Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-11-01
Much Ado About Nothing.


Unemployment Plans and Suggestions
made It's report to the White House It
directed attention TO the possibility Of
spreading employment in the civil serv-
ice and discussed the fact that there
remains vast reservoir in which pro-
ductive action may be l1ad-wives whose
husbands earn sufficient for normal re-
Quirements," etc 1t summarized It's
proposals concerning the work oppor-
tunities in the civil service group as
follows:
AS an important element in the work.
ing population this public employment
category should be the first to recog-
nize voluntarily their responsibility in
the general plan. If statutory restric-
tons prevent extension or spread OF
employment. such statutes should be
suspended for a specified time without
prejudice to essential public rights or to
private rights such as seniority prefer
ence and retirement benefit
The committee is informed and be-
lieves that much of the opposition in
group to emergency spread, especially In
municipal service groups, would be re-
moved If substitute employees were drawn
from lists provided by relief agencies
dealing with this emergency.
These statements have been inter-
preted, and by very reliable authority
TO mean that the Wheeler Committee
has proposed part-time work in the
Federal service and the elimination of
wives with working husbands from the
~ Iva af
those now employed, then the elimina-
ton of prospective employees who fall
within this category.
Whether the Wheeler Committee
meant that is not known. There has
been no further clarifying comment
from the source Of the report. But II
the committee did mean that, the din
culties in the way Of following any such
program are obvious.
In the first place. IL would be neces-
sary to aniend existing legislation re-
lating to the work required by law
within the classified civil service. The
law makes IL the duty OF the heads Of
the executive departments to require"
Of all clerks not less than seven hours
of work day except on Sundays and
legal holidays and, Of course. days
counted in sick or annual leave. To
place some Federal employees on the
fve-day week basis would require new
legislation or amendments to existing
legislation.
AS to the employment of married
women, the civtl service act af 1888
confined the members of family with
in one grade to two, providing that
when two members Of a family are en-
ployed within the same grade" no
other member of the family can be so
employed, thus recognizing. at least, the
right to employment OF husband and
wife AS to getting rid Of those within
the Federal service, the law forbids dis
mtssals except for such cause as viii
promote the efficiency of such service"
And whether staggered system Tor
classified employees would promote the
efficiency of such service Is really the
nut Of the whole matter. 1t would not.
II would be a dismal failure, in so far
as clerical employees are concerned. II
Is we'll known in the Government, as
well as in other establishments, that
an employee does not earn his salary
until he has gained experience and
knowledge of the work at hand, There
is always a permissible interval for the
acquisition of such knowledge and ex-
perience. The Government would lose
In ericiency what relatively few unem-
ployed persons would gain, If part
time, staggered system we're made ef-
fective.
In the case of mechanics and laborers
the general possibility of enlarging the
number Of work opportunities by some
stsgger system might be practical. For
the major portion of Government en-
ployeS 1t would be impractical. The
proposal of such schemes without a
careful study Of its consequences and
clear statement Of what they will be
does more harm than good. If the
Wheeler Committee is recommending
the adoption by the Government service
Of the nve-dsy week, that is another
matter. But the committee did not
make that recommendation.