Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-11-01
SPREADING OF Jobs
SEEN IMPRACTICAL
Head Of Postal Clerks Fed
GRAFTON Does Not Believe
Plan win Work.

The spreading Of employment By
sharing hours Of work would be imprac-
teal IN the postal service, in the opin-
ion of L. II. George. president OF the
National Federation Of Post Onsce
Clerks.
terday that II would be practically i'm
possible TO put such a plan into effect
IN the postal service and continue to
give service He added that he thought
u would prove more expensive II 1t
were done.
In q program Of recommendation
for improving conditions throughout
the country, issued few days ago by
committee Of the Clifford rnemploy
n1ent relief organization, IL was stated
that in the Federal. State and local
public service there was a large group
that had not been called on to share
hours of work. The program contained
q suggestion that Federal State and
municipal officers make an appraisal Of
the facts on the subject.
Fears Difficulties Exist.
Luther c. Steward, president Of the
National Federation of Federal En-
ployes while willing TO have an APP
praisal made OF the facts, also has ex-
pressed the view that there would be
practical difficulties against the applica-
tion Of such plan to the Federal
service.
Congressional action would be neces-
sary to carry out the recommendations
made by the committee, 1t was pointed
out yesterday, should such a policy be
determined on. Power to suspend the
civil service law, even to meet an
emergency situation, is vested solely in
Congress. 1t was said. and not In the
Executive.
All discussion of these legislative
steps, as well as the carrying out of the
plan, was entirely speculative. 1t was
indicated at the White House that the
President had no intention at present
of asking Congress TO apply the plan to
the regular Federal civil service here
and throughout the country.
This spreading OF employment IN
Government bureaus has been inter-
preted In some quarters TO mean the
placing of the regular civil service en-
pIoyes on a part-tiFne basis. In order
TO do so, it was pointed out, Congress
would have 10 approve an amendment
TO the civil service act permitting the
suspension OF the statutes for "speci-
fled period" as urged by the committee.
Congress could cover in such an amend
ment specific provisions for "stagger
hours" of the temporary severance from
the service of non-dependent married
or single women. or. what Is held to be
more probable. Congress could bestow
upon the President broader powers to
put into effect new rules and regula-
tons designed to meet the emergency
period
Wisdom May BE Doubted.
AS to the practicability of working
out n definite program Tor spreading
employment to meet the individual and
peculiar requirements In the different
departments OF the Government, ON
cials say any plan ordered by Congress
probably could be applied. though the
wisdom Of such policy appears open to
question:
The technical worker would be omit
ted from the operation of the commit
tees plan, it was said, and the general
burden would fall upon clerks, me-
chanics and lahorers. should favorable
congressional action be obtained. Even
with respect to clerks, advocates of the
plan admit 1t would be difficult to adj
minister properly and efficiently.
The drafting of the civil service en-
pioyment recommendation by the COM
mittee, which Is headed by Harry A.
Wheeler, Chicago banker, is believed to
have been brought about after 1t had
received reports from a vast number of
private Industries which had adopted
the spread work" plan.
Five Would Share Pay.
Ofncials Of the Presidents Oragniza-
ton on Unemployment Relief have in
terpreted the meaning of spreading
employment" as to create work for one
man by reducing the salaries of five
regular employees. In other words, the
i've regular employees would work only
five days of their six-day schedule and
their off-day pay would be used to pay
the wages of the Temporary worker.
Working hours of Federal clerks are
regulated by the act of March is, 1899,
which requires mot less than seven
hours of labor each day" except on
Sundays and legal holidays. For me-
chanics and laborerS the basis of pay
Is an eight-hour working day, with
time and half for overtime.
1t would require congressional action
20 reduce the hours OF clerks in the
departments. On the other hand, the
law applies no maximum, so it Is
entirely legal to order clerks under
civil service to work in excess of seven
hours g day. This Is frequently done
in emergencies. In such departments
and bureaus as the Post once, the
Government Printing once. Bureau of
Engraving and Printing and the Navy
Yard, where thousands of laborers and
mechanics and clerks are employed,
both of these rules governing working
hours apply.