The Washington times., 1933-06-05
FURLOUGH USED.
WHEREVER
POSSIBLE
DiSmisSaIs Seen Certain for
Many Veteran Clerks;
Congress Is Hostile

Federal offices today are set
ting down to the grim business
of deciding just how far rota-
tive furloughs can be applied in
meeting the Administrations de-
mands for economy, and to what
extent dismissals may be neces-
sary as an alternative.
The past week has made it
definite that the original plans
for 100000 cut in the
Federal budget will be carried
out, and despite the revolt in
Congress on reductions in veter-
ans pensions, the savings will be
made. A possible veto of the In
dependent Offices bill is foreseen
if Congress insists on restoring
funds for the veterans.
Congress Is Hostile
So far as Federal employees are
concerned, there is no sentiment
in Congress strong enough to save
their jobs as they now stand.
Indeed, Congress has shown
less sympathy for Federal en-
ployes generally than has the
Executive.
President Roosevelt has urged
rotative furloughs wherever they
can be applied, in lieu of dis
missals, and this principle has
been accepted both by Congress
and the departments. He has
also indicated a keener interest
in maintaining civil service stand
ards than is evident on the hill,
where the pressure from home for
jobs has led to the ditching Of
proposals that civil service regu-
lations apply in the new emer-
gency organizations.
A further indication that Fed
eral workers can depend more on
the Executive than on Congress
appeared in the action of Secre-
tary of Commerce Daniel c. Roper,
one of the original "reorganizers"
of the Federal system under the
present Administration, when he
suggested taking over the COM
modities divisions of his depart
ment in the industrial recovery
organization, headed by Gen. Hugh
S. johnson.
In State of FIux
Until the last weekend, the
whole question of Government up
heaval has been more or less in a
state of fluX, because of the unde-
cided attitude of Congress toward
certain legislative proposals, and
the delay at the White House in
making policies definitely known.
Now, however, it is clear that
the budget savings originally con-
templated will be made, in one
fashion or another.
Reorganization, in the sense of
an unScrambling and reassembling
of Federal functions, is out for
the present, but in the sense that
employees must be dismissed or
furloughed, it is decidedly in.
Separations Certain
Efficiency records as of May
Is have been compiled and Con-
gress has apparently enunciated
a policy of bringing about dis
mlssals on a basis of apportion-
ment and efficiency. Just how
this will affect longevity and de-
pendency credits is not clear, but
it is expected that separation,
voluntarily or otherwise, from the
service of employees who have
been on the job for 80 years or
more, will be fairly general, when
ever dismissals are required.
The Civil Service Commission
is the first unit to make a de-
tailed statement of it's plans. It
has announced that there will
be furloughs for all, the commits
sioners included, and meetings
are now under way to devise fur
ther means of promoting effici-
ency and economy. DR.. Lewis
of the Brookings Insti.
tuition, is cooperating in these
conferences.