The Washington herald., 1920-08-24
CLERK SURPLUS
FIGHT RENEWED.
Republican Leader Declares
Uncle Sam Pays 800, 900
Too Many
WAR RISK CASE CITED
Advocates Return to Peace
Status in Federal
Business.
public Ledger Service0

Clarence B. Miller, secretary OF
the Republican national committee,
renewed his attack on the admins
tration for the employment of
thousands of worthless and incom-
petent clerks, in letter made pub
lie yesterday. The letter was ad-
dressed to Luther c. Steward, presi-
dent of the National Federation of
Federal Employees, who took excep-
ton to the charge made IN a speech
before the Kiwanis Club of Wash
ington by Mr.. Miller that the gov
ernment was employing 100000 un-
necessary persons.
The number of government en-
ployes has increased from 100000 at
the end of Taft's administration to
100000 in February of this year.
Mr.. Miller pointed out. Thousands
of clerks and other employees en-
gagged by the government during the
war still are employed unnecessarily
according to Mr.. Miller.
War Risk Case Cited.
He cited the Bureau of War Risk
Insurance where he said there are
two or three times as many as could
be possibly used. What they need
there is limited number of skilled
and valuable employees, not a horde
of inCompetents," he said.
The main burden of your COM
plant is that, even if we cut off the
unnecessary employees in the gov
ernment service, the amount saved
would not be so very great and that
} the high cost of living would not be
reduced entirely by doing So" Mr.
Miller SAID. My answer is that we
should cut off waste wherever we
find it and that one way to reduce
the high cost of living is to cut off
needless government expenditures.
which inevitably increase the cost of
living. 1t was never asserted that,
by cutting off these unnecessary en-
ployes. the entire cost of living
question would be answered. To
cut them off is an important step
in the right direction.
Labor Cost ASSafIed.
You labor under a serious mis-
apprehension when you enter upon
a discussion that the cost of labor
Is not the first element in the high
cost Of living. I made no suEges-
tlon or no statement that could in
Clude any such discussion. I am
not talking about how much labor
costs enter into the high cost Of
living. I am saying that any large
number of unnecessary employees in
the government service increases
the cost of living because the cost
has to be paid by the American
people in taxes. and taxes form a
part Of the cost Of living.
7 am not Saying how much ne
cessary employees should receive. I
am saying unnecessary employees
should not be kept on the payroll
at public expense, at any price
Any system of government under
which ten men are kept busy on
job which five men can do is
wasteful and eXtravagant and must
inevitably place a heavy burden
upon the taxpayers of the country"
Figures Quoted.
Mr.. Miller cited figures from the
Civil Service Commission showing
that on June 80, 1919, there were
3O,1S9 government employees in the
District of Columbia and 400 931
outside of the District making a
total OF 42O,752. The figures further
showed that at the time this coun-
try entered the war there were 81
9OS employees in Washington anu
457.575 outside of Washington.
making a total of 465.4S3.
During the war. the figures at
the time of the armistice showed,
the number of employees in the Cap
! ital was increased to 117,454 and
to 694,27S outside of the capital
making a total then Of S11,732 On
June 80, 1919. the figures showed
| the number of employees in Wash
! Iington had been decreased only to
4 1OO.64O. those outside to 675,5SS,
making a total Of 776,17S.
Wants Surplus Discharged.
/ My proposition was to discharge
the hordes of employees taken on
during the war period, whose serv-
ices are certainly no longer needed
by the government, and get back
at least to where we were before
the war" Mr.. Miller said. That
means practically 300, 900. There
fore, when you say there are about
$4,000 employees. you are mistaken
by simply 10000. Instead of there
being 10000 left to do the govern
ment work. there will be 100, 900.
exclusive Of the Postoffice Depart
ment, as many as were ever re-
quired during peace years"