Evening star., 1932-08-21
REVERSED RULING F.
BY M'CARL W|DENS
FURLOUGH SCOPE
0ne-tWeIfth of Annual Rate
Would Not Be Deducted as
Legislative.
ONLY NECESSARY WHEN
DUTY STATUS PREVAILS
Controllers Change of Principle
Affects Farm Board and Federal
Trade Commission.

Controller General McCarl yesterday
opened the way for wider application
OF the administrative furlough-that
section OF the economy law designed to
permit Government establishments to
spread employment and avert dismis-
sails while at the same time keeping
within appropriations. The new ruling.
prepared for the Secretary of Conn
merce. was interpreted as constituting a
reversal Of one previously made by the
controller general.
Under the new decision, the controller
departs from the principle that one
twelfth Of the total annual salary rate
OF an employe must be deducted as leg
lslatlve furlough, and consequently. i'm
pounded, whether the worker is on a
duty or non-duty status, holding that
TINS deduction is only necessary while
DUTY status prevails.
any deduction, otherwise. 1t was
ruied, In effect, may be credited to ad-
minlStratiVe furlough, all savings from
Wnicn the Government establishments
are allowed to keep to finance their
Under the first ruling the variou,
branches of the Government which
VIII pe forced to apply both adminis-
tratlVe furloughs Of indefinite length
as Weu as the mandatory months
legislative furlough had expected to be
former. -0t ''1'
No Additional Deduction.
Now. however, the worker ON nom
GUY status VIII be subject to no more
legislative furlough deduction than
that already made, which under ordi.
nary circumstances would not totai
more than five days, at two and one
nan days per month, up to Septem-
per /. This would allow the employ-
ing agency to hold for its own use the
pay Tor the other IS days which would
oe accumulated through the year.
Inc new principle was formulated In
an anrmative answer given to this
question submitted from the Office of
the Secretary of Commerce:
Where an employe is to be fur.
loughed administratively or is on VOL
untary leave without pay for a period of
nlne months beginning October l. and
deductions Of two and one-half davs
nave been made for the months of
July, August and September. will this
not constitute the full amount of the
deductions which should be impounded?"
The prior ruling was given to the
Clvu Service Commission and was re-
a1nrmed In a SECOND opinion to the
commission.
The new ruling will have a particu-
lar application in such cases. for in
stance, as those Of the Farm Board.
Federal Trade Commission and United
states Court Of Customs and Patent
Appeals, where employees were fur
loughed indefinitely, with the under
standing that this meant for a wear.
during which 1t was intended to use the
IL months pay they would have re-
celved to keep on other workers.
Difference Made Up.
Had it been possible, however. to hold
only IL months pay, turning the other
month back to the Treasury, the diff
ference, obviously. would have been
made up by furloughing other employees,
unless those already furloughed were
cut entirely off of the pay roll. in which
case, the entire amount Of their pay
could be saved by executive order,
Government officials, however, were
loath to take this step, for while an in
definite furlough is tantamount to dis
charge, the worker so furloughed Is in
better position to get back into active
service.
In connection with administration Of
the economy laws, it was understood
yesterday that the uniform sick leave
regulations to be fixed by the President
under its provisions, have been drawn
up and await only official promulga-
tion.
At present, these vary in different
agencies, and an opinion by Controller
General McCarl, made public through
Charles H. Browne, publicity chairman
for Local II, Federal Employees Union,
points out that until the President acts.
each department is governed by its
own ruling.
This opinion was prompted by q
letter which Browne addressed to
McCarl, criticising an unnamed branch
of the Government for depriving an
employe of sick leave this year, because.
in the last two years, he had lost 43
days through sickness, and despite the
fact that for 20 years previous to that
his sick leave had not totaled five days.