Imperial Valley press., 1945-08-31
GETTING BACK TO
PEACE FOOTING

Congress has a duty Immediately upon
reconvening and that is to speed the
machinery of government in removing
war emergency powers and rules. Ac-
tually the country will not be at peace
until the formal treaties are signed on
both sides of the world. But to all in
tents and purposes, as soon as the sur
render terms are signed by Japan we
will have left the war period behind and
be concerned with shedding all the dis
ciplinary orders, all the regulations that
90 with war
The speed with which the President
has acted in abolishing some Of the war
made bureaus indicates the drift of his
intentions. But there is much that must
be done by Congress. The legislative
body must repeal all the war powers
given the chief executive and a resolution
will be presented at the opening session
to do that, according TO the announce
ment Of a senator Immediately after
Japan quit
Another legislative act which should
be given precedence IS one empowering
the President to reorganize the Federal
government The President has asked
that power and with proper limitations.
he should have it, and speedily.
More directly this will give the chief
executive the opportunity to start dis
banding the army Of Federal civilian
employees, nearly 100000 Of them. Con-
graSs has refused to provide some meas
ure whereby gradual reductions could
have been under way as we approached
the end Of the war Instead it has APP
proved a larger and larger payroll; it
has refused to make a move to untangle
the multiplicity Of bureaus and the du-
plicati0n Of services much Of doubtful
value even if there had not been any
duplication.
The new deal administration built up
the most gigantic political machine in
tie history Of the government through
all the wears since 1888, each election
time finding thousands and thousands
more on the government payroll The
war never gave a reasonable excuse for
this payroll padding, although Congress
let itself believe So Now that that flimsy
excuse has been removed, the country
should not, and will not cOuntenance a
continuation Of this huge tax load and
Congress we'll must know that
The records show that Congress per-
mitted an addition Of 10000 federal
employees a month after the surrender
Of Germany The taxpayers had in mind
that many and many more thousands
would be taken off the payroll instead
Of further unnecessary hiring.
Any agency directly connected with
the clerical work Of the discharge Of the
fighting men should be left intact The
very best help attainable should be put
10 that task, not hangers-on and loafers.
Some idea Of the job the President
faces in reorganiZing the government is
seen in the fact that there are more than
100 main federal bureaus in addition
to the regularly established units which
are part Of the operative departments.
This alone makes it all the more impor-
tant for Congress to get down to busi-
ness and take the necessary steps to
start the job, a Job that offers more
difficulties, perhaps than in disbanding
the fighting forces and sending the men
back to civilian activities.
Congress organized a 'jOint economic
comm 'ttee" some time ago and this com
mittee should have something to present
to the President when he undertakes his
reorganization task. On this committee
are members Of both houses who are con-
scientiously trying to begin relieving the
taxpayers and who will not condone any
further delays in making a start.
1t may be many months before the
peace treaties are signed. In the first
world war there was a lapse Of three
years between the day Of the surrender
Of Germany and the signing Of the peace