Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-05-29
M'CARL EXTENDS
EMPLOYE LOAN TO
PERSONNEL BOARD
Controller General Holds Pay
May Continue Until
Congress Acts.
SMALL GROUP LIMITED
TO SERVICE UNTIL JULY |
New Decision Voids Ruling May 8
That Borrowing" Workers
Was Illegal.

The Personnel Classification Board
was given a new lease of life today
by Controller General McCarl, who, in
a decision TO Gen. Herbert M. Lord,
director of the Bureau of the Budget
and head of the board, ruled that the
pay of board personnel loaned from
executive departments and establish
ments may continue until the whole
matter of personnel for the board can
be submitted to Congress.
While the controller general will al
low the rank and file of loaned en-
ployes to remain with the board until
Congress decides the question, the de-
cision today limited to July l of this
year the service of a small group of
employees who had been employed by
different departments and establish
NETS specifically to be detailed for work
at the board.
Board Had Faced Dilemma.
The board faced a dilemma June /,
when, under previous decision by
McCarl, May 3, it would have been IL
legal for the board to use for its per-
sonnet: Stenographers. clerks and others
loaned from other departments and on
the pay roll of the other departments.
The board now will be enabled to
continue in operation under the new
decision of the controller general. The
board never has had personnel of its
own, and McCarl on May 3 decided
that the only persons authorized under
the law to work for the board were
those loaned by the Bureau of the
Budget, the Civil Service Commission
and the Bureau of Efficiency, whose
representatives comprise the personnel
classification.
Held Only Experts Usable.
It further was held by McCarl in his
previous decision that outside of work.
ers in the three groups, the only per-
sons who could be loaned from other
departments were experts especially
qualified for personnel work. The great
body of workers on the board, however,
at The present time were loaned from
other departments, and under the May
3 decision such loans were held by Nc
Carl to be illegal.
F2 ms the possibility that workers
woull be withdrawn and activities of
the board halted June l, the board.
t. O"gh its official chairman, Gen. Lord,
pre- nted the matter to the controller
general with a request for relief Sonr
of the departments had been planning
to withdraw their personnel. fearing
that the voucher for pay would be dis
allowed by the controller general.
Decision Relieves Problem.
In his decision today, which relieves
the situation, the controller general told
Gen. Lord:
1T would not be seriously questioned,
of course, that the decision necessarily
applied the statute involved and that
there is no authority in the controller
general of the United States to so di-
rect the actions of the administrative
officers in this matter as to require
them to continue in force existing de-
tails, or to issue renewals thereof, or
new details contrary to law.
However, in view of the representa-
items made to the effect that no other
means are available under existing ap-
preparations for carrying on the work
OF the board, and it being realized that
some of the activities of the board
should not be discontinued at this time,
l have to advise that if the condition
OF the work and appropriations of the
departments and establishments con-
cerned are such that they can and
VIII continue the existing practice of
permitting their regular employees mot
work under the board) to be detailed
for work with the board until there
has been an opportunity for the needs
OF the board to be considered by the
Congress at its next regular session,
this office will not, because of such de-
tails, disallow credit in the accounts
OF the disbursing officer involved for
proper payment made for services
rendered during such period.
Must Observe Law in Future.
With respect TO those who were en-
ployed expressly for the purpose OF being
detailed 10 the board, having in mind
that some of them may be engaged
upon work which the interests of the
Government require should not be dis
continued Immediately, and to permit
reasonable time in which to complete
or to make other arrangements for the
completion of such work. this office will
not dlsalloW credit for otherwise proper
payment made to such employees for
necessary services rendered with the
board prior to July l, 1929, but no such
employees may be continued on detail or
redeta1led to the board for any period
after June 80, 1929"
McCarl further stipulated in his de-
clSlon that from now on all persons
detailed to the board from other depart
ments must adhere strictly TO the
classification act of 1923, which pro-
vides that the working personnel must
be provided by the three Government
units comprising the board, except for
experts.
McCarl further held that III the flu
ture, when accounts for salary pay
ments to the boards personnel were
submitted for audit. he would require
"a satisfactory showing that the de-
tail in each instance was approved by
the President as stipulated in the
statute"
Gen. Lord, in commenting on the
McCarl decision, declared it cleared up
the situation for the time being, at
least, until Congress can act. Gen.
Lords alternate on the board, Capt.
Carlos Van Leer. acting chairman of
the board, said today he did not know
what the departments might do, but he
rather expected they would cooperate
with the board and leave their employees
on duty.