The silver state. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1909-1925, 1920-12-09
GREAT PROBLEM Of
CUTTING EXPENSES

"aouiu6tou, H., DeC. o.-f1OW u
educe by 100000 the present padded
'ayroll OF the government is the
problem which the new Republican
administration will take up as soon
as it assumes power.
At the beginning of the war with
Germany there were 10000 govern
ment employees in Washington. Dur
ing the conflict, as the result of ex-
travagant methods of the Wilson adj
m~infstration. this total jumped to
49,, 200. After the armistice had been
signed in 1918 the executive depart
ments asked that this total be in
creased. The Republicans held up
these estimates and, when they cap
tured Congress. speedily reduced the
number to 10000, in one year getting
rid OF $4,000 employees who had be-
come a burden to taxpayers of the
country.
Representative Will R. Wood Of In
diana, chairman of the subcommittee
of the appropriations committee. in
charge of the legislative bill to be-
come effective after June 80 next, de-
clares that the number of government
employees at Washington will be so
reduced that not more than $4,000
will be provided for, thus in a year
and a half looping on a total Of $1,000
employees in Washington alone.
This is only the beginning of the
reduction that is planned. however.
Chairman Good of the House appro-
%priations committee; Senator Curtis
of Kansas, Republican whip in the
Senate, and other Republican leaders
at the capitol are insisting that re-
auctions must be made in every de-
partment of the Federal service and
that many Of the bureaus established
the war shall be legislated
out of existence altogether.
There are now more than 100000
men and women in the employ Of the
United States government throughout
the country. On January 81, 1920,
there were 757,854 on the payrolls of
the Federal government; but Con-
gress, during the last session, reduced
number to about zoe, 1000.
The reduction of 100000 in the size
Of the army of Federal employees that
is hoped for by congressional leaders
would result in an annual saving of
between $500. 900. 900 and $500, 0O0, 900
to taxpayers, it is estimated.
Senator Lodge, Republican leader
in the upper house, and Representa-
tive Mondell, Republican leader in
the lower, declare their intention of
insisting upon wholesale reductions
in the number of Federal employees.
The present administration, how
ever. has submitted estimates to the
House appropriations committee hat
n nearly every case call for addi-
tional employees for the next fiscal
year. About the only exception that
has been noted is in the case of the
of wal risk insurance, where
immediate reduction of about 1900
IS reported contemplated at once
Chairman Wood said he could not
why ASW SiCiho "SiC OS
lng asked for in the legislative bill.
which his committee hopes to have
ready for reporting to Congress by
Is.
"We have today in Washington. un-
Ter the civil service something owe
10000 employees and between 5000
md 5000 ~unclassified, making a total
Of $4,000 government employees here"
said Mr.. Wood. Before the war there
we're about $4,000. 1t is idle for any
,ne to say that there Is now three
lines as much work done here as be-
lore the a
There are twenty-five or thirty in
bureaus, meant by the law
hat created them to be merely for
he war emergency. that are trying
% induce us to make them permanent
and to get a larger force than be-
lore.
Every man who comes before us
that there ought to be a reduc-
ion In the number of civil service
employees in Washington, but they in
sist that the cut must come some
where else than in their own Offices"