Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1946-05-17
Partial Truman Text on REORGANIZATION Plan

the health, welfare and educational
activities with which they are in
extricably bound up. So
Vital Statistics Functions.
Next, the plan transfers the vital
statistics functions of the Census
Bureau to the Federal Security ad-
ministrator, to be performed through
the Public Health Service or other
facilities of the Federal Security
Agency. In every State but one the
State health department is in charge
of vital statistics. The work in the
States is partially financed from
public health grants administered by
the Public Health Service.
This transfer will make the agency
providing the grants also responsible
for carrying on the Federal part of
the vital statistics program. -
The plan transfers the functions
of the United States Employees Com
pensation Commission to the Fed
eral security administrator, and pro-
vldes for three-member board of
appeals to hear and finally decide
appeals on claims of Government
employees. BY abolishing the COM
mission, the plan eliminates a small
agency and lightens the burden
on the President. The Federal
security administrator, as the head
of the Federal agency with the
greatest experience in insurance
administration, is in the best posi-
ton to guide and further the pro-
gram Of the commission.
The abolition of the commission as
an administrative body and the
creation of an appeals board will
provide the advantages of a single
official in charge of operations while
affording claimants the protection
of three-member board for the
final decision of appeals on claims.
This arrangement has proved both
enthusiastically efficient and salts
factory to claimants in many SIM
liar programs. 1t is essentially the
plan used in the administration of
veterans pensions and old-age and
survivors insurance and employed
by many States in their workmen's
compensation programs. -
The reorganization plan which
created the Federal Security Agency
in 1889 provided that the Federal
security administrator should direct
and supervise the Social Security
Board, and that he might assign
administrative duties to the chair
man of the board, rather than to
the board as whole Thus, it took
the first step toward establishing
definite line OF responsibility for the
administration of social security
functions in the agency. The plan
l am now submitting further
clarifies these lines of responsibility
by providing for the normal type of
internal organization used in Federal
departments and agencies.
A full-time board in charge of
group of bureaus within an agency
is at best an anomaly. The Social
Security Board rendered an out
standing service in launching the
social security program, and its
members deserve the thanks of the
Nation for this achievement. That
program. however, is now firmly
established and its administration
needs to be tied in more fully with
other programs of the Federal
Security Agency. The existence of a
department within a department is
serious barrier to effective integra-
ton. -
Grant -in-Aid Programs.
/ In ofdersto enable the administra-
tor more adequately to coordinate
! the administration of the grant in
aid programs vested by statute in
the constituent units of the Federal
Security Agency, the plan provides
that, insofar as practicable and COM
sistent with the applicable legisla-
ton. he shall establish uniform
standards and procedures for these
programs and permit States to sub
NIT single plan of operation for
related grant-in-aid programs.
Most of these programs involve
the establishment of certain mini
mum standards on fiscal, personnel,
and other aspects of administration
IN the States. In many cases, the
same State agency is operting under
two or more grant-in-aid programs.
Much needless inconvenience and
confusion can be avoided for all
concerned by unifying Federal
standards and combining State plans
for the operation of the programs
/ in such cases.
Plan l, on Housing.
Under Plan /, on housing, the
President told Congress:
The plan consolidates permanently
in one national housing agency,
under the direction of a national
housing administrator, the main
activities of the Government relating
to housing.
L do not need to stress again at
this time the urgent necessity of
taking all possible measures to al
leviate the present critical housing
shortage. The job of providing ade-
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