Evening star., 1949-08-13
IAfter Truman Demand
On Reorganization
BY ...e Associated Press

senate leaders To-Day SCeppeu uP
action on two Government reor-
ganization plans after President
Truman tartly urged their ap-
proval as a sign of good faith by
Congress.
In a strongly -worded letter to
Vice President Barkley yesterday
Mr.. Truman observed:
The action taken on these
plans will demonstrate whether
the many recent professions OF
support for increased efficiency
and economy in Government are
to be taken seriously or are to be
written off as political oratory. y
The two proposals-one to set
up a cabinet-rank Department OF
Welfare, the other to transfer two
employment agencies from the
Federal Security Agency to the
Labor Department-have received
thumbs-down treatment from the
Senate Expenditures Committee.
Objections Held Ill-Founded.
The President said Senate OBJ.
jections to the plans appear tc
me to be ill-founded and mis-
taken" And he added that con-
gressional failure to approve the
proposals would imperil "the
whole great endeavor" Of Govern
ment reorganization.
Senate Democratic Leader Lu-
cas- announced yesterday that he
will set aside the money bill for
the Interior Department to take
up the Welfare Department Reor-
ganization plan on Tuesday.
He said the Senate will hold q
night session, if necessary, to COM
plete action on the first plan, sc
the second one can be taken up
Wednesday.
Under the Reorganization Act
the plans go into effect auto
matically within so days after be-
ing submitted by the President
unless either house disapproves
August II is the deadline for Sen
ate action on both plans, Senator
Lucas said.
Claim Dismissed as Absurd.
Mr.. Truman dismissed as "ab-
surd" any claim that creation OF
a Welfare Department would in
some way commit the Congress to
course of action on my recon-
mendations for a national health
program"
There has been strong opposi-
ton on Capitol Hill to including
the Public Health Service in the
proposed new setup.
The opposition grew even
stronger when Oscar Ewing, FSA
administrator and Mr.. Truman's
likely choice for a new Welfare
cabinet post, told the Expendi-
lures Committee he would con.
tinue to support Mr.. Truman''
health program if the reorganiza-
ton is accomplished.
Good organization require:
that we establish a Department
of Welfare, regardless of wha'
legislation the Congress enacts IL
the field of health" Mr.. Truman
insisted.
Committee Chairman Mcclellan
told a reporter that his persona
objection to the plan, and hi
thought that of the majority o1
the committee, is that it would
subordinate health and educa.
ton to welfare"
Asks Impartial Administration.
AS to plan No. 2, the President
said the principal objection to j
''is the claim that the Bureau o.
Employment Security is beint
administered more fairly and i'm
partially in the Federal Securit!
Agency than it would in the De-
partment of Labor" He added:
1.-The facts refute this claim.
Senator Mcclellan agreed thai
the President had stated the mair
objection.
Mr.. Truman disclosed that HI
had discussed the two plans with
| in the last few days" with former
President Herbert Hoover, who
headed a bipartisan commission
on Government reorganization,
"He shares my concern thai
their rejection will be a real set
back to the effort to recognize tn
executive branch of the Govern
ment," Mr.. Truman told Vict
President Barkley.
this Is not a matter that woult
ha y,erfipopt IN his apOOintYi1ent