Evening star., 1953-10-25
New Hoover Committee
Aims to Correct 'Chuos'
Writer Says Public Should
Support Proposed Reforms !
Bv Fronk R. Kent

By Fronk R. Kent
The inevitable end of q form Of gov
ernment based on universal unrestricted
suffrage for many millions of people Is
chaos This penetrating comment on
the United States was made more than
a hundred years ago by great French
writer-De Toqueville. The reasoning
behind his conclusion is clear.
For one thing, the greater the voting
population the greater the power Of
the ignorant and prejudiced. AS the
country grows, the intelligent and In
formed voters become more and more
in the minority. This situation en-
courages and offers opportunity for
the shallow demagogueS to taxa over
control. Thus, the governmental ma
chinery Is eXtravagantly expanded, bu-
reauS and commissions pile up, duplica-
ton, waste and confusion follow. And
nothing can be done about 1t because
any effort to eliminate the ignorant
voters must be submitted to and ap-
proved by the ignorant voters them
selves, which naturally renders the
effort futile. Eventually the govern
mental machine must bog down Of its
own weight.
Considering the vast size Of our Fed.
eral bureaucracy and the huge expendi-
lures entailed. few informed persons
will argue that we have not been rap
idly approaching chaos in the last two
decades. Nor will many dispute that,
unchecked, we very soon would be go
ing over the brink. This being so, It
seems worth while to recite again the
facts about the progress made by the
only agency which, from the beginning
has made serious effort to check the
downward trend, restore order and
sense in the governmental structure and
reduce 1t to manageable proportions.
This, Of course, is the Hoover Commits
sion on the Reorganization of the Ex-
ecutive Branch Of the Government.
Last week the Citizens Committee
for the Hoover Report, private, nom
profit, nonpartisan group formed to
build up public interest in and to sup
port the recommendation Of the Hoover
Commission, of which ex-President
Herbert Hoover Is chairman, made pub
lie the final survey of its work for the
last three years. This shows that u
per cent of the commissions recon-
mendations for more efficient and econ
omic administration have been wholly
or partly put into effect. When all
lowance is made for the inherent con-
gressional resistance to the abolition
or consolidation of any bureau or
commission, this is really tremendous
achievement.
OF the 273 specific proposals made
by the commission, 116 Cor 43 per
cent? have been completely adopted,
35 mostly" adopted and As partly"
adopted. The contention of the COM
mittee is that when the reforms al
ready adopted are functioning fully
they will effect an annual saving Of
81 billion. This does not take into
account the Intangible gains from
greater efficiency. Nor does it allow
for the Hoover recommendations that
have thus far failed but to enact which
a very determined drive, supported by
President Eisenhower, will be made at
the next session of Congress- Clarence
Francis of New York has Just been
elected chairman of the Citizens Com
mittee. Among the unadopted recon-
mendations are reorganization of the
postal service so as to eliminate politics,
reorganization of the Veterans Admin
istration, reorganization of the Federal
medical services and reorganization Of
the agencies dealing with natural re-
sources and public lands.
In addition, new Hoover Commits
sion has been established with an even
broader field than the old one had. Mr..
Hoover is again at the head of the COM
mission and its nonpartisan character
has been preserved. The new Hoover
Commission will be better equipped by
experience than the old one and it is
reasonable to expect fully as good-if
not better-performan The outlook is
made especially promising by the selec-
ton of John B. Hollister of Cincinnati
as its practical director in Washington.
Mr., Hollister succeeded the late Mich
olaS LongWorth in the House of Repre-
SentativeS and served several terms with
ability and distinction. He has many
friends in both House and Senate and
knows legislative procedure as we'll as
any man in the country. With a wide
acquaintance in and out of Congress, he
is popular, we'll informed and compe-
tent. The political resistance in the
Senate to the unadopted Hoover recon-
mendations will be more stubborn than
before, and it will take strong favoring
public sentiment to get action The big
reason people generally should get be-
hind this second Hoover drive is that it
Is clearly the last chance to restore
orderly government and avert chaos.
Also, the last chance to prove old De
TOuueVille wrong