Evening star., 1932-08-10

:, CONTINUED From First Pagel
announced, through which it Is thought
the workers may escape.
Government officials have expressed
the hope, however, that some aid may
be forthcoming from the next Congress,
which will alleviate this hardship.
Controller General McCarl's latest
ruling came as the result Of an appeal
from the Civil Service Commission.
which was bolstered by representations
from the Farm Board
8 While this appeal was directed also
at the penalty feature Of the flve-day
week plan as construed by Mr.. McCarl,
1t was aimed principally at his former
ruling that the legislative furlough must
have been absorbed before any admins
.trative furlough could be applied. Be-
cause the law says that the limit
amount of legislative furlough in one
month shall be five days, unless the
.employe agrees otherwise, this would
have prevented application Of any
administrative furlough before January
Except by mutual agreement. The
alternative would have been dismissals.
McCarl Answers Appeal.
In answer to the appeal, McCarl took
up the three plans If reducing pay un-
der the economy act, and said the
three were separate and distinct"
Under the first" re said, "the COM
penSation is to be reduced one-eleventh
with further loss Of pay for any time
of during the five days prescribed for
loss of one months pay-which
amounts to compensation reduction Of
ne-twelfth-with the privilege of be-
ing absent from duty for one calendar
month or "a working days through an
aggregate of fractional periods of abb
,scnce. Under the third, there is per-
centage reduction in pay with no
shortening Of the work week or time
:of without further loss Of pay
The statute indicates with respect to
each plan the class of officers and en-
ployes TO which it is primarily intended
to apply, but contains provisions which
make it practically within the admins &.
trative discretion as to which plan shall
be adopted. 1t is to be noted. however,
that there is nothing in the law to in
dicate any intent to vest in any admin
iStrative offlce the power or authority to
set up a fourth plan by combining the
work provisions of one Of the three
plans the Congress has established with
the pay provisions of another of said
three plans. Obviously, two Offices or
establishments of the Government,
each, in fact, operating on flve-day-
week basis, cannot be permitted to
apply different provisions of the econ
omy act in making the required pay
reductions. Certain eervices of the
Government are requi,>d by the plain
terms of the statute ant any other serv-
ice which adopts that plan for work
purpoEes likewise must apply the pay
provisions applicable Thereto.
Holds One Course Open.
Therefore, if you elect to continue
the proposed plan of closing your Of
flee every Saturday for the remainder
of the fiscal year. it must be considered
as operating on the five-day week plan
prescribed by section 10l (a) and the
reduction in compensation of your en-
ployes must be in accordance with the
provisions Of that section.
~ Scs;y- be noted in this connection
that the difference between the reduc-
ton under the flve-day week plan and
the reduction under the furlough plan
amounts to less than three days pay
for the entire year. If you continue
under the five-day week plan, you may,
of course, apply the administrative fur
loughS provided for under sections ZIG Of
the act at such times and TO such ex-
tent as the needs of the service and
the condition of your appropriation may
require and there will not be involved
any question of administrative fur
loughs being administered concurrently
with the legislative furlough.
cit must be understood, however
that an. Office cannot adopt the five
day-we3A plan for work purposel ane