Evening star., 1961-04-27
MESSAGE
Continued From First Page

Continued From First Pagt
provision, officials said, to pro.
hibit members Of the Presi.
dents official family from re.
ceiving compensation for lee.
lures, articles and public ap
pearanceS in connection with
their work or based on infor.
nation not a matter of gen.
eral knowledge.
The Presidents proposed leg.
islation, the m essage said
would cover the District oi
Columbia and its employees
However. Mr.. Kennedy said
that since the District is es.
sentially a municipal govern.
ment with it's own distinctive
problems he will submit in the
near future legislation dealing
with these problems.
Judiciary Laws Adequate
The Kennedy recommends
tions would involve only en-
ployes in the executive branch
OF the Government and in
regulatory agencies. Existing
laws dealing with the judiciary,
he said, are considered ade-
quate.
THE adequacy and effective
ness of laws regulating the
conduct Of members of Con-
gress and congressional en-
ployeS," the President said,
should be left to strictly con-
greSSional determination"
The President said he had
firm confidence in the integrity
and dedication of those who
work for the Government, but
in the past two decades Incl
dents have occurred to remind
us that the laws and regula-
tionS governing ethics in Gov
ernment are not adequate. :"
Mr.. Kennedy pointed out
that public officials are not a
group apart and reflect "the
moral tone Of the society" in
which they live.
"And if that moral tone"
headed, "iS injured-by fixed
athletic contests or television
quiz shows - by widespread
business conspiracies to fix
prices-by the colluSion of
businessmen and unions with
organized crime-by cheating
on expense accounts, by the
ignoring Of traffic laws, or by
petty tax evasion-then the
conduct Of our Government
must be affected.
"The ultimate answer to eth
ical problems in government
is honest people in a good eth
ical environment. No web Of
statute or regulation, however
intricately conceived, can hope
to deal with the myriad pos
sible challenges to a mans in
tegrity
Nevertheless formal regula-
ton is required-regulatior
which can lay down clear guide
lines Of policy, punish venality
and double dealing, and set g
general ethical tone for the
conduct of public business"
Reviewed by Panel
The Presidents recommen.
dationS we're based in part or
the work of a special panel
named by Mr.. Kennedy two
days after his Inauguration to
review the conflict Of interest
laws.
The seven general statutes
governing conflicts of interest
the President said, are 6
"hodge-podge collection anc
in some cases contradictory
While leaving important areas
unregulated, he pointed out
they often serve TO prevent th'
Government from obtaining
important personal services
:. through excessive regula'
tion when no ethical problem
really exists"
At present, the Presiden
continued, these laws fail tt
consider the problem of expert
needed in the Government "bu
who cannot afford to be de
prived of private benefits, O
reasonably requested to depriv
themselves in the way nov
required by these laws"
Mr.. Kennedy proposed
bring existing laws up to dat
in what he called an Executiv
Employees Standards Act.
In emphasizing the overlap
ping and inconsistency of exist
ing statutes. Mr.. Kennedy saio
Thus, literally read, 1t woul
be a crime punishable by fin
or Imprisonment under thes
statutes for a postal clerk
assist his mother in filing rol