The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1936-10-27

Copies of the Official Register
for 1886, the Governments annual
plum book" were made available
in limited quantity today by the
Civil Service Commission.
Containing names and salaries of
thousands of patronage-appointed
administrative and supervisory
workers in New Deal emergency
agencies, the book also lists similar
jobs in old line departments and
bureaus of the executive, legiSla-
tive and judicial branches of the
service.
Because it has received several
requests" the Commission has
loaned a few copies to interested
persons from a stock just received
from Government Printing Office.
Those wishing copies of their own
must apply at the office of the Su-
perintendent of Documents, where
it Is said an unlimited number of
copies may be obtained.
The Official Register, consist
ing this year of 241 thin pages with
an individual index, is compiled,
edited and published by the Civil
Service Commission, under terms
of an act passed in August of 1885
after previous legislation had elm
mated the Register. Despite it's
size, it includes only the upper
strata" of the Government struc-
ture, old line or New Deal, and
much juicy detail, the bulk of the
job-holding army, is not included.
Eight posts, for instance, are listed
for WPA.
Some criticism of the Civil Ser
vice Commission had been circulat-
ing, to the effect the commission
was holding up release o. the book
until after election.
Prospects of a drastic reorgani-
cation of the Government service
pending reports to the President
by the Byrd Committee and two
other groups now studying all
phases of the personnel structure,
have produced a feeling of the
"jitters" among many whose pay
checks originate with Uncle Sam.
It is felt that reorganization
will mean nothing less than mass
firing wherever possible.
This is seriously doubted among
many officials of the Government
whose opinion carries weight, how
ever, and from large reports of
overtime said to be drifting into
the Civil Service Commission
wholesale dismissals would be
needless.
At Headquarters of the A. F. G.
E., where President Charles
Stengle holds forth, it was indi-
Gated today the federation will
point out continuously that if Fed
eral workers are put on uniform
hours there will be no justification
for personnel reduction. Elimina-
ton of overlapping and duplica-
ton in Government bureaus and
functions could be carried out, it
is said, with the same force now
on the rolls.
Many high officials contacted
recently think privately that the
reorganization will "be a COM
plete flop" limiting that the
choice of any particular agency
for elimination would be fairly
difficult. Also, they point out, the
thing has been tried numerous
times before, and arrived nowhere.
Squabbles that develop when con-
solicitations are actually consid-
cred prove, usually, the factor
that kills the move.
Tongues at the Bureau of In
ternal Revenue are still wagging
with pleasure over that party Mrs.
Mollie Wiseman gave recently for
her fellow workers in the bureaus
assessment section.
According to comment in the
halls, oysters, "weinies," ham,
burgers and balloons-the latter
causing plenty of fun-were the
pieces de resistance as so friends
of Mrs. Wiseman gathered at her
summer horle, Blue Heaven" at
Beverly Beach, Md. After the
food and beer had disappeared,
games, boating, and hearty if un-
skillful singing dominated the is
sue.
In a recent decision Acting
Comptroller General Elliott ad-
vised Agriculture Secretary Wal
lace to see the case of Mutt VS..
Knut, 200 U. S. II. if he desired to
untangle a certain Government
legal problem. Very "knutty,"
'tWould seem.
While this isn't an item peril
nent solely to the Government
service, it should be of interest to
the hundreds of employees who
play the piano or desire to learn
how.
According to the National Blu
reau for Music Education in Chi
cago, the belief that artists have
typical artists hands" is so much
bunk. Josef Holman, world ia
nous pianist, has short stubby
fingers, it is said, while Vladimir
HoroWitz has long rounded fingers
set far apart in his palm. Percy
Granger, another famous must
clan, has medium sized fingers.
Joel Lay, regional director of