Evening star., 1933-05-02
LAST-M|NUTE PLAN
TO SAVE HUNDREDS
OF Jobs APPROVED
Proposal to Stagger Federal
Work Put in Independent
Offices Bill.
PRESIDENTS SIGNATURE
AFFIXED TO AMENDMENT
Measure Reported to House Ex.
tends Power to Retire Army
Officers to Other Services.

A new administration furlough plan
TO stagger work in Government depart-
ments and thereby eliminate the neces-
sity for outright discharge of hundreds
OF employees under the reorganization
program during the next two years was
approved today by the House Appro-
priations Committee.
The provision, a last-minute rider on
the Independent offices bill, reported to-
Gay, came to the committee As it went
into session under the Presidents own
signature.
Text Of Provision.
1t follows:
Until July /, 1894, in cases in which
the number Of of1ces and employees In
any particular service Is In excess of
the number necessary for the require
ment OF such service, the heads of sew
eral executive departments and tnde-
pendent establishments of the United
States Government and the municipal
government OF the District Of Columbia.
respectively. are hereby authorized to
furlough without pay any of1icers and
employees carried on their respective
rolls Tor such period as in their judg-
ment may be necessary to distribute. as
far as practicable, employment on the
available work in such service among
all the omcers and employees Of such
service In rotation:
provided, that no employe under the
classified civil service shall be fur
loughed under the provisions of this
section for a total of more than 90
days during the fiscal year 1894, except
alter full and complete compliance
With all the provisions Of the civil serv-
Ice laws and regulations, relating to re-
auctions IN personnel.
Repeals Economy Section.
Rules and regulations shall be pro-
mulgated by the President with a view
to- securing uniform action by the heads
OF the various executive departments
and Independent Government estab-
lishments in the application of the pro-
visions of this section. The provision
OF this secticn relating to f1rlouahs
snail not apply to carriers OF the rural
mail delivery service, but the President
authof1zed to suspend, or to reduce.
for the duration of the fiscal year 1884
the allowance made to such carriers for
equipment maintenance"
The revised recommendation also
stlpulates that the economy section of
the legislative appropriation act for the
nscal year 1888 and such sections as
continued and amended for the fiscal
year 1894 be repealed"
The new furlough provision in no
way AFFECTS the provision for retirement
OF employees after 80 years service at
the discretion Of the President. The
subcommittee altered the language of
this provision which, as submitted BY
puSory retirements after 80 years serv-
ice.
Drastic cuts in the Federal personnel
by absolute discharges as well as au-
thortty for the President to make q
selective retirement Of Government
workers on annuity who have been 80
years IN service is provided In the in
dependent Offices bill reported in the
House today.
The bill carries appropriations total
ing $685. 5.573,936, as compared with the
reau Of $535,568, 1888. It is a decrease
OF $467, l,045 from the bill that was
given pocket veto on March 4. due
to the fact that the Government estab-
llshment was to be reorganized.
The bill reported today IS to be con-
sidered In the House tomorrow under a
special rule making in order legislative
recommendations to assist In carrying
out the Presidents economy program.
Figures Compared.
Figures In the bill compared with
current appropriations for the same
Offices Of s1,O24,2s6,04I. of which
ss4s. 7ss. 900 went to the Veterans Ad-
ministration.
In addition to operating expenses, the
bill would appropriate also SIS, SOL ,043
for permanent fixed allotments which
compares with 81.070,850 this year.
The bill contains broad legislative
powers to be exercised by the Presi-
dent. They include authority:
To modify or cancel any Govern
ment transportation contracts.
To increase existing charges for
Government services or articles.
To furlough on half pay at his dis
cretion any officers of the Army, Ma
rine Corps, Public Health Service, Coast
Guard or Coast and Geodetic Survey. As
originally proposed by the Budget Bu-
reau, this provision only affected Army
officers
To suspend or reduce the extra flight
pay in the military services with q
proviso that no hight pay shall exceed
81, ,440 annually.
To transfer $4,000. 900 Of Merchant
Fleet Corporation funds to the Post
Once Department for meeting foreign
mail contract costs
These powers were requested by the
President.
Three Important Changes.
Three important modifcat tions were
made by the committee:
The power over contracts was limited
to transportation contracts.
The retirement Of 30-year civil serv-
ice employees was made permtssive in
stead Of automatic.
The maximum flight pay was hxed at
81 ,440 annually. It now Is SO per cent
Of base pay.
The committee also made several
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