Evening star., 1949-01-31
Hoover Terms
'Griievous Need
Appeals for Passage
Of Bill as First Step:
Sees Other Measures
By Froncis P. DouaIos

BY Froncis P. DouqIos
Former President Hoover today
urged Congress to pass the bill to
give President Truman power to
reorganize the various agencies
of the Government as "the first,
and a necessary step, in the
grievously needed reorganization
OF the executive branch"
Mr.. Hoover said the object Of the
pending bill is to get 1900 Govern
ment agencies into some sort of
orderly relation before we can even
begin on the further steps which
reorganization requires" He said
there are differences of opinion
whether the number of agencies
to the President is IS, "a
or 101. He said it is hoped to get this
number down to 20.
Apparently in reference to the
forthcoming recommendations of
the Hoover Commission, the former
President said:
Other vital steps also will be nee
essary and will require different
legislation. That is because aside
from the multiplicity and overlap
in these agencies, their officials are,
like Gulliver, enmeshed by thou
sands of strands of red tape ac-
cumulated by legislative and execu-
tive action over half a century,
which paralyzes the efforts OF the
best of them
Opposes Further Taxation.
In reply to a question regarding
economies which he described as
the first purpose of the reorganiza-
ton, Mr.. Hoover said it was his
personal opinion that the country
has reached the saturation point in
taxation. He did not pursue this
subject.
Asked about the inclusion of the
District Government In the reor-
ganization bill, Mr.. Hoover said he
presumed it was included because it
also was in need of some executive
reorganization.
Speaking specifically Of the inde-
pendent regulatory agencies, he
urged that their administrative
functions be placed in the executive
Their administrative
activities are bad government" he
said. ~
Mr.. Hoover, chairman of the Com
mission on Organization OF the ex-
ecutiye branch, testified before the
House Committee on Executive Ex-
penditures which has been holding
hearings on the administration re-
organization bill.
The Hoover Commission has been
working On the problems of Goy-
ernment reorganization since Sep
tember, 1947, and Is expected to
begin submitting its reports to Con-
greSS next week.
No Dietatorial Powers.
The bill does not create dictatorial
powers, Mr.. Hoover said.
"As TO the first step proposed in
this BILL" he said lit is hopeless to
expect Congress to investigate and
leglslate out the vast detail of the
overlaps, Che conflicts, the duplica-
tions and the lack of coordination
among this multitude of agencies
THE bill proposes that the Presi-
dent take the initiative and propose
plans for the redistribution of
executive agencies to Congress and
that Congress reserve veto power
over such plans as he may propose.
The sole purposes are to reduce
expenses, gain efficiency and make
life easier for the citizen in his
dealings with the Government"
Mr.. Hoover said so far as he
knows it is not proposed that the
President should interfere with such
major regulatory agencies as the
Interstate Commerce Commission,
the Federal Trade Commission and
others with asi-judicial or quasi
legislative functions.
He added that 1t Is his opinion
that these regulatory agencies are
actually not part of the executive
branch of the Government.
Maritime Commission Cited.
"The real problem" he said, 'is
that these agencies thus being in
dependent of the Presidents powers
have branched out into purely
functions. Prominent ex-
amples are the great business opera
tipns of the Maritime Commission
and the railway safety inspection
activities = of the Interstate Com
nerce Commission.
Assuming that these regulatory
agencies are independent of the
President. 1t is certainty that for
orderly Government their executive
functions should be moved to the
executive branch of the Govern
ment where they are within the au-
thority and responsibility of the
President.
These administrative activities of |
the regulatory agencies may be a
violation of the spirit of the Con-
stitution and in any event they are
Dad government. Their executive
functions, as distinguished from
heir quasi-judicial and quasi-legis-
(see HOOVER, Page A-6D