Evening star., 1949-01-25
Warren Urges
Letting Truman
Trim u. ). Jobs
Controller General
Tells House Group Of
Costly Hodge Podge'

Controller General Lindsay
Warren asked Congress today to
make possible "the greatest
pruning job in all history" by
granting President Truman per-
manent authority to reorganize
and trim the size of the execu-
tive branch of Government.
Mr.. Warren, who has the job of
keeping tab on Federal spending,
testified before the House Commits
tee on Executive Expenditures,
which is holding hearings on the
Truman request for power to shift
Federal agencies The controller
described the existing executive
branch setup as "a hodge podge and
crazy quilt Of Implications, over
lappings, ineficiencies and incon-
sistencies with their attendant ex-
While Mr.. Warren was testifying
Mr.. Truman and Democratic con-
gressional leaders agreed at the
White House to exclude four agen-
cies from the reorganization bill.
House Speaker Rayburn named the
agencies as the Interstate Com
merce Commission. Federal Trade
Commission, Securities and Ex-
change Commission and the Feoeral
Reserve Board.
Barkley Takes Part.
Mr.. Rayburn was accompanied by
Vice President Barkley, Senate Ma
jority Leader Lucas and House
Leader Mccormack. The Speaker
explained to reporters that the four
agencies to be excluded are quasi
judicial and quasi-legislative.
He added there are certain other
agencies which he described as
"fringes," but these probably will be
included in the reorganization au-
thority. Such agencies as the Fed
eral Communications Commission and
the Maritime Commission fall in
that category.
Speaker Rayburn said that it would
"be my hope" that the General Ac-
counting ONCE also would be ex-
cluded.
AS one means of attaining its goal
of more efficient and economical
government, the Hoover Commission
on Reorganization repeatedly will
recommend Decentralization Of the
Federal accounting function by al
lowing individual agencies to handle
more Of their own accounting. The
plan would reduce materially per-
sonnel of the GAO, which is under
Mr. Warren and hence accountable
to Congress. The controller bitterly
assailed the commissions ideas
which have not been formally re-
leased.
Warren Opposes Exemptions.
In testifying before the House
committee, Mr.. Warren said the
Presidents request for reorganiza-
ton authority represents "just about
the last chance" to bring about any
reduction in size of the Govern
ment and to eliminate overlapping
functions.
If this fails, he said in reference
to reorganization plans, I'VE might
as well close up shop for good in
trying to cut down waste and in
efficiency"
"Mr. Warren described his efforts
as a former member of the House
dating back to the Hoover admin
istration to bring about reorganiza-
ton. He recommended strongly
that mo executive agency of any
kind be exempt If you want any
real reorganization to be effective.
What We must be after is the
Frankenstein monster, created under
the name of bureaucracy or any
thing else you please, but already
in some instances it is becoming
bigger than Congress, its creator"
Mr. Warren cotinued.
Congress can give the taxpayers
their first break il. a long time by
giving the President the authority
he asks for
Called Bad for Taxpayers.
Describing the present setup of
executive branch agencies, the con-
troller declared:
1T is probably an ideal system for
the tax eaters and those whl wish
to keep themselves perpetus p at
tached to the public teat, bl% it is
bad for those who have to pay the
bills. That is why I say the Govern
ment should put its house in order"
In asking recently for perma-
nent reorganization legislation to
implement the forthcoming recon-
mendations from the Hoover Com
mission, the President suggested
that he be given unlimited authority
to direct regroupings, subject only
to the customary proviso that veto
power should rest in Congress, pro-
vided that joint action was taken
by the House and Senate within
60 days after the submission by the
President of any recognizing plan.