Evening star., 1920-02-17
WAR DEPARTMENT
TO CHANGE HOURS
TO RELIEVE TRAFFIC
"Stagger" Plan for 20,600
Employees Expected to Avoid
Car Congestion.

In order to avoid street car conges-
partment has adopted a new system
Of working hours for the 20.6Oo en-
ployes of that department in this city.
The scheme was worked out by Adjt.
Gen. Harris and approved by Secre-
tary Baker.
Tho new system will go into effect
as soon as working arrangements can
be effected by the Public Utilities
Commission and the railroad COM
panies. Though no date has yet been
nxed. it is expected that the plan will
morning. Several days time Is neces-
sasy. 1t is said. to enable the railroAd
companies to rearrange their running
schedules.
HStaggsf" Plan Tentative Only.
Gen. Harris said this morning that
the plan Is tentative only, and II it's
operation Is not satisfactory to the
majority Of the persons affected after
q fair and reasonable trial the entire
its present schedule of working from
am. to 4:30 pm.
Under the approved plan about 5000
employees Of the War Department will
work from 8:45 am. to AIS pm. and
about 1850 from 9:15 am to 4:45
pm. The main idea Of the author
tiles was to avoid conflict with other
departments adhering to the old hours
Of from am. to 4:30 pm. especially
the Treasury Department proper and
the Navy Department in Potomac
Park.
The War Department offices which
will begin business at 8:45 are: The
Secretary's office. the chief of Stairs
of1ce. the adtutant generals Office. the
inspector generals Office. the Judge
advocate generals office, all of which
are in tine War Department building.
and the following offices which are
located in the vicinity of 7th and B
streets: Surgeon generals Office, the
chemical warfare service. part of
ordnance office, the motor transport
service. the air service and the con-
struction division. Branches of the
adjutant generals Office at Washing
ton barracks. at 9Th and streets. in.
the old Land Office building and in
Ford Theater building are included in
the 8:45 am. group.
Will Begin Work At 9,15 Am.
In the 9:15 am. group are included
all divisions of the War Department
located in the Munitions building, Po-
tomac Park. and in other buildings in
the same general vicinity south Of Penn
sylvania avenue and west Of 18th street.
These are the purchase and storage
division Of the quartermaster gen
erals Office. the purchase. storage and
traffic division. the finance service.
the transportation service, the. chief
of engineers office, part of the ord
nance bureau and the real estate
service. all Of which are in the NUM-
tions building: the insular bureau,
the militia bureau. the war credits
board. the supply bureau. the Coast
A~A; IN ha k,,sI
E streets: the Signal Corps Office. at
18th street and Virginia avenue. and
the various Offices Of the zone finance
officer, in several buildings on New
York avenue.
The transportation section of the
zone finance office. however. between
18th and 18th streets, Will open at
$3.50 am. to conform to the hours of
the railroad administration.
Plan Was Not Given Fair Chance.
STAGGERED" hours in the govern
E~nt departments as a means of re-
lieving congestion on the street cars
did not get a fair trial in the winter
Of 1918. because it was inaugurated
during the influenza epidemic, when
sick. Walter c. Allen, executive secre-
tary of the public utilities commits
sion, pointed out today.
tary of the Public Utilities Commits
sion show that during October, 1913,
when the hours Of the several depart
ments were changed as a precaution
against spread Of the epidemic, the
Capital Traction Company was forced
to omit 9,207 trips and the Washing
ton Railway and Electric Company
10,098 trips because of the illness Of
motormen and conductors.
At one time during that month each
road was operating on a schedule Of
100 trips less than normal.
Officials of the Public Utilities Com
mission say it is obvious from these
figures that the experiment with stag
gered hours was made at an unfortu-
nate time, and that conditions pre-
vailing at that time made it impos-
sible for the companies to show how
they could handle the approximately
100. 900 federal employees II the depart
ments would open and close at differ
ent hours.
In November. 1918. sickness among
trainmen had declined to a point
where only $3.50 trips were omitted
by the Capital Traction and 3.127 by
the Washington Railway and Electric.
In December the Capital fraction
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