Evening star., 1935-12-21
HOLIDAY EXODUS
Of j. S. WORKERS
6-yEAR RECORD
Trains, Planes and Buses
Jammed on Departing
in All Directions.
SOME ARE PENALIZED
UNDER LEAVE RULES
Failure of Liberalized Legislation
in Last Congress Causes Loss
of Time to Many.

Jammed to capacity, trains, planes
and busses were leaving Washington
today in the greatest holiday travel
movement of the last six years.
The exodus, under way for several
days. gathered momentum yesterday
as thousands of Government workers
living in distant sections of the coun-
try headed homeward.
All transportation lines were ex-
pecting this volume to be maintained
until late Tuesday.
Trains are running in two, three or
even four sections of up to IT cars
each, extra planes are being impressed
into service and bus traffic generally
was showing the same pickup.
Hundreds of Government employees
| who had to take leave without pay
in order to get home for the holidays
viii! draw a penalty. as they lose pay
also for Christmas and New Year
| days and for the afternoons pre-
ceding those dates, although Gov
ernment Offices will be closed.
Count as Work Days.
This is due to the fact HOLIDAYS
intervening in a payless-leave period
count as work days for those on such
status.
The failure of the liberalized leave
legislation in the last Congress caused
many workers to holiday" on their
own time.
The railroad travel was heartening
to officials, who believed reduced holi-
day fares had proved an important
factor in creating the biggest busi-
ness since 1929. Round-trip tickets
sold for the price of 1 1-9 fare in
coaches and l 1-3 in Pullmans, rs
compared to the customary 81 cents
mile. while sleeping car accommo-
dations were on a basis Of IL fares
for the round trip.
The Liberty Limited of the Penn
sylvania left Union Station yesterday
in four sections, and everything else
was reported moving in two or three.
The Baltimore & Ohio Capitol
Limited was in three sections.
The Chesapeake & Ohio said all
their trains were in two sections. and
the Southern reported all trains mov-
ing in more than single section.
Westward Trips Earliest.
The earliest travel, naturally, has
been westward. while the week end
will see that for other parts speed
ing up.
Pennsylvania Airlines said booking
was solid through Tuesday, except for
a couple of trips tomorrow, and that
the only problem was to get enough
ships to move the crowd. Annapolis
Special" is going through to Chicago
this afternoon, with midshipmen from
the Naval Academy.
Eastern Airlines had bookings be-
yond the first of the year, and already
| has flown special ships South.
Great Eastern buses reported a
big rush" on this morning.
! Mail trains and planes are bringing
/ for the White House more packages.
letters and greeting cards than on any
previous Christmas of the Roosevelt
administration.
With the exception of the presents
from personal friends, the gifts COM
| ing from Roosevelt admirers all over
the country are for the most part in
expensive, including handmade ar
ticles, such as knitted ties. sweaters,
handkerchiefs and things of that sort.
The President and Mrs. Roosevelt
have adopted policy of returning any
expensive present received from any
one not known to them.
also numerous cakes and boxes Of
candy as well as number of turkeys
and ducks and other fowl. jars Of
preserves, jellies and pickles.
These presents will be opened by
the President or Mrs. Roosevelt the
afternoon Of Christmas day. Family
gifts as well as remembrances from
personal friends will be distributed
Christmas morning.