The Washington times., 1920-10-31
CLERK FORCES
.TObESLASHED
Sweeping Reductions in Civil
Service Personnel Expected
to Follow Election.
"a. o. p. SURE TO USE KNIFE
Cox, too, II Elected, viii Try to
Restore Departments to
Peace Basis.

Sweeping reductions in Civil Serv-
Ice personnel are feared in various
quarters as the result Of the coming
election.
ExTRAvAGANCE CHARGED.
One OF the most effective weapons
the @. o. p. has used against the viii
son Administration in the way OF ad-
ninistrative ineniciency has been Its
( charge that there are 10000 Govern
ment employees in Washington now.
as against approximately one-third
that many before the war. Repub-
lican leaders have been drastic In
their claims Of payroll extravagance
under the present regime.
Promises of economy and retrench-
ment also have been made by Gov
ernor Cox. who has always been
sympathetic with the appeals Of the
Federal employees for more adequate
salaries. but believes that the de-
/ partments should be placed back
upon a complete peace basis as soon
as possible.
sMOOT TO DE POWER.
Senator Smoot will be a dominant
power in the Harding administration.
which now appears to be Inevitable
He will control more completely than
over before the Federal finance as
ranking member of the Appropria-
I tions Committee and chairman Of the
, Finance Committee. There Is just
one chance that Smoot will not be on
hand to block and nullify all legis-
1ation in the interest of the civil sere-
Twice employees. and that Is his defeat
in the Utah elections. next Tuesday.
The defeat of Smooth seemed almost
a ''ffy-ffty" proposition two months
ago, but now the pendulum appar-
emily has swung around in his favor.
FAvORs PRUNING KNIFE.
For that reason the Federal en-
ployes may as we'll reckon with Smoot
as their bette noir for the next four
years at least. There is not the least
doubt as to the exact views of Sem
ator Smoot as to the present number
of Federal employees. He thinks that
there are scores OF thousands in ex-
cess of the roll actually NEEDED to run
The Government. and thinks that the
process of debating the Federal pay
roll has proceeded at a snail's pace.
The Civil Service Commission shows q
reduction Of approximately 10000 to
$4,000 temporary employees or war
workers" since the signing of the
~ GU ~" 20 s
"er.aaca iroui tue pa. o 'oil o.. me .s
~ .n. ef AZ, ~. rnvaI
49,, s,,;sf,o,.', 80. Spna,or
Smoot and his confreres of the Ap-
preparations Committee. as his bitter
and drastic speeches in the last ses-
sion of the Senate revealed.
INFORMAL SURVEY MADE.
I-,d.r tho diroc,;on NJ ,ho pooub
49,, en-
"eah N"'ioh't C''"''''''ec' "h '"io'
mai survey OF the departmental sttu-
alton in Washington has been made
during the past few months. IL mas
necessarily peen genera ana superb
ciai IN character. out mas peeh ape
10 iurnlsh d lra,he"o,h LOT the re
puuncan con'chs.on ,na' 'he who's
80. III, W " 'eseu
80 g., aisn oxnonts W. W. ~, n - 80
nort. Of tho pnroam ~ Itf;ci.nnv ~,
r,htch uerhort n Rrou.n 10 cha;rr,an
n. tha h,s;s ~ reform These ranort.
are three in number--upon yec,ass,fi.
cation. reorganization OF the Govern
nent departments and duplication and
overlapping of work. One of Mr..
Brown's main plans Is the ceptraliza-
ton OF all the Federal statistical
work in a single bureau, and he has
developed this into a practicable work
proposition which may be made the
basis Of immediate legislation by
Congress.
MANY BOARDs DOOMED.
=, .,., !, l., ,o,,o,
nn,,' ,.. .n"'
80 III, l..," =,