Evening star., 1953-09-29

10 Use Brood Powers
New Commission Hopes
To Cut Out Many Agencies
BY Gould Lincoln
The second Hoover Commission on
Organization of the Executive Branch
(of the Federal Government). which
meets to organize itself at the White
House today, is entrusted with far
wider powers than the first commits
sion, established during the Truman
Administration. For it is authorized
to recommend "abolishment" of activi-
ties and functions not considered
necessary to the efficient conduct of
Government. It may recommend, also.
the elimination. of non-essential
services, functions and activities which
compete with private enterprise. The
first Hoover Commission had none of
these powers. It was empowered, how
ever, to recommended the reshuffling of
functions and activities--and such an
excellent job was done that it has been
estimated some 81 billion dollars has
been saved in Government operation.
missions recommendations have now
been adopted-some of the most inn
portant were put into effect after the
Eisenhower administration took over
last January.
The personnel of the new commits
sion, in addition to former President
Herbert Hoover, includes men of wide
distinction. The four members ap-
pointed by President Eisenhower are
Mr.. Hoover, James A. Farley, POST
master General in the Roosevelt adj
ministration; Attorney General Herbert
(Brownell, jr., and Arthur S. Flemming;
defense mobilization chief. Vice Presi-
dent Nixon appointed Senator Ferguson,
Republican, of Michigan, and Senator
Mcclellan, Democrat, of Arkansas;
Solomon Hollister, dean of engineering
at Cornell, and Robert Storey of Dallas,
Tex, president of the American
Bar Association. Speaker Martin of
the House appointed Representative
Clarence Brown. Republican, of Ohio,
sponsor of the legislation creating
the first as well as the second COM
mission, and Representative Chet
Holif1eld, Democrat, of California;
Sidney Mitchell of New York and
former Ambassador Joseph P. Kennedy,
Democrat. of Massachusetts,.
Background Cited.
1t was taken for granted from the
appointment of Mr. Hoover by Gen.
Eisenhower that the former President
would become chairman of the second
commission. Particularly, in view of
Mr.. Hoover'S outstanding contribution
as chairman of the first commission,
his knowledge of what has already been
accomplished, and his wide personal
experience in Government, as Cabinet
officer and then as Chief Executive.
1t is expected, too, that the new COM
missions organization will be completed
with the appointment of task forces"
to aid the commission in it's studies
and recommendations in the case
of the first commission.
An underlying principle of the COM
missions work will be the return of
services and functions which have been
gathered into the Federal Government
during the last score of years to the
States and to the people themselves.
This is wholly in line with the ideas Of
the Eisenhower administration. SEN
. ator Ferguson believes that literally
hundreds of services and functions now
conducted by the Government can and
should be returned to the States and
to private business, to the benefit of
the people and in the interest of econ
omy in Government. In his opinion
Government agencies can reorganize
themselves for more efficient Govern
ment, but no Government agencies will
propose the elimination of their serv-
ices and functionS-or of themselves
We must provide not only an under
taker, but also a cemetery for unneces-
sary Government service and func-
tions," he comments.
New Laws Required.
The elimination of agencies and their
functions, set up by law will require
new legislation. How much could be
accomplished in the present Congress,
which is almost evenly divided along
political lines is a question. If, how
ever, the administration finds itself
with working majorities in the Senate
and House in the 84th Congress-to be
elected next year-recommendati Of
the commission will have a better
chance of enactment into law. The
commission is directed by the law
when it deems them necessary. a COM
prehensive report by December 81, 1854,
and final report not later than May
81, 1855.
Since the membership of the new
commission contains Democrats as we'll
as Republicans, its recommendations
are expected to be -partisan-and
the hope is they will be treated in a
non-partisan manner when they are
submitted.
One subject the commission may
tackle is the Civil Service itself The
Eisenhower administration has found
itself checkmated because of Civil Serv-
ice rules and regulations, when it has
sought to put appointees of its own in
policy making jobs.