the President.
| These activities are too many Tor
any one man to handle individually
so they are divided into ten depart
\ ments, each under the supervision
I of a Cabinet member. These Cab1-
net members comprise the Presl-
dents operating staff or advisory
board
In addition to this machinery OF
government, experience has shown
that some activities are combina-
ton Of executive and judicial re-
/ sponsibilities, so certain commits
sions have been authorized by law,
such as the Interstate Commerce
/ Commission, the Tariff Commission
and the Federal Trade Commission.
On the whole our government is
intended to be a rather clean-cut,
not too complicated, organization
The trouble has arisen from failure
to follow the pattern. When the
4 Department of Labor failed to func-
ton smoothly, instead of correcting
the trouble at its source a commlS-
sion was set up to take over some Oh
the activities rightfully belonging
within the department. Working
under the handicap of divided au-
thority it was inevitable that the
commission would fail, SO another
was set up, then another. Most OF the
new agencies have been superlm'
posed upon the others. Now, prob
lens of labor are spread among Tho
Department of Labor the War Man
power Commission, the Nationa
War Labor Board, the Management
/ Labor Policy Committee, and Agrf
cultural Labor Division of the Wa
Food Administration, the Natlona
Labor Relations Board, and how
&c ~ IN
: So it goes in the other depart
:, ments. Where one authority be
gins and another ends is subjec
for continual doubt and controversy
Instead of ten departments, eacl
hva- responsible Cahine
, member, we have some go or 8
: boards or commissions operatin
outside Of cabinet department:
most of them responsible directly t
the President. We have had fou
reorganizations of government In q
many years, most of them addln
.l4 to the number of agencies instead {
replacing them, but none of ther
/ getting back to the basic policy {
p straight line authority.
4 For example, as chairman of tn
] Food Requirements Committee, SET
:. rotary WickaTd could issue diret
y tives, but many of them had to /
II carried out by agencies which wei
e not under the Department Of Ayr
! culture, and over which he had =
supervision If his orders were M
y carried out, he could do nothir
) about it, unless possibly complain
the President.
When war came to Europe, tt
10 confusion led to the appointment
II William s. Knudson as Chief G.
1t ordinator or Overall Boss, but
Continued on page 81