Evening star., 1949-12-15
The Political Mill
American People Behind
Reorganization Program
Hoover Commissions Proposals
To Get Priority in CONGRESS
The Political Mill
Bv Gould Lincoln

The greatest pressure group IN the country
the American peoples getting back OF
the Hoover Commissions program for re-
organization Of the executive branch Of the
Government. There is every reason it should.
The recommendations Of the commission, II
put into effect. will increase efficiency and
reduce costs; give the people better Gov
ernment for less money. The total saving
has been estimated at something between
three and four billion dollars annually
quite chunk and almost enough to balance
the budget.
At the last session Of Congress President
Truman submitted several important recon-.
mendations of the commission and they,
with the exception Of the proposal to create
a Welfare Department. successfully ran the
gantlet. The reason the Welfare Depart
ment failed lay in the belief that, II it went
through, Mr.. Truman would appoint as head
of the new department Oscar R. Ewing, head
Of the Federal Security Agency. Mr.. Ewing
has been strong advocate Of national COM
pulsory health insurance, called by its op-
ponents "socialized medicine" Members Of
Congress feared that if he headed up the
proposed new department, Mr.. Ewing might
do something to grease the ways for social.
lied medicine.
Defense Savings Made.
Already, however, these recommendations
which were accepted by Congress have been
responsible for saving an estimated $780,
600, ,000-most of it in the Defense Depart-
ment, where Secretary johnson Is making
record for economy via the un1f1cation
route.
With the return of Congress the first Of
the year, the more pressure the American
people can exert, both on the Congress and
on the President for the adoption Of the
remainder of the Hoover Commissions rec
,Jo%;o hot will ha f0r oil
the people and their pocketbooks. The battle
is by no means won yet. Much important
legislation and many important executive
orders remain to be enacted and written.
But all over the country the people are
organizing under the leadership Of the Citt.
zens' Committee for the Hoover Report and
are making themselves heard.
Fortunately. great emphasis has been laid
on the fact that the Hoover Commission
report is the work of Democrats and Repub-
hcans alike and that it has the backing OF
Democratic President Truman and Republi.
can former President Hoover. Democratic
and Republican leaders alike have promised
there shall be no party division in the drive
to put the recommendations through
Congress.
There are, however, more ways Of killing
a. cat than one and more ways OF ham,
stringing the Hoover Commission recon-
Congress.
Moves Beaten Before.
1ntrenched heads of Government agencies
and intrenched services. plus lot OF people
on Government pay rolls. put there in an
swer to demands of individual Congressman.
have in the past succeeded In preventing
many attempts to reorganize the Govern
ment and cut out duplication Of work. They
are capable Of putting up tremendous re-
sistance-through their own pressure on
members of the House and Senate-to tho
Hoover Commissions program today. It
has been the history Of Government agencies
and their heads that they desire to expand
and spend money.
Another danger lies in the fact that Gov
ernment economy is fast becoming political
issue-an issue which Is going probably into
the 1850 congressional campaign. Since the
Hoover Commissions proposals are economy
itself, they may yet become involved in q
partisan fight between Democratic spenders
and Republican savers. If the Republicans
during the debate on the Hoover Commis-
sions recommendations undertake to make
political speeches, attacking the Truman
Fair Dealers as Spendthrifts and at the same
time supporting the Hoover reforms, the
fat may be in the fire.
Economy and efficiency In Government
service should be as bipartisan, or as non
partisan, as the foreign policy Of the United
States. Both are for the benefit and defense
Of the American people. The Truman adj
ministration should get these Hoover Com
mission proposals before the Congress at
the earliest possible date, and they should
be given the right of way.
Former President Hoover, speaking at .
recent dinner given by the Citizens Com.
mittee for the Hoover Report, said:
1--WE have opposition, Of course. There are
still people who hold to the theory Of reduced
Government expenses, but not to its practice.
Your job is to minister to their mental dis.
orders. The best treatment is to persuade
them to join in this historic movement to.
ward progress and enduring national Sc
curity."