Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1935-03-03
Vigorous Plea Made for En-.
pIoyes by Morgenthau Be-
fore Subcommittee.
SEES BLOW TO MORALE
IN M'KELLAR'S RIDER
Secretary Says Congress En-.
croaches on Civil Service-Sen.
timent Is Yet Undetermined.

The fate Of the 1900 Treasury en-
ployes, who have been working with
out pay for three months as a result
of the Mcclellan rider on current ap-
preparations, probably will be decided
tomorrow afternoon by the Senate
Appropriations Subcommittee, which
yesterday heard Secretary Of the
Treasury Morgenthau make a vigorous
plea for authority to restore them to
the pay roll.
There were no definite indications
last night OF what conclusion the sub
committee will reach, some members
having asked for submission of addi-
tional information at the executive
session set for 2:30 pm. tomorrow.
While there were signs Of some divi-
sion Of opinion in the subcommittee,
yesterdays executive hearing was con-
fined to receiving arguments, and the
stage Of settling the issue was not
reached.
Whatever recommendation the sub
committee makes will go before the
entire Appropriations Committee later
in the week, and then to the floor of
the Senate. where there is believed
to be strong sentiment for making
the pay available. The necessary
amendments to pay the employees were
transmitted to the Senate recently
by President Roosevelt as a supple
mental budget estimate.
Aimed at Only 720.
The Mcclellan amendment original
ly was intended to reach about 728
former agents Of the Prohibition
Bureau Of the Department Of Justice
who were called back into the service
of the Treasury Department when pro-
hibition repeal increased the work of
supervising and taxing liquor Sena-
tor Mcclellan, Democrat, of Tennessee
had questioned the civil service status
OF these reinstated employees, and the
amendment he had adopted last June
provided that no appropriation could
be used to pay their salaries after
December l, unless or until they took
new competitive civil service ex-
animation. Subsequently the con-
troller generals office held the amend
ment had broader effect and necessi-
tated holding up the pay of certain
other groups Of employees.
Defending the Treasury's action in
allowing these employees to remain on
the job without pay after December l.
particularly in liquor revenue enforce
ment, Secretary Morgenthau cited to
the committee yesterday an opinion
by the Attorney General that Congress
had not abolished the positions, but
merely prevented use Of current funds
to pay their salaries. He also told
the committee enforcement of the
liquor laws would have collapsed If
the Government had dropped these
trained employees and taken on mex
perienced men as result of the new
examination held last Fall.
Sees Blow to Morale.
The Secretary also declared in a
formal statement that the integrity
Of the civil service system is at stake,
adding:
II can think of nothing more likely
to demoralize and discourage the rank
and file Of civil service employees gen.
orally than for them to realize that
the eligibility for employment Of any
group Of employees may be destroyed
by congressional action at any time"
Senator Mcclellan made known be-
fore the committee met yesterday
that he, is still opposed to resembling
the rider, reasserting his contention
that the men failed in the new civil
service examination required by his
amendment.
On the other side of the question,
however, is the contention that these
employees already possessed a civil
service status when they were called
back into service by the Treasury.
Accordingly, some of them declined to
take the new test. It is understood
that the additional information asked
for by subcommittee members relates
to this question of prior civil service
status, and what procedure was fol-
lowed when the employees were taken
into the Treasury Department.
Babcock Backs Paw.
E. Claude Babcock, president of the
American Federation of Government
Employees, also urged the subcommit-
tee to restore the employees to the pay
roll. Babcock said the Treasury real
lied the work of the Alcohol Tax Unit
would have been disrupted If these
employees had been ousted and re
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