The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 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 sd-
ministrative menlciency 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 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.
lie will control more completely than
over before the Federal finance as
: ranking member of the Appropria-
| 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-
lation 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-nfty" proposition two months
ago, but now the pendulum sppar-
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 snaiPs pace.
The Civil Service Commission shows q
$4,000 temporary employees or war
workers" since the signing of the
armistice, and now is showing steady
decreases from the payroll at the rate
of approximately 800 every month.
But this rate of reduction has proved
utterly unsatisfactory to Senator
Smoot and his confreres OF the Az
preparations Committee. as his bitter
and drastic speeches in the last ses-
sion of the Senate revealed.
INFORMAL SURVEY MADE.
Under the direction OF the Repub-
1ican National Committee. an infor-
NAL survey of the departmental stu
alton in Washington has been made
during the past few months. It has
necessarily been general and superb
cial in character, but has been able
10 furnish framework for the Re-
publican contention that the whole
governmental structure is loaded
down with unnecessary workers. Sem
stor Smoot also expects to use the re-
ports OF the Bureau OF Efficiency, of
which Herbert D. Brown is chairman,
as the basis of reform. These reports
are three in number--upon Ieclassifi-
cation, reorganization OF the Govern
ment departments and duplication and
overlapping of work. One of Mr..
Browns main plans Is the centraliza-
ton OF all the Federal statistical
work in single bureau. and he has
developed this into practicable work
proposition which may be made the
basis Of immediate legislation by
Congress.
MANY BOARDS DOOMED.
In many circles 1t is believed that
the incoming Republican administra-
tion will take drastic steps in the
direction of retrenchment by abolish
ing entirely a vast number CT
Federal boards. commissions, and
bureaus. Among these are the Fed
eral Trade Commission. upon which
Senator Watson of Indiana has been
centering his fire for months, the
Board of Mediation and Cancellation,
the National Employment Service.
etc. Senator Mccormick of Illinois
Will seek the repassage of the Nc
Cormick Good budget measure at an
early hour in the coming session of
Congress. 1t failed on the last day
of the long session because Pres
ident Wilson vetoed IL on account of
legal technicality which did not
anect the main outlines of the bill.
Under the budget measure the heads
OF the departments are compelled 10 re-
wise and trim" their estimates, particu-
larry In regard to personnel, with
extreme care.
One OF the first steps taken by the
new Harding cabinet. IL Senator
Smoot has his way. will be to call
in all the hold-over chief clerks In
the departments and ask them to
submit rock bottom estimates as to
personnel reduction. These estimates
then will he carefully studied by ex-