Evening star., 1949-02-22
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be saved through the adoption
OF recommendations regarding the
maze of agricultural credit agen-
cies, but the commission did not
give It's recommendations in this
report. 1t said they would be
contained in a later report on
business enterprises of the Gov
ernment.
Lack Of agreement on several
points is apparent from the Agri-
culture report. Secretary OF State
Acheson, vice chairman OF the
commission, and James Rowe, jr.,
commission member, refused to
support the estimates of savings.
They said the task force submit
ted no documents to support It's
estimates and that they believed
some estimates were no more than
guesSes.
Where the commission recon-
mended grouping the land agen-
cies in the Agriculture Department
it said: Separate views of a
minority Of the commission are
hled in our report on the reorean-
ization of the Department of the
Interior. The Interior report
will be made public later.
Food Control Transfer Urged
The commission recommended
also that all regulatory functions
relating to food products for con-
sumer protection be transferred to
Agriculture and that those relating
to other products be placed under
a re-organized Drug Bureau ad-
ministered by the public health
agency.
James K. Pollock and Mr.. Rowe
dissented from this.
At present the Food and Drug
Acts are administered under the
4 Federal Security Agency. the Fed
lferal Trade Commission admins
ters regulations against false ad-'
vertising of foods and other
products and the Internal Revenue
Bureau administers taxes on oleo-
margarine and prohibitory taxes
on renovated butter and filled
cheese.
Concerning organization OF the
department, the commission urged
that, in addition to the present
Undersecretary and Assistant Sec
retary, another Assistant Secretary
and an administrative assistant
secretary be provided. These offi-
cials should be appointed by the
President, the commission said
but all officials below them should
be named from the career service.
Deficiencies Listed.
Pointing out that the depart
ment now has more than $4,000
employees and has spent S834 ,000,-
900 in fiscal l948. the commission
listed these deficiencies:
The departments rapid growth
has resulted in about 20 different
Offices reporting directly to the
Secretary. unnecessarily diffusing
authority.
There is overlap and duplica-
ton In the department and in the
field, and agricultural activities in
other parts of the Government
overlap and duplicate those Of
agriculture. $50,
I The Cooperative Extension
Service. established by the Fed
eral and State Governments for
educational purposes. Is being by
passed by severalof the bureaus.
Scattering of inspection agen-
cies is confusing and requires COM
pliance with regulations issued
by agencies of two or more de-
partments.
Budget Systems Criticized.
Bureau expenditures are OBJ
scured and waste promoted by the
present budget system and treat
ment Of funds.
Farm credit agencies services
and policies overlap, and their
organization Is contrary to sound
banking principles.
The public lands recommends
tions Of the commission involve
principally the grazing lands,
which have been a center Of con-
tention. and forest lands. The
commission said:
There has been a long and
wasteful conflict and overlap be-
tween certain soil conservation,
range, forest and allied services,
due to the division of their func-
tions between the Department OF
Agriculture and the Department
Of Interior"
Irrigation Reports Urged.
Also recommended is that the
Agriculture Department be re-
quired to report to the President
and Congress on the use or time
illness of all irrigation or recla-
nation projects.
The commission said there has
long been friction between the In
terror Departments Reclamation
Bureau and Agriculture in plan
ming and operating irrigation prof.
ects. At times, the commission
said. proposed programs have gone
to Congress before Agriculture
knew about them. 1t added that
the department should have an
opportunity to comment on all ir-
rigation projects from the point of
view Of agricultural needs.
In the regrouping of the vari-
GUS bureaus into eight agencies,
the Production and Marketing
Administration would be included
in the Commodity Adjustment
Service This service is proposed
to take in all major agencies
having to do with plans and con-