Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1949-02-06
R01Ue'
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empted from the provisions OF the
new reorganization bill. Some have
been so exempted in the previous
acts. Once exempted that is the
end of it, as practical matter
Then the only way to reorganize
such agencies is by the regular leg
islative method. Since 1899 no
agency which has acquired an ex-
emption has been reorganized by
congressional statute.
Exemptions Will Be Asked
The trouble with exemptions is
that If several of the most impor-
tant segments of the Government
can take themselves out of the re-
organization game, 1t is most diff
cult to create the necessary coherent
pattern for the entire executive
branch. This has been the big
stumbling block since 1899.
Every one believes in reorganiza-
tion-for the other fellow. Every
public administrator can and will
give countless examples of duplica-
ton in effort, unnecessary waste and
ridiculous expenditure. But 1t is
always the agency down the street,
not his own. Any every official
knows various agencies pulling at
cross purposes with each other or
the President-but they are always
two other agencies.
This is natural, indeed humane.
quality. Each administrator, of
course, knows much more about the
flaws and virtues of his particular
work than any commission however
expert. 1t is not very surprising
that he finds faults In an overall
plan because it has not been able to
master all the detiled knowledge at
his flngertips. But he forgets that
such a commission sees the overall
pattern. something he does not.
And every agency has its Glen
tele"-citizens who as general tax
payers are properly Mortified by cost
and inconsistent administration of
the Government, but who also de-
rive special service from one par
ticular agency. They, too. favor re-
organization-but not of their pet
agency.
The consequences are always the
same. The particular department
and the influential group who sup
port its activities for their own
specific reasons want to be un-
touchable. They sincerely think
they are special situation, so they
make their views known to the Con-
gress. Multiply each agency and
its own group by the total number
of agencies and groups. some OF
them far stronger throughout the
Nation than others, and the opposi-
ton to reorganization is clear.
President Has Overall View
The only person on the other side
of the fence is the President. He
has a national. an overall point Of
view: He is held responsible fol
making this combined hodge,
podge' work. So he wants 1t to be
an efficient, businesslike, non
wasteful organization.
Standing with him-theoretically
at least-are all of us, the grea.
mass Of taxpayers and citizens.
It Is unfortunately notorious that
taxpayers and citizens while they
complain bitterly about cost and
inefficiency in Government, do
nothing more than that. They fail
to make their views known to the
Congress.
In general these are the reasons
that reorganization proposals of the
past have met with the indifference
they have. The same fate awaits
the Hoover Commission unless the
attitude of the general citizen has
changed remarkably.
There is good reason why he
should have changed. The growth.
the size, and the cost of the execu-
tive branch over the past fer
decades is apparent to him.
Perhaps presidential reorganiza-
ton plans should be sent to the
Congress only on March 15-income