Unburdening Bill

For seven months the President had saddled Bill Moyers, his No. 1 assistant and man Friday, with the added job of White House press secretary. Last week he lightened Moyers' load by appoint ing a deputy to take over the bulk of the day-to-day news tasks. The $28,500 job went to Robert H. Fleming, 54, Washington bureau chief for the American Broadcasting Co.

A 1934 journalism graduate of the University of Wisconsin, Fleming, who has a reputation as an abrasive straight shooter, was a newspaper and magazine correspondent before joining ABC in 1957. He will conduct the White House's twice-daily briefings, handle logistical details of press planning. Moyers, whose regular title is "special assistant to the President," will continue to supervise overall White House news production while being freed for additional duties. Explained the President: "Bill will continue to go wherever the ball is and work wherever we need him. It may be a personnel matter. This afternoon it was, for an hour. Tomorrow it may be a legislative matter. The next day it may be an appointment matter. A good deal of the time it will be nursing the press."

Johnson also announced a string of other appointments:

> Lee C. White, 42, who has been a White House special counsel, under both Kennedy and Johnson, to be chair man of the Federal Power Commission, succeeding Joseph C. Swidler, who is retiring.

> Harry C. McPherson Jr., 36, a White House special assistant, to succeed White as special counsel.

> Clifford L. Alexander Jr., 33, a Negro graduate of Harvard and Yale who became a White House assistant special counsel last year, to become McPherson's deputy.

> Elmer Staats, 51, deputy director of the Budget Bureau, to be U.S. Comptroller-General, replacing Joseph C.

Campbell, whose 15-year term has expired.

> Dixon Donnelley, 50, Assistant Secretary of the Treasury for Public Af fairs, to be Assistant Secretary of State for Public Affairs, succeeding James Greenfield, who has resigned to be come an assistant vice president of Continental Airlines, under Continental Vice President (and ex-White House press secretary) Pierre Salinger.

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