Evening star., 1949-02-06


Federal bureaucracy" responsive
efficient and economical. It is moi
the first time this has been tried
nor will it be the last. Our history
is Uttered with the corpses of other
bodies polite which have perished
in similar adventures.
Politically Balanced Group
Created by the soth Congress in
1s47, this commission, however, is
at least in membership new de-
parture. 1t includes legislators (two
Senators and two Representatives.
public administrators from the ex-
ecutive branch itself and six private
citizens who have had previous
Government experience. Although
such bodies, named royal commits
sions, have long been used to study
specific major problems in England
and Canada, this is their first ap-
pearance in the United States. The
sponsor of the act in the House
Clarence Brown of Ohio, is a men,
Der Of the commission. Secretary of
State Dean Acheson was private
citizen when made vice chairman of
the commission.
To quell partisan political sus-
picions, which flower easily enough
in the governmental arena, its
sponsors provided that six members
be Republicans, six Democrats. Al
though its chairman is, of course, a
Republican, President Truman has
consistently and publicly encouraged
the groups work. The heads of the
Government agencies, particularly
the Presidents own staff advisers
such as the Budget Bureau, have
gone far beyond mere lip service in
their cooperation and have been
really helpful in every instance
Both the S0th Congress and its sue
cessor have been generous with
money and support.
Such agreement on all sides indi-
Gates general awareness on the part
of the people and their servants, the
public officials, that there Is prob
lem. There is.
What is its nature? What are the
chances of improvement?
Until the commission has reported
its findings to the Congress its con-
clusions cannot be discussed. The
nature of the problem can, however,
be outlined, previous attempts to
meet 1t can be indicated. Success
or failure of the commission will
depend in part on the merits Of its
proposals but also in part on the
inherent difficulties Of any thorough
going governmental reorganization
in a democracy.
'Hodge.Podge' of 1900 Units
However one approaches it, reor-
ganization is not a new problem. 1t
may be more difficult, more complex,
even more pressing. But it has been
with us for long time. Since 1900
the steady growth, in size and in
variety, of Federal functions, have
made the Government almost i'm
possible to direct and coordinate.
It's machinery has gradually become
more disorderly and complex. For
governmental growth is never ut a
steady, an even pace. 1t takes place
in fits and starts caused by condi-
tions Government itself does not
control. The impact Of two World
Wars, Of several severe depressions,
Of new and compelling desires by the
people 1t serves, has skewered the
structure out Of shape. And each
need, once accepted as real by the
Congress, was handled as 1t arose.
Congress viewed only its particular
solution with little or no concern for
its relevance to an overall pattern.
Worn as 1t is, the most apt descrip-
ton Is that the Government has
just grown like Topsy.
Today 1t Is combined hodge,
podge" of more than 1900 different
units. The budget for the fiscal year
1850 is 5000, ,000, ,000-$7 900, 600 900
more than our entire national in
come in 1899. More than a third Of
todays budget, almost 10th Of our
entire national production, goes to
the military establishment alone.
After each sudden growth in gov
ernmental functions an inevitable
attempt has been made to make the
structure more businesslike, more
eficient and more economical. AL
most all Presidents and Congresses
have been increasingly concerned
with reorganization. After each
crisis Of war or depression, propos-
ais were made to rationalize the new
agencies or bureaus into the over ali
structure.
All serious recommendations were
designed to repair three major
flaws:
/. Activities had been placed In
agencies which had no relation te
the major purpose those agencies
should perform.
2. Related agencies, which per.
formed the same or similar func.
tions, were put In different depart.
ments.
Six Other Attempts Made
3. The executive branch as 9
whole lacked definite direction anc
control.
Every major study of government.
tai reorganization has emphasized
these defects. The one consistent
thread which has run through all
proposals to bring order out of this
chaos is the constant reassertion oi
these three principals. Those of the
Hoover commission will be no ex.
ception.
1t has been said that George
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