Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-02-08

Ef3tlCn OF Federal
Employees. to i'm MARTIN L DAVEl
prove the Condi-
ton of Government workers, Mr.
Dayey launched a broadside into the
''4aryice' rendered by the executive
branch OF the Government, ana ue
cidred I'VE should get rid OF loo'oeV
or more of the -ax-eating droneS.
The Ohio Representative SAID, now
ever. he was deeply Interested III oe-
serving employees. ,,
Mr. Dayev.- who has introduced
hill giving the Chief Executive sweep
fng powers III departmental reorsaIl
alton and abolition OF bureaus, also
made public today letters he said ne
has received from preSen- ana lorlhei
Government employees, who severely
t,ensured the methods In vogue in Gov
eminent departments.
Hits Short Hours.
Pointing TO the working hours or
civilian employees of the Government
Mr.. Davey wrote that they report TOR
duty at 9 in the morning and leave al
$50. with a half hour for lunch, al
though most of them take consider
ably more This represents maxi
mum of seven hours per day. In auui-
ton to these short working hours.
they have Saturday afternoons OH
times when there is an excuse TO close
the departments.
"In addition to this, they have 81
DAYS vacation and 80 days sick leave.
not counting Sundays or holidays.
So that the average civilian employe
puts in less than 10 months per year.
But this is not the worst of it.
7 will venture the assertion that more
than half of the civilian employees or
fhe Government, not counting letter
carriers and clerks. are the most eX-
pert loafers and time killers in Amer
lea. 1t is the present spirit of the
Government service. BuCkpasSing Is
the favorite and accomplished prac-
tice.
More than this. under such a con-
,iirion OF reorganization and reason.
able efficiency. the Government would
render Infinitely better service than
Il is now giving"
Calls Service irony"
Declaring that 1t was irony" to
apply the word service" to the bust
ness end of the United States Govern.
ment. Judging from the personal eX-
DerienCe he had had here during
membership in Congress since 1918.
Ir. Davev said: I'VE should get rid
Of 100 900 or more of the taX-eating
drones, coordinate the various ac-
tivities of the Government, eliminate
senseless duplication of effort or al
legged effort. and establish a reason
able basis OF work and service.
II am certainly Interested in the
welfare of trS competent. necessary
and deserving Government employees,
and | would go as far as any one
within reason to help their cause. In
fact, my voting record already indi.
Gates this very clearly. There are
many who are efficient and meritori-
Gus and a great many who are really
dnderpaid, but they are decidedly in
the minority. This deserving minority
is held down and injured by the vast
army of useles and inefficient ones.
Moreover, many who would other.
wise be good and valuable Govern.
nlent employees have become the vic
tins OF a vicious system. the phi.
loSophy Of which is TO do as little as
Can be done and keep the job alive
The ma jority of good, competent work.
srs who enter the employ Of the Gov.
ernment either get out of the service
through disgust or else become dis.
couraged and drift into this vicious
system and are swallowed up by 1t.
PHILOSOPHY Destructive"
81 know of nothing more hopeless
than the situation of willing workex
in the employ of the United States
Government. He is held down by a
horde of useless and inefficient EN-
ployes, discouraged by the destructive
philosophy IN the Government service
and is without hope of reward for
Ineritorious work.
One letter made public by Repre-.
sentative Davey, coming from a for
fner departmental employee, without
naming the department, said he was
;old, Whatever you do, look busy
when one of the big guns comes in
Spending much time walking up and
down the hall and in "loafing," this
@nploye said. he was finally waited on
by group of older employees who "in.
formed me that / was doing too much
work. and would | kindly Slow down q,