Evening star., 1950-01-01
For Congressional Reform

Governmental reorganization generally
is taken to mean modernization of the
executive branch in the interest of efflci-
ency and economy. The National Com
mittee for Strengthening Congress is doing
a public service by reminding Congress
that, as an important branch of the
national Government, it should see to it
that its own house is set in order, too.
The reminder is contained in a con-
structively critical report sent to all men,
bers of Congress by Robert Heller, chair
man of the voluntary citizens group.
Mr.. Heller is we'll qualified to be a
spokesman for the committee. A Cleve-
land business engineer, he prepared the
report which led to passage of the La Fol-
lette-Monroney congressional reorganiza-
tion legislation in 1916. He has been
engaged for some time in business man
agement study for the Department of
Defense. The La Toilette -Monroney Act
has effected number of valuable legis-
lative reforms, including a general re-
organization of committees and of COM
mittee work. The benefits of these i'm
provements were noticeable in recent
sessions.
But, as Mr.. Heller point out, these same
sessions have disclosed several weaknesses
in the legislative machinery that need to
be repaired. No better time could be
chosen to correct these weaknesses than
now, when the national consciousness is
being awakened to the, Importance of
governmental efficiency on broad scale.
One OF the outstanding defects of the
legislative process still uncorrected is the
haphazard way Congress has of han
ding appropriation and revenue bills.
The 1914 Heller report and the 1946 con-
gressional reorganization law sought to
put this system on a businesslike basis
through adoption of legislative budget.
Under this plan Congress early in the
session was to agree on an overall spend
ing figure, below which the total of all
appropriation bills should fall. But the
plan has not worked out as expected,
largely because of the difficulty of esti-
mating legislative budget that could be
adhered to in times of national and inter-
national emergency.
However, Mr.. Heller and his associates
have not given up. hope for eventual
success of the budget arrangement. They
believe that Congress has not given the
plan a fair trial. An adequate staff of
fiscal experts, aiming at aggregate figures
rather than framing a detailed, itemized
budget" could make the system effective,
according to Mr.. Heller. The merging of
appropriation bills, joint committee work
and similar timesavers are recommended.
Much progress already has been made in
this direction. The committee also urged
further revision of congressional rules to
speed up debate and action and 1t re-
iterated its 1914 suggestion that Congress
divest itself of much of the task of
legislating for the District of Columbia,
through some form of local home rule.
The citizens group is right in holding
that reorganization should be continuing
project. Creation of new Joint COM
mittee, as recommended by Mr.. Heller,
would give the task added Importance.
Unless some such group is appointed, the
efforts to make Congress function more
smoothly are likely to be as hit-and- miss
IN the future as they have been in the na Of