Evening star., 1949-03-07
Hoover Board
.AsksFedera|
Transport Unity
Urges Combining
Of Services in Division
Under Commerce
By Froncis P. DouoIos

The Hoover Commission recon-
mended to Congress today that
the major transportation activities
of the Government, except the
regulatory activities, be grouped
in the Commerce Department.
They would form a transporta-
ton services division in the de-
partment, taking in railroad,
plane, ship and highway trans
portation. The departments other
main division would include the
industrial and commerce services.
The agencies and parts of agen-
cies which the commission would
transfer are:
The Coast Guard, now in the
Treasury Department.
The Maritime Commission, ex-
cept for its regulatory functions,
which would remain independent.
The railway and motor carrier
safety and car service facilities of
the Interstate Commerce Commis-
sion. Other functions would con-
tinue as at present in the inde-
pendent ICC.
CAB Activities Split.
Certain safety activities of the
Civil Aeronautics Board. an inde-
pendent agency. Other functions
would remain undisturbed.
The National Advisory Commit
tee for Aeronautics, now inde-
pendent.
The Public Roads Administra-
tion, now part of the Federal
Works Agency.
The Office of Defense Transpor-
tation, now in the Executive Office
of the President.
Grouped with these agencies
in the Commerce Departments
transportation services would be
the Civil Aeronautics Administra-
ton, the Coast and Geodetic Sur
vey, the Inland Waterways Corp.
and the Weather Bureau. already
in the department..
The commission said 1t was
originally the intention of Con-
gress in creating the Commerce
Department that ut should en-
brace the Governments interest
in the developing and safeguard
ing of transportation"
Our recommendations are di-
rected toward accomplishing this
end" the commission said.
Overall Route Programs.
Assigning to the Secretary Of
Commerce the duty Of making
overall route programs for air.
land and water transportation"
would eliminate waste and over
lap. the commission said. It
pointed out that under the new
setup a proposed airline would be
weighed not only against other
airlines but against truck, rail-
road and other shipping lines
with which it would compete.
The commission also recon-
mended that the marine func-
tions Of the Customs Bureau be
studied to see whether they
should be transferred from the
Treasury Department to Com
merce. These functions include
such responsibilities as the filing
with the Customs Collector of
evidence of registry. crew lists and
shipping articles, the collection of
tonnage taxes, sanitary inspec-
tions and the checking of papers
to authorize a ship to clear a port.
The Coast Guard. the commits
sion said. is obviously misplaced"
in the Treasury. "Its functions
are more closely related to trans
portation than to the activities of
any other major department of
the Government" the commission
asserted. 1t said also:
"A close grouping of the major
transportation activities is es-
sential to the development of
intelligent, total transportation
policy and to the efficient ad-
ministration of transportation
activities"
Report Latest of Series.
The report to Congress today
was the latest in a series by the
bipartisan Commission on Or
ganization of the Government,
headed by former President
Hoover.
The report disclosed that De-
(See HOOVER, Page A-6.)