Evening star., 1925-03-09

The remaining 1000 or more en-
ployes went onto the pay rfH throusli
almost every branch Of the Feoerai
service. The Department OF Agriculture,
for instance, added more than 3oo
names to it's roster, notwithstanding
the earnest efforts of it's high officials
to fall in line with the Presidents econ
omy program Part of this increase
was due to the fact that the depart
ment was given $90,o0o,00O TO speno
for road building during the last half OF
1924 and the first half OF the current
year.
But part of the increase also was Que
to gradual additions, a man here ana
man there, to other branches of the
force. not in any spirit of opposition TO
the Presidents wishes, but simply be-
cause such additions appeared neces-
sary to do the job at hand.
Commerce Work Enlarged.
The Department of Commerce also
added hundreds of workers to its stall
In doing so. however, 1t had no choice,
for under the law it must take an agri-
cultural census every 10 years, and the
work is at hand. On the other hand, the
Department of the Interior cuts It's
forces several hundred, and is still cut
ting them, more than 40 employees being
laid off at the General Land Office with
III tne past 20 days or SO.
Another Federal activity that added
more men to Its pay roll is the Govern
ment Printing Office, which now is rum
ming at approximately it's highest peace
time level. Congress, 1t may be remem-
bered, is in direct charge OF this branch
or the Government; most of the other
branches come directly under the Presi-
dent More Government literature, in
Guiding the Congressional Record is
fowing out of Washington these days.
1t is noteworthy that the President
directed one of his chief drives for
economy against this particular item
of expense. At the beginning of the
fiscal year, Mr.. Coolidge told his
subordinate that they must cut their
printing costs. They have done SO
to an extent; and the public printer
has worked Loyalty for economy Yet
the number of his employees, of neces-
sity, has risen.
62,242 Work I'm District
All told, during the year when the
White House was making it's greatest
drive for economy, the number OF
Federal employees rose from 544,67l
to 555,619. Leaving the postal serv-
ice out of consideration, the force
| increased from 250,3S5 to 254.619. OF
the latter number. 242 persons were
| employed in the District of Columbia
The remainder were field worker
What's the answer? For one thing
| the answer is that the salaries OF
1924 extra employees, disregarding the
postal service, will make tax reduc-
| tion this year more difficult by about
| S7,000,000 than it would be otherwise
And tax reduction on 1925 income lies
close to the Presidents heart Fol
| another thing, the answer is that the
| President has not the say as to how
much or how little money the Gov.
| ernment may spend. That is left, un.
der the constitution, to Congress.
| The President may exercise econ
| omy, of course, in running his branch
| of the Government and that he /!
| doing. But during 1924 Mr.. Colidge'.
| economy drive was nullified. to som,
| extent at least, by a Congress tha'
wouldn't always go along. And, too
| IL was checked, to a less extent, by
| subordinates who failed to follow
through on every occasion.
Mr.. Coolidge is now President in hi:
own right. He has decided idea:
about reducing the force on the pub
| lie pay roll. He intends to do just
| that thing. How he expects to gt
| about It and what he hopes to ac-
complish will be told in the mex
two articles.
l tCopyright, 1925