Show WASHINGTON WASHINGTO N n- n Wf i Ili LETTER Juicy Federal Plums May Become Lemons if Merit Bill Passes uY 81 SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT C I I I i i I WASHINGTON W hen n e n the t h e presidents president's reorganization bill conies cones out ot of o the joint House louse and Senate committee where hearings are being held on the tentative draft a lot of debate will center on the proposed extension of civil cavil service to all f federal cd era 1 agencies General civil service would mean a n tremendous saving to taxpayers who now are ine support support- supporting ing ine thousands of ot and useless political jobholders Hut But congressmen are reluctant to yield a single plum which is theirs thefts to garner in the patronage system Many Miny New Deal Deni measures arenow are arenow arenow now being introduced which It pac passed ed will increase the patron patron- patronage patronage patronage age yield A new bill sponsored by Sena- Sena Senator Sena Sena- Senator Senator tor Wagner Dem N Y 1 calls for expenditure of 3 billion dollars dollars dol- dol dollars lars on low-cost low housing and specifies specifics that the proposed HousIng Hous- Hous HousIng Ing Authority may appoint without without with- with without out regard to civil service or the Classification Act such officers attorneys and experts and such skilled and unskilled labor as may be necessary for tor the duties dutie Some proper performance of Its Some of the older and nd sounder members of Congress are tired of ot serving as liS personal employment agencies and do It only because their fate in elections back home ome depends more often on jobs fobs they get for tor their constituents than on how well they do their own jobs In Washington S t 1 who have had long experience in ht dealing with pickers plum pickers think they may not notI put up much of a fight against this feature of ot the reorganization reorganization reorganization tion bill for the renson reason that what seems to moh ate the average congressman is the fear that some member may get more juicy jobs than thon heIt heIt he heIt It Is expected that e e o cn en the most ardent may revolt against that part of the reorganization bill that gives the president greatly Increased control over all executive de- de departments departments de departments Of Ot the control Congress no now has over the chief executive almost al- al almost al almost most none is left to that bOdy in the tentative draft of the bill but the power to make or deny d nv a appropriations p p ro p r fat Ion s It the bill reaches the Senate nate as the presidents president dents dent e exp p 3 s ha have e written members i i it members probably will loudly 0 over er the proposal that thelt only a few Cew top appointments WUI wili hatie ha Senate confirmation Abolition of the comptroller generals general s mentioned in the president s public report on re- re reorganization reorganization re reorganization organization still sUU is in the bill before the joint committee A it A-it it is Ie now Congress has control over executive e x e cut c u t I v e expenditure expenditure- through pre audits made by tha office The president proposes to create as a substitute the offiCE offiCE- office office-of of auditor general and a bYS- bYS system tern tem of post-audits post which be b reported to Congre Congress s It ft i doubtful if it Congress will be pla- pla placated pla placated by this gesture S Sl A l MOTHER hl cec sec sec- section sec L tion of the original draft con con- conferred con conferred upon the president the continuing power to reorganize after Investigation the several agencies of government by transfer consolidation segregation segregation tion establishment and abolition of agencies and functions Thi part part of ot the bill proved uen cuen a bombshell In the com c o m m i 1 t tee t e e hearings that It 11 has been modi modi- modified modified fied fled by the addition of two new sections sections s It isn't known at this time how many compromises the president is prepared to make when the bill meets open congressional lonal op- op opposition op opposition position Probably what Roosevelt will willInd III find It most difficult to sell Con Con- Congress Congress Congress gress will be the proposals to tomake tomake tomake make new grants of power to himself continuing ones ons and to exempt all but a h of top appointments from Senate con on confirmation con confirmation And perhaps the pro pro- proposal pro proposal he will find it easiest tomake to tomake tomake make Congress accept will be the proposed establishment of ot two new departments of Pub P u b II 11 c Works and Public Welfare |