White House Statement on Reorganization of the Executive Branch.

CONGRESSMAN BYRNS seems to be under some misimpression. The President, in view of the 20 years of failure of every effort by Congress to eliminate overlapping and useless functions in the Federal Government for purposes of economy, asked, in a message on February 17th, that authority should be given to him to execute definite projects of reorganization and economy subject to the opportunity to the Congress to express its views upon each action. He stated that such reorganization and reduction by the Executive should be undertaken gradually as the result of study and experience gained as the process proceeded.

The House recognized the importance of the matter, but felt that it should be again undertaken directly by the Congress instead of by the President. They set up the Economy Committee for this purpose. The President has been glad that this committee should undertake this great task. He at once instructed all officials of the Government to cooperate in full with the committee, freely submitting their individual views and every possible suggestion to the committee for its consideration, just as they would have been called upon by the President to do had his proposal been accepted by the House.

Some of these reports or suggestions by departmental heads have already been completed and laid before the committee. Others are in progress. Each administrative officer has his own personal views in these matters. The President has confidence that every avenue of saving will be laid before the committee and that the committee will exhaustively examine the advisability of any such suggestion. The President's desire is for action at this session of Congress, and he will give most sympathetic consideration to any legislation which is sent to him which brings about real economy and is consonant with the preservation of the efficiency and necessary functions of the Government. What the country wants and needs is real results.