The Washington herald., 1920-11-07
COP. TO WELD
AXEON CLERKS,
Is PREDICTION
Clarence B. Miller, National
Republican Committee
Secretary, Foresees II.
TO HIT CAPITAL HARD
Will Eliminate u. S. Bureaus
Where Chief Duty Is
Drawing Salaries"

Government employees IN Wash
ington may look for material
reduction" in their ranks shortly
after the Republican administration
steps into ONCE, according 10 the
announcement OF Clarence B. Miller.
secretary OF the Republican National
Committee, last night.
Government employees in other
parts of the country may expect q
reduction in their forces which may
reach rs to 80 per cent.
In announcing this proposed ma :
terial reduction" Of washington's
own war workers. Miller declined to
specify the percentage of the cut
Washington employees would suffer.
VIII Allow Tax Reduction.
This sweeping reform by which
the unprecedented number Of gov
ernment civil service employees.
claimed by Miller to now aggregate
100000 throughout the country, will
be cut. coupled with the imposition
of a high tariff schedule, will be
sufficient TO make up for a consid-
cradle decrease in income and eX-
cess profits taxes. now charged to
be throttling the business Of the
nation.
Boards. commissions, committees
and every conceivable form Of gov
ernment organization, many OF
which do nothing except draw sal
aries and appear to have otherwise
actually been forgotten, exist in
many sections OF the country" con-
tinued Miller.
/ Miller would not name any spe-
cific groups as those in line for exit.
But" he said. they are innumer-
able, and they occupy rooms and en-
tire buildings. secured often at ex-
itortionate rental. and their salary
list runs into millions.
To EIImInate Deadwood.
The cuts Il Washington win be
with a view 60 eliminating the dead
wood and increasing efficiency. We
are determined that only men and
women who render efficient service
shall remain. and that they shall be
7
the service they render. and be Civ
en- an opportunity for advancement"
To show how the government sal
Gry list had been boosted. Miller
said before the war the government
employed 40, 900 workers. as against
10000 at present. His Washington
figures were 80. 600 pre-war workers.
as against the present 100000.
During the past summer Miller
was a participant in a controversy
with those seeking a reclassification
of tNe civil service, one of the points
at issue being the number OF work
ers in the government employ.
May Change Attitude.
The naturalization of this an
nounced c6t may bring about a
change in the degree OF Legislation
sought by reclassifica,ionists. The
Republican spokesman comedies
that there should be better salary
for those performing real service.
Whether the reclassificationists be-
lieve in suffering a cut in forces to
realize this desired increase Is not
known.
An idea OF the stupendous appro-
priations required for administra-
tion of the various civil bureaus and
departments may be had from the
last report Of the Secretary Of the
Treasury. This is for the fiscal year
1919. Since that time the person
i mel has been somewhat reduced but
il still remains in the neighbor-
hood Of half a million dollars.
1919 Expenditures staEEerIag.
4 In 1919 the various independent
, bureaus alone cost the government
s2.723.53l.s15. i
The Treasury Department eN-
pended S2SS.9l4.6S2 in salaries and
,cNpenses: the Agriculture Depart
nent. s36.SSS.37l: the War Depart
ment for civilian personnel. S2o.-
'l62.SO4: Navy Department for civ
ilian personnel. ss.77S.37S: Depart
ment Of Commerce. Sl5.66S5l3: De-
!partment of the Interior sl5.2l6.o2s:
Department OF Labor, sl3.2sO.4sO.
These figures are apparently not
Included in the S3.57s.O3l.sl5 ''spe-
icial expenditures" for which appro-
ipriations are mentioned in the
Treasury report and which provided
for many additional employees.
Every one not absolutely essen
,tial the Republican organization
states. will have to go.