Evening star., 1933-09-19
A. c. 0. D|SM|SSA[S
AUGMENTED BY 2S
IN OTHER OFFICES
Most of Those Separated
From Service Are Married,
1t Is Stated.
BUREAU LAST TO CUT
UNDER ECONOMY PLAN
Custer Defended as Only Humane
Course" to Avoid Penalizing
Entire Staff.

OOuISc U AVOlu 1cudlILIuk
Entire Staff.
In addition to "a clerks in the Ad-
jutant Generals Office, which the War
Department now admits are to be
dismissed on October IS, unless the
order is reversed, it was learned to-
day that % other clerks in various
Offices of the department already have
been separated from the service. Most
OF this latter group are married per-
sons
The Adjutant Generals Office. it was
disclosed, was the last to order q
reduction to bring its pay roll within
the amount available for salaries In
the 1884 fiscal year. Seventeen addi-
tional clerks, each with 80 years or
more service, are to be automatically
retired in the Adjutant Generals Of
flee, which is under fire from various
quarters for refusing to adopt a fur
Tough system in lieu Of dismissals. O!
these. three are married men and
three are married women.
Through William D. Searle. chief OF
the Civilian Personnel Division. the
department late yesterday issued a
statement defending its custer order
as the only humane" course and the
only alternative to an unjust and
arbitrary" furloughing Of the entire
staff.
2S Have Been Dismissed.
l., f,,r SseI1 =
today included l3 clerks employed a,
Maintenance Board. in the Rife
Practice Board, g in the Office Of the
chief of ordnance and l in the Chem
ical Warfare Service.
There are additional figures for the
quartermaster branch which were not
given, however, the explanation being
that automatic retirements had taken
care of the necessary reduction.
The II additional clerks in the Ad-
jutant Generals Office being automat-
ically retired, it was said. are eligible
for retirement annuity The remaining
AZ. of whom eight are married mer
who elected to go in place Of Their
wives employed in the Government
service, will lose their civil service
status Some of these have been en-
ployed for Is or more years.
The War Department pointed out the
method employed in the Adjutant Gen.
erals office was not peculiar to the de-
partment.
Demanded by Other Departments.
Mr.. Searle said the Commerce De-
partment and the Interstate Commerce
Commission, especially, had made de-
mands upon the War Department for
the dismissal Of married women. That
accounts, he said, for some of the
earlier designations in the office.
The procedure, he explained, was fol
the chief clerk of one of the other de-
partments to notify the War Depart
ment that unless Mrs. John Doe" re-
signed, her husband would be let out
Since the husband invariably received
the larger salary. the wife elected to
resign. One or two cases of this nature
1t Is known, involved men on the State
Department pay roll whose wives were
employed in the War Department.
Concerning the controversy in the
Adjutant Generals Office and the steps
regarded as necessary to order the dis
missals, the War Department said:
The average salaries of employees ir
the Adjutant Generals Office is now
minus Is per cent reduction.
1T seemed to be unjust to arbitrarily
furloHgh these employees in order t.
save sufficient money to pay the salar-
les by the Government Of both husband
and wife. In many, or most, instances
both Of them received larger pay thar
the average in this Office, and all Of
them, with but one or two exceptions
receive a higher pay than about IL pei
cent of the employees
There are lis clerks in this office
who receive a base pay Of but $1,26(
per annum. With the is per cent re.
duction and 31a per cent additional
taken off for the retirement fund, these
clerks receive 1,00l year, or but $84
month
Must Support Families.
Some of these employees are married
and are attempting to support theil
wives and in some instances children
or other dependents with s84 a month
Those who receive 81 ,44O base draw &
net of $l0o month. Many of these
have families.
"On the other hand, all of the mar
the Government substantially twice a.
much as those whose base pay is 81 AZ
or less.
Some of the married couples in thi!
Office receive combined pay larger
than any other employe in it.
In some instances the husband o.
wife draws twice as much pay as thu
lower-grade clerks who are compelled
to support their families on one salary
After considering the various factor!
1t was considered for the hest of all con.
cerned, and assuredly from an eco.
nomic and humane viewpoint, to dror
the married persons.
Mot one of them will suffer the hard.
ship that would follow the furloughine
or dropping Of these of low salary, whose
sole means of support is the one in.
come"