The Washington times., 1933-06-29
WORKERS LOOK
|. To PRESIDENT
ON PAY CUT
New Executive Order Needed
If15 Per Cent Slash Is
To Be Continued
BY DUNCAN FORSYTH

President Roosevelt must sign
new executive order if the Is
per cent Federal paycut is to re-
main in effect beyond tomorrow,
the end of the present fiscal year.
It is expected that another
order will be forthcoming, but the
one now in effect expires at mid
night tomorrow, and the President
is still cruising the North Atlantic.
Chance to Make Change
There has been an increase in
living costs during the last few
months, and the President will
have the power, if he chooses to
exercise it, to make his new order
call for a smaller cut. 1t is gen.
orally felt that, frcNl one point of
view, it would be good politics to
do that.
At a time when employers
generally are being urged to in
crease wages and are in effect
being instructed by governmental
agencies to do so, it would lend
support to that movement, Federal
employees feel, if the Government
likewise acted in that respect.
However, Secretary of Labor
Frances Perkins indicated some
time ago that new living cost fig
ures would not be forthcoming
from her department at this time,
and the chances are that the cut
will be renewed at the present Is
per cent figure.
Must Work on Monday
Meantime, in pursuance Of the
Federal economy program, all
Government offices here are pre-
pairing for a full days work Mon
day, the day before the Fourth.
In the past, under such circum-
stances, it has been the custom to
grant a three-day holiday, plus
Saturday afternoon. This is
achieved through an executive
order closing all departments on
the day before a holiday.
The personnel question gener-
ally continued to mark time to-
day, with indications Presidential
action for a general Federal pol
icy would be awaited soon after
the new fiscal year opens.
A factor that will enter
strongly into the situation is the
attitude of the new emergency
units. It is becoming increas-
ingly evident that there is an
intent to use humanitarian poll
cies in making governmental re-
adjustments, and that firing will
neither be indiscriminate nor
general.
Work Must Be Spread
Secretary of War Dern said
today, for example, that his de-
partment must save a large sum
of money this year, and that
work must be spread out to carry
as many persons as possible on
the payroll. He expected few
dismissals in the permanent
forces of the department, but
said that the temporary en-
ployes in Washington would have
to go.
Payless furloughs will be utilized
as a further means of money
and job saving in the depart
mental service.
In the field, he said, there
would be instituted a four-day
week through July for all Fed
eral arsenals, to keep staffs
measurably intact until it is
known whether the department
will get sufficient funds from the
National Recovery Act to enable
it to retain the major portion of
it's arsenal employees.
The whole intent. he said, was
to save as many jobs as possible.
State Department advices today
were that a number of consular
offices are being closed, and that
a general policy of permitting
jobs to lapse where incumbentS
die or resign has been in effect
for upward of two years.