Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-02-23
Rate by MaiI-Payable I'm Advance.
MARYLAND and Virginia.
All Other States and Canada.
Member of the Associated Press.
A Critic on the Defensive.

Rising to a question Of personal
privilege, the member of Congress who
recently challenged the industry and
efficiency Of the Government clerks
Yesterday addressed the House of Rep
resentatives on the score Of his own
official conduct, which has been criti-
ci1ed. His answer was that he did not
measure the value Of a Congressman's
services by the number of roll calls to
which he responded, but by the
emount of work he does In and for his
District. On that score he recited a
record Of activities which. he felt,
ebsolved him from the charge of
neglect of duty. and then proceeded to
read numerous letters he has received
praising his criticisms Of the Govern
fnent service.
It matters not ut all whether the
member Of Congress who has charged
the Government clerks with being
slackers and 'buck-pa ssers" - the
postal service alone excluded-has
himself been diligent or indolent, at
,tentive to the congressional routine
or otherwise. The ''tu. quoque" argu-
cannot be changed by counter &C
eusation. And In this case the facts
are sufficient In rejoinder.
In the course of his explanatory
remarks yesterday the member set
forth that he had not laid a blanket
Indictment against all the civilian en-
ployes of the Government" He had
specifically excluded from his criticism
the postal service, and of the others
he had said that the civilian employees
include the largest number of loafers.
time-killers and buck -passers" he had
ever seen brought together under one
banner. He did not say that they were
al loafers, tine-kiliers and buck-pass-
ers. Getting down to cases. he averred
that there are 100000 Of the 300, 900
civilian employees, outside Of the postal
service, In Washington and all over
the country, who could easily be dis
pensed with. because they are abso-
iutely useless.
This means that every third depart
mental employee Is superf1uous. that
the Government service is so per cent
overmanned, here In Washington and
elsewhere. This is q definite, specific
charge. But 1t does not rest against
the clerks and other employees. 1t Is
IL charge against Congress, which
makes the appropriations and deter
mines the number of workers in the
departments and bureaus.
But nobody believes. seriously, that
the departmental service Is SO per
cent oyermanned. The President, in.
tent upon economy. has made no sug-
Eestiou that the working force could
be cut by 1QO,00 The Bureau of the
Budget, the director of which has his
eye upon every branch Of The service,
makes no such proposition. None OF
the department heads recommends a
wholesale curtailment of his working
force. Neither appropriation commit
tee of Congress can see the need OF
such q drastic shortening OF the per-
sonnet. Only this single critic OF the
.,aryice sees it in sweaI-shop terms.
Business methods in the depart
ments may perhaps be subject to i'm
movement. The very organization OF
the Government Is even now under
consideration for advantageous read
iustment. But the fault for the pres
ent conditions. if there be fault, lies
not with the men and women who
have been appointed to positions and
who are doing their work faithfully
and efficiently and for miserably small
pay, but with the legislative and ap-
propriative powers.