Evening star., 1933-07-16
MARRIED WORKERS
MAY Be RETIRED
Roosevelt Plans to LiberaIize
Law Affecting Jobs in
New Agencies.
Continued From First Page.)

1d&C.J
existing in each Government agency.
It is designed to meet repeated COM
plants of dismissed workers that their
removal was facilitated by ratings, un-
fairly applied, on May Is, when the
annual efficiency figures were fixed.
Women Cheer Simpson.
Simpsons announcement on the mar
ried workers was made at the outset
OF the meeting in the American Fed
Grafton of Labor Building, and was
greeted with applause from the audience
Of more than 200, most Of whom were
women.
Saying at first that "the married
clause has practically been broken" as
the result of the efforts Of the newly
established league. he amplified that
I'VE have committed the President, at
least partially, to the principle Of not
taking 1t into consideration in saying
who shall work and who shall not"
He went on to explain the proposed
$4,000 exemption. adding that this fis-
ure was decided upon as one that might
properly be applied. There were some
mild dissents. some Of the gathering
feeling that the amount was too low.
but Simpson emphasized 1t was that or
nothing.
While the marital status question
was under consideration. the method IN
which the law has been applied was hit
by Shaw, who said 1T has been my ex-
perience that few Of those drawing big
salaries have been affected by that
clause. I find that those in the $4,000
to put the law through. have got what
1t takes to stay" Simpson said about
300 complaints on application Of the
law had been received.
In the course of the discussion, 1t
was estimated that about 500 married
workers have lost out by reason OF the
law.
ANY liberalization will have to be in
the new agencies for the Attorney Gen.
eral has held that the law Is permanent
legislation, which entails dismissal
first of married persons in any regular
Government establishment where re-
duction of force is necessary.
To Meet Again Saturday.
The meeting yesterday was devoted
largely to an account of the conference
with the President which was arranged
after formation of the league a week
ago, and the accomplishments of which
were used as q basis for appeals for
recruits to the ranks Of the American
Federation Of Government Employees.
both by personal appeals, and in 1T
erature distributed to those present
Steps were taken to put the league
on f1rmer basis through formation Of
additional committees, and it was an
nounced that another meeting would
be held next Saturday afternoon.
Simpson discussed the operation Of
the Civil Service Commission re-em-
ployment register, which he described
as the preferred list" and in response
to one question from the floor, an
nounced that political influence will do
no good on this register"
He reiterated In this connection that
President Roosevelt said employing
agencies would be required, not re-
quested," to stan their Offices with
listed civil service workers.
He said also that he had been ad-
vised at the White House conference
that many Bureau Of Standards work.
ers who are being cut of. would be
returned to duty through the use of
funds from the recovery program, and
at one point asserted that most of
tie people in this room are going to
be back on the pay roll in q month is
my expectation"
A warning against too much opti-
mism. however, was sounded by Cecil