Evening star., 1949-02-07
Hoover Board Asks Congress
ToMerge 65 Offices in About %;
Give President Wider Powers
Authority to Hire
Would Be Vested
In Each Agency
BY Froncis P. Douglas

The Hoover Commission called
today for a reshuff1ing of the
sprawling Government establish
ment which would telescope IS
agencies into a tight group about
third of that size under firm
control of the President.
Reporting to Congress on its
16-month study of streamlining
procedures, the commission rec
commended also that the indi-
vidual agencies be empowered to
do their own hiring, with pro-
cedures and standards prescribed
and supervised by the Civil Serv-
ice Commission.
In proposing to give the Presi-
dent broad new powers over his
official family of 100000 men,
bers, the commission. headed by
former President Herbert Hoover.
said this step is necessary in the
present critical state of world
affairs"
Three Billion Annual Saving.
MI. Hoover said in press con-
ference this afternoon that estl-
mates of savings to be achieved by
the commissions reorganization
plans exceed S3,O00,O00.000 yearly.
He said these estimates were not
his. but were made by chairmen
of the commission's task forces" }"
Mr.. Hoover also said that fears
had been expressed that the In
terror Department would be abol-
ished. There is no need to be
alarmed about Interior" he re-
marked.
Supporting the recommended
ton for bringing the IS executive
departments. administrations,
boards, agencies and commissions
in to a compact group of about
%, the surveying body said that
now these report to the President
"if they report to anyone" and
that it is an impossibility for the
President to supervise such lay
out.
AS a result, it amplified, "au-
thority is diffused, lines of au-
thority are confused. staff serv-
ices are insufficient.
Expanded Staff Asked.
To bolster the supervision over
the projected set-up. the Presi-
dent would be fortified with new
staff officials. powerful man
agerial arm" in an expanded
budget Office, much wider power
to recognize government Offices
and authority to name many Off
cialS without Senate approval.
Today's report was the first of
Is that the bipartisan commission
will submit to Congress by March
13. Details of the proposed merger
of agencies will come in these
later blueprintS.
While various estimates have
come from the commission at
various times on economies that
the proposed revamping would
accomplish, the overall report to-
day offers no figure.
A task force committee report
accompanying the commission
recommendations said it is i'm
possible to determine accurately
what specific economies can be
realized. 1t said that some saving
can be made in better utilization
of personnel, but that more at
tention must be given to spending
Oh supplies and construction.
This committee said also that
the pay of Government employees
must be increased ito a level
which not only permits decent
family maintenance. but also pro-
vides some attraction"
Some Agencies Escape.
Omitted from the list of Offices
due for shakeup in commission
recommendations were nine reg
ulatory'' agencies, including three
Interstate Commerce Commis-
sion, Federal Reserve Board and
Securities and Exchange Com
mission-which many Congress
men want outside of the Presi-
dents reorganizing authority. The
President has asked for blanket
powers.
The report, however confirmed
previous new stories in The Star
that the commission favors decen-
Continued on Page AS, Col. D.