Big Shuffle

Last week President Hoover gave the U. S. Government the biggest shuffle it has had since War days. Whether the new cards he dealt the country will lie permanently on the table or be blown away by an angry Congress will not be definitely known until Feb. 9.

Last session's Economy Act authorized the President to reorganize, consolidate and abolish executive agencies to eliminate duplication and save money. To such a large grant of power, Congress tied an equally large rope: The President must submit to Congress his reorganization plan, which would become effective only if the House and Senate took no positive action against it within 60 days. Last week the President submitted his plan, to which the first Congressional reaction was uncertainty tinged with hostility. But for once Congressional inertia was on the President's side. No action would mean favorable action.

The President's eleven executive orders affected 58 bureaus, boards, commissions and departments. Fifteen minor independent agencies were to be scrapped. Four new sub-Cabinet jobs were to be created. Declared President Hoover: "I have made no estimate of the extent of the economies which will eventually result from this re-organization program."

In the Interior Department President Hoover created an Assistant Secretary for Public Works to whom was to be transferred: 1) river & harbor development and flood control, from the War Department; 2) office of the Supervising Architect, from the Treasury; 3) Public roads, from the Department of Agriculture; 4) some half-dozen small independent building agencies.

Also in the Interior Department was to be an Assistant Secretary for Education, Health & Recreation. Under him would be grouped that department's bureaus of Education, Indian Affairs and National Parks and, in addition, the Public Health Service from the Treasury and the Division of Vital Statistics from the Department of Commerce.

An Assistant Secretary of Agriculture for Land Utilization would get, besides that department's present activities, the Interior's General Land Office.

To an Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Merchant Marine was to be transferred: 1) the Shipping Board, now independent; 2) the Hydrographic Office and Naval Observatory, from the Navy; 3) Inland Waterways Corp. (Mississippi barge line) from the War Department.

Other changes included a shift of the independent Alien Property Custodian to the Department of Justice, Agriculture's Weather Bureau to the Commerce Department, and Labor's immigration border patrol to the Treasury's Coast Guard.

P: Out to the posing grounds behind the White House President Hoover led his Cabinet for its last group photograph. Of its original 1929 members four were missing--War's Good, Treasury's Mellon. Commerce's Lamont, Labor's Davis. The President sat down, hunched up his left shoulder. Vice President Curtis and Secretary of the Treasury Mills swung right leg over left, Secretary of War Hurley, left leg over right. Camera shutters clucked. The Cabinet rarely looked more darkly dignified. Piped a photographer: "Can't you gentlemen please look a little more cheerful this time?" Laughter at such impertinence rippled through the group. All except Postmaster General Brown smiled. Shutters again cluck-clucked.

P: President Hoover and Lady Astor (Virginia's Nancy Langhorne) used to know each other during the War in England. Recently Viscount and Lady Astor have been visiting the U. S. When they week-ended with President-elect Roosevelt at Hyde Park, Washington gossips suspected that Lady Astor was trying to make her husband persona grata in the hope of wangling an appointment as British Ambassador to the U. S. for him after March 4. Last week Sir Ronald Lindsay, the present Ambassador, took the Astors to the White House to see the President. After a 30-minute call:

Sir Ronald: I can't say anything. Lady Astor did all the talking.

Lady Astor: I found the President very philosophical and interesting. We discussed many things.

Newsmen: Did you discuss War Debts?

Lady Astor: Oh, he doesn't know anything about debts.

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