Evening star., 1932-04-28
SLASH PROBLEMS
WORRY TREASURY
Officials Study How to Make
Ends Meet If Further
Cuts Are Made.

bility of saving the jobs Of these faith
full Government workers through fur
loughs or some curtailments in the
public building program.
The Treasury Department appropria-
ton bill now rests in the hands Of the
Senate subcommittee in charge Of the
measure, and already has been whitfield
down from its original estimate of
1920, 900 900, submitted to Secretary OF
the Treasury Mills, to only $254 ,00O 600,
slice Of S66,000,00 from the begin
ming. This is exclusive of the public
debt and sinking fund.
Now the Senate, through resolution,
proposes to cut off a fiat 10 per cent
m ore Of this measure, While the house
Economy Committee, on the other END
of the Capitol, is whiting away at iur-
ther savings through the economy Dill,
including the proposed II per cent nat
pay cut.
Meantime the Senate subcommittee,
however, appears to be in no great rush
tn dispose of the Treasury bill, and
every day that action is postponed while
the House economy measure is uncer
gives hope to employees OF
the Treasury that some way may De
found to prevent wholesale dismissaS.
Mills Opposes Dismissals.
Secretary of the Treasury Mills is on
record as opposing in the most vigorous
terms the dismissal Of Government
workers in these times Of depression.
In a recent letter to Senator Oddie,
chairman of the committee, Mills went
valiantly to the defense of the 5000
men and women whose services are
needed, who have, generally speaking,
decided to devote their lives to the
public service, and who would in times
when it is impossible to find another
lob be turned out on the street by the
of the United States.
Mills proposes instead that Congress
authorize the executive department 10
put into effect the Government fur
Tough program proposed by the PreSl-
dent, in order that the saving may De
effected by the furlough, evenly dis
tributed through the whole personnel,
instead of a drastic dismissal of 5000
employees.
THE furlough plan is of itself a
sound measure of economy" declared
Mills. IF the fiat cut method Is to
prevail, the furlough is essential to
the hardships incident to this
Legislation is clearly neces-
sary if the furlough without pay Is to
apply, for I have grave doubts as to
without congressional sane
ton, the executive could legally and
properly effect what would be a modif1-
lion of the salaries provided for by the
Congress in the classification act
The Treasury Department, with its
50 900 employees, including about $4,000
here in Washington, constitutes the
largest single group of Government
workers in the National Capital. This
department. stands in position pecu-
iarly different from any of the other
departments, as it is the financial sup
ply house for all the others, and 1t
must collect virtually all the revenue
With which to run the whole Govern
nent.
Big Collecting Job.
With a new revenue bill pending,
designed to raise more than billion
dollars additional taxes to help balance
,he budget. prospects are that this big
Job soon will be thrown upon the Treas
Iry with such a load that the present
will not be able to carry 1t.
In other words, those familiar with the
Dig job of collecting the revenues see
that if the new revenue bill is to be
administered to raise the new
axes it is likely that the parts Of the
Treasury doing this job will have to
De increased instead of decreased.
This was indicated by Secretary Mills
N his letter to Chairman Oddie. He
that in view OF the pend
ng reven.e bill the Internal Revenue
Bureau be in any event excluded from
he 10 per cent cut provision, though
it should be included in any furlough
provision. I'VE cannot enforce the new
law and collect these taxes he said,
without increasing our force"
This Internal Revenue Bureau is next
Treasury Department, ranking in num-
The largest. The Revenue Bureau has
a total of 10000 employees.
The Coast Guard has, roughly, 10000
employees, which would have to be cur
tailed if the 10 per cent cut went into
effect without furlough. 1t would likely
be necessary to furlough or dismiss from
| 900 to 500 men of this service and
lay up large part OF the rum
fleet.
The Customs Bureau, which is third
IN size, contains about 10000 employees
and, like the Internal Reve-
nue. Bureau, is a collector of money for
the support of the Federal Government.
A proposal to eliminate several ports in
the interior Of the country was made by
Secretary Of the Treasury Mills to the
and since this list became
public has drawn a steady stream Of
kilograms of protest from all the cities
proposed for elimination as port.
Among the ports to be eliminated would
be the Port Of Georgetown and the Port
OF Alexandria. Some disnissalS prob
ably would have to be made in the Gus
toms Bureau If the 10 per cent cut OF
the Senate is enforced.
Nurses and Doctors.
In the Public Health Service of 5000
employees 1t probably would be necessary
to lay of number of Public Health
nurses, doctors and internes needed in
the care and treatment of patients in
hospitals operated by the service
the Bureau OF Engraving and Print
ing, with its 4,500 employees, already is
operating on a restricted kind of fur
Tough plan, which, it is estimated. might
be extended, since 1t has already been
found workable.
In two different directions. however,
Treasury officials are still hoping to
flnd means Of preventing dismissals
through curtailment of the public
building program and extension of the
furlough plan to the entire department,