Evening star., 1922-12-01
VETERANS BUREAU
TO RELEASE 1900
Between 25O and 800 D. C..
Employees Are Affected by
Order.
LISTS HAVE BEEN MADE
Cut in Force to Be Completed Be-
fore First of the
Year.
LISTS HAVE BEEN MADE

Sixteen hundred local and field
employees Of the Veterans Bureau are
to be dropped from the rolls before
the list of next year. This cut in
personnel is the result of an order
of Director Forbes of the bureau for
a per cent reduction in force. ap-
plicable not only to Washington but
also to the field service Of the bureau.
Statements from officials of the
bureau today gave estimates that be-
tween ESQ and 800 of the local force
of the bureau would be dropped,
while between 1900 and 1850 en-
ployes in field work outside of Wash
inRton would be included in the re-
duction.
The order for the cut already has
been prepared. but the work of prun-
ing out the employees least needed by
the bureau without. the impairment
Of the efficiency of the organization
has not yet been completed. 1t Is
rapidly reaching its final stages, how
ever. according to Dr. T. H. Scott,
executive officer.
Cut to BE Gradual.
The cut Is expected to be gradual.
extending through the latter part OF
December and to the early part of
January.
simultaneously with the arrange
ments for a cut in personnel, but In
dependent from this project, Col. E.
A. Shepherd, formerly of the Shipping
Board, an industrial engineer. is plan
ming a closer knit mechanical opera
ton of the various divisions of the
bureau, with coordination Of the
work Of various divisions and elimina-
ton of duplicated work as his primary
aims. He has already started a sur
vey Of tho bureau work.
Col. Shepherd today is organizing a
committee Of eighteen composed of
two representatives of each of the
nine divisions of the bureau. with
whom to consult on the coordination
of work and elimination of unneceS-
sary overlapping effort.
To accomplish his objects. a COM
prehensive survey of the work of the
various divisions Of the bureau is
being made. The work Of each divi-
sion is being gone over carefully and
according to Col Shepherd. survey ex-
perts are always working with the
aim of concentrating the energies OF
the divisions. so that they may be
operated at the highest efficiency with
the least number of employees.
He refused to admit that this survey
was the proposition on which the cut
In force was contingent. On the other
hand. 1t was learned from other
sources at the bureau that the cut had
to be made as a result Of a prelim
mary survey made by Col. Forbes and
In force throughout the country.
Throughout the country. accord.
ing to statistics. there are about 90. .(00
employees Of the Veterans Bureau
Five thousand. or bit less than one
sixth OF this number. are in the Vet
per cent cut is to be practically equal
| In every section Of the country. which
would make the local reduction a mat.
ter OF dismissal Of between $50 and
800 employees.
Efficiency IL Aim.
"Uppermost in our mind at all
times" declared DR.. Scott, today. 81,
the efncient but economic operation
Of the Veterans Bureau. We are con.
stantly taking in slack and keepins
the bureau operating at the highest
point Of efficiency. There will be moth
ing done to impair the efficient opera
ton Of the bureau. but on the other
hand we cannot consent to being par
ties to an unnecessary outlay of tax
payers funds, in the maintenance of
employees in positions which are be-
lieved to be unnecessary or inessen-
tial."
Assurance was given that the GU,
In force would be made with full
recognition Of the priority privileges
Of veterans Of the world war, and
that tho preferred status Of former
service men would continue to be fore.
most in the policies of the bureau.