The Washington times., 1935-11-05
VAN DUzER'S
BITTER PILL
SWEETER
BY J. EARLE MOsER

4Ih14lC OuSCGOI W1A41du a. var
puzer handed Government Depart
ments a pill last spring and, It
turns out, has made 'em like it.
The pill was composed Of his
staggered hours plan, which many
feared would prove bitter. but
which has proved permanently &C
ceptable to most of the units
affected, after a dash Of sugar
was added.
Departments assigned to the
''late stagger" shift needed the
i sugar. Commerce, General Ac-
counting Office and Farm Credit
Administration all found the 9:15-
4:45 schedule impractical, Com
merce in particular getting plenty
of kicks from rank-and-file, who
said all parking places were gone
when they arrived.
GAO. lead the rebellion and
went back to "9 to 4:30," and a
bit later FCA went radical and
moved up to an 8:30-4:15 schedule,
giving workers As minutes for
lunch. Commerce later adopted
an $3.50 to 4 plan that has worked
nicely.
Present indications are that
most Of the departments will go
right through with the plan all
winter, although Secretary Ickes
recently announced a fall and
winter shift to a a. m. which his
thousands used to punch the clock
by during the CHEEKY months.
Several bureaus in Commerce
took a vote, it is said, and chose
to retain the earlier hours by a
count varying from 81 to rs per
cent.
The question Of taking an hour
for lunch never has impressed
the majority Of employees, it is
said, because it would mean leav-
ing for home 80 minutes later
every day. Officials point out
most buildings these days have
cafeterias that fill the bill quite
Spiffily.
Whether the majority would
turn down a full hour for lunch
is questionable, however, as it is
q known fact that 80 minutes
gives workers barely enough time
to rush downstairs, stand in line,
and "Wolf" their food. There may
remain a minute or so for q
smoke, but that is all.
Headquarters Of the NFFE Is
building for the storm, it would
seem. Ever strong in the field,
a they are gaining more strength
in that direction as fast as Pop
eye the Sailor" does when he
. consumes spinach. The latest
news reveals that 40 employees of
the Bureau of Entomology and
Plant Quarantine, Agriculture,
have formed Local Union No. $40
in Greenfield. Mass. The NFFE
goal is 1000 locals.
Tonight, the War Department
unit of Washington will meet, 8
%. m. at ITO Fourteenth st. N. w.
Civil Service Commission has
announced two more eXamlna-
tions, comprising varied grades
of public health consultant in one
and a variety Of ronounc ceable
scientific posts in the other. The
health service jobs will pay from
$4,000 up to $4,000 per year. The
scientific quiz is for Agriculture
Department berthS, which are as
follows:
Senior pathologist Cotton dis
eases) $4,000; associate cytologist
(horticulture) $4,000; associate
HyneticiSt (horticulture) $4,000;
associate psychologist horticul.
Ata1re) $4,000; assistant pathologist
(tobacco investigationS) $4,000.
Both tests close for applications
November Is.
Tonight the Federal Bridge
League will gather again at 2400
Sixteenth st. N, W., where 28
teams-of-four will seek to gain a
small bit on the long lead now
held by the representative team
Of the District Government. which
to date has won sufficient con-
tract boards to boast percentage
Of .661 and has made the crack
Bureau Of Standards Phychems,
perennial champs, almost decide
to take up chess.
The Phychems are six boards
to the rear, in second place.