Evening star., 1933-03-28
|M|SS PERKINS PUTS
DEPARTMENT BACK
ION 5zz-DAY WEEK
Doak Plan Abandoned to
Conform to Economy Act
Provisions.
700 CLERKS AFFECTED
BY SATURDAY CHANGE
Return to Old Standard Necessi.
tated to Avoid Additional
Pay Cut.

The Labor Department. pioneer of the
five-day-week plan fer Government
workers, will return to its old schedule
CT flve and a half days a week. effective
Saturday. Secretary Of Labor Perkins
announced today.
The order was issued to conform with
the new economy act, which stipulates
that Government employees salaries
cannot be cut more than IS per cent.
Controller General McCarl also has
ruled that employees now en- five-day
week would suffer a reduction of one
eleventh of per cent additional if.they
be continued on this working basis.
Decreed by Secretary Doak.
The five-day act was decreed for the
department by former Secretary of
Lab-r Doak under authority of the old
economy act. The clause covering it is
missing from the new act, which goes
into effect Saturday.
Secretary Perkins has been fur
nlShed ruling by Federal ATTORNEYS
TO the effect that the return to the
Hve-and-a-half-da week was inevitable
under these circumstances
The following is the text of the
order issued
Due to the provisions of public bill
No. ?. Seventy-third Congress, approved
March 20, 1888, which eliminates the
legislative furlough of Government en-
ployes, the order of the Secretary of
Labor of July 25, 1882, is hereby re-
scinded; and beginning with Saturday,
April l, 1888, in accordance with the
PROVISIONS OF law. four hours shall con-
stltute days work on Saturday under
the same regulations which existed
prior to July 80, 1882"
200 Clerks Affected.
Approximately 700 clerks in Wash
ington will be affected by the order
and today there was rejoicing among
the personnel. The clerks said the
flve-day week proved unpopular be-
cause it took from them any chance of
extended leave. Meantime, President
Roosevelt had before him today a re-
port from Budget Director Lewis
Douglas, recommending that salary re-
auctions of Is per cent be placed in
effect throughout the Government
service, including the armed branches,
on April l.
On the basis Of official estimates that
the cost Of living has been reduced %
per cent since 1923, the President was
advised by the budget director that he
had virtually no alternative, in view
OF the emergency statutory requirement.
to be governed by than the level of liv-
ing expenses within the level of is
per cent
Mr.. Roosevelt'S economy advisers are
understood to have estimated this SAL
airy reduction will mean a savings of
approximately s40OO0,OOO for the re-
malnder OF this fiscal year
s23o,Oeo,OOO Saving Seen.
If continued for the next fiscal wear
II would save about S230,000, 900 toward
paiancmg the 1884 budget. Unlike the
hoover pay-cut plan, which it would
supersede, this plan exempts no one.
not even those receiving 81 200 a year
OF less nor the enlisted personnel of
the Army and Navy
The Roosevelt reduction is IN he in
lieu of the 82s per cent Hoover reduc-
ton. SO the effect will be to make an
additional cut of 81, per cent in
salaries over $1,000 and to apply the
total IS Per cent cut at once to those
under that line
President Roosevelt. it is understood
Will lead the way with a voluntary cut
IN MS own salary, just as President
hoover turned back $4,000. or 20 per
cent OF his 5000 annual salary. Mr.
Roosevelt has not indicated how big a
cut ne Will order in his own pay. Mem
pers OF Congress reduced their salaries
from $4,000 to $500 in passing the
economy bill carrying dictatorial presi-
oentlaI powers over expenditures.
ABOUT 100000 civilian employees re-
celvlng annually 81 ,270 OOO,O0O will be
affected by the expected pay reduction
order.