Evening star., 1923-01-27

| within the past twenty-four hours
from the White House and the Treas
away all tho clouds and vindicating
the character of those dismissed.
At the Treasury II was said that
| II President Harding restores the
civil service OF the dismissed en-
ployes everything will be done for
them that under the present circum-
| stances is possible.
No definite plans have been made for
giving employment to any Of those dis
missed, except for the fact that three
Treasury, and one man has made def
mite application which is said to be
There is understood, both from Treas
ury and bureau of engraving sources, to
be little, II any. opportunity for the re-
installation OF former employees at their
| old positions at the bureau.
Situation SUNNI arixed.
Secretary Mellon sent to President
| Harding some time ago a list of the
| entire twenty-eight dismissed en-
ployes. transmitting their appeal for
restoration Of civil service status. A
| summary of the situation as it affects
the twenty-eight at present would be
as follows:
Three have been taken back into
the Treasury. one application for en-
ployment is pending, one is dead.
seven applications for retirement are
on file. leaving a remainder of six
| teen who are either employees in posi-
! tions outside the government or are
awaiting action by the President.
Ten persons originally applied for
retirement under the amendments to
the retirement act of September %
| last, but two of these have been re-
employed and one, Eugene L. Beach.
died. leaving seven now on the list
still asking for retirement.
President Must Act
Before these persons can receive
retirement status, 1t is understood,
| the President must act The Civil
Service Commission. 1t is understood.
under the act of last September to
grant retirement pay. In line with
| the Presidents attitude, as announc-
| ed at the White House in considering
all twenty-eight. 1t is believed that
eventually those who have applied
for retirement will obtain it.
The three persons who have been
re-employed by the government are
all women. They are: Miss Eliza
beth Scott, former chief Of the pack
Ing division OF the bureau, at a salary
Of $4,000, re-employed at $1,100: Mrs.
Margaret S. Kerfoot. former chief Of
the numbering division. at $4,000. now
receiving $1,000 and bonus, and Miss
Nellie Wilding. former chief of the
istamp-perforating division, now re-
ceiving $1,000.
Whether a considerable number of
the sixteen out of the twenty-eight
who have not declared themselves
will apply for reinstatement in gov
ernment positions was uncertain to-
day. Some Of them have taken en-
iployment as civilians at positions with
substantial pay, and few are un-
| derstood to be so well satisfied that
| they would rot care to re-enter the
governmentsservice.
Gets $4,000 Job.
! George y. Rose. jr.. has gone the
farthest Of any Of the dismissed
bureau chiefs. having obtained a posi-
| tion in London at what Is understood
to be considerably in excess of S10,-
| 600 year,
| James L. Wilmeth, former director,
| today expressed much qualification
over the announcement from the
White House. Speaking not only for
himself but for the others who were
dismissed. Mr.. Wilmeth said, all of
| them knew there was nothing wrong
in the bureau which would implicate
the honesty or integrity of employees
or chiefs. Now, he added, it would be
a great satisfaction to have all their
| friends know 1t, as coming officially
from the White House TT pleases
us greatly" he said.
AS to his personal plans, Mr. Will
meth had no statement to make.
L
position with the government il Of
! fered: He Is at present located with
the Cleveland Discount Company.
Plans Stin Incomplete.
Although plans may be in prepara-
| ton for the reinstallation Of the per-
sons taken from the bureau Of en-
craving by the Presidents order, Df-
! rector Louis A. Hill today indicated
that mono Of them would, in all prob
ability. be taken back into the bureau
itself. Mr.: Hill indicated he did not
know what the administration
| formation that 1t would affect the
present situation at the bureau
Our present organization here"
said Director Hill, 'is substantial, and
to consider changing 1t at the pres
emit time with addition OF more per-
| sons would be q mistake" The place
jment of former employees expected to
status. will be the responsibility of
other branches of the administration,
Mr.. Hill indicated.
Feared Financial Panic.
In announcing that practically all
of the dismissed bureau employees
would be reinstated, the White House
made public for the first time since
mary order ousting these men and
women FOR the good of the service"
the reasons for Withholding an ex-
plantation of this drastic action.
The White House spokesman who
made the announcement said that the
situation at tho bureau, as a result of
| the wholesale Implications of bonds,
was 50 serious then that the President
and his advisers deemed 1t unwise to
make any public statement at the
time. Millions of dollars worth of
government bonds had been duplicat-
| ed, and 1t was feared that a financial
panic might follow Immediately on
the heels of a public announcement
to that effect.
| $4,000 Bonds Involved.
1t was explained that 30 extensive
were the Implications, especially of
the $4,000 bonds, that announcement
Of the true situation would have
given rise to great apprehension
| throughout the country. all Of which
would have been most unfortunate,
and would very likely have had dis
a1trous and costly results
| It was stated that it was not de-
| termined at the time whether these
vast Implications were due to me-
chanical errors or dishonesty, and as
. means of getting at the very bot
tom of the AFFAIR IT was deemed best
to dismiss those officials who were
either directly or indirectly respon-
sible for the condition, in order that
a thorough investigation could be
| conducted.
At this point it was made clear
n n n