The Washington times., 1935-10-23
IRA OFFICIALS
BAN SALARY
QUERIES
By J. EARLE MOsER


has Cracked down" on efforts OF
payless personnel to cut through
the maze Of official red tape and
learn when they viii receive salary
checks, it was revealed today.
Threats Of summary dismissal
are contained in an order issued
by VIII W. Alexander, admins
trative assistant, demanding that
employees obey an earlier edict by
DR.. Rexford Guy Tugweu, in
which workers are asked not to
poster the Treasury Department
in regard to their overdue salaries.
The orders were issued because
Of q flood of queries directed by
RRA employees to the Treasury
Central Disbursing Office. The
workers, paylesS in some instances
for several months, decided to go
over Resettlement'S head and see
If Treasury could explain their
bereft condition. Treasury, power.
less until Resettlement StraightenS
out its jumbled set-up, complained
informally to RRA officials and
asked them to get their affairs in
order. Hence the cracking down"
DR.. Tugwell's original order,
dated September IS, read:
"It is important that no fur.
ther requests be made to the
disbursing office Of the Treasury
regarding checks for any divi-
sion or any employees. Inquiries
of this kind delay the release Of
the checks and further retard
the efforts now being made to
expedite payment. ANY cases Of
an urgent nature may be re-
ferred on memorandum to the
pay roll unit, personnel DIVISION"
In many cases broke" when
they obtained jobs (moSt of them
through considerable political
preSsure), with a big majority de-
pendent on friends or relatives
for lodging, food and transporta-
ton money, the workers con-
tinued their efforts for informa-
ton, and after kickbacks by the
Treasury Department had reached
RRA administrative offices, the
following memo was issued by Ad-
miniStrative Assistant Alexander:
'Tt has come to my attention
that employees from time to time
have communicated with the
diSburSing office Of the Treas
ury In violation Of this notice
(the TugweIl Order). ANY en-
plOye violating this notice in the
future win be subject to ter
minatiOn."
At the RRA it was said by Of
ficialS that anybody is at liberty
to inquire about their pay within
the organization, but they must
not bother Treasury. We have our
own channels for 'bothering'
Treasury and we insist on having
the proper authorities do 1t. This
order is really aimed at division
heads, who have been taking mat
ters In their own hands"
Despite the official explanation,
Resettlement workers resent the
order and point out an additional
memorandum has forbidden them
to give information to the press
that might reflect on the IRA.
One said recently that his call in
reference to pay met with this an
Swer:
you've only been here three
weeks? You've nothing to worry
abOut-SOme haven't been paid
since june"
Another says he was told:
"Cant you get some big poll.
tician behind you? You'll get
your pay in q day or two, If
you can"
A ray OF hope for the situa-
ton has filtered through, how
ever. It is understood that the
personnel department, blamed by
many for the delay, has been told
to catch up on the pay check de-
lay, or have it's own held up.
The Welfare Association of Ag-
riculture Department today an
nounced a Halloween party, to in
clude bingo, dancing and cards,
for November 2, in the Admins
tration Building, starting at $3.50
D, m. The affair is to benefit
American Legion Post No. SO, COM
posed principally Of "Aggie" work
erS.