Evening star., 1936-11-08
FEDERAL WORKERS
LOOKING TOWARD
lob PERMANENCY
Economy Is WatchWord as
Administration Starts
to Work on Budget.
REORGANIZATION QUIZ
SEEKS new SAVINGS
Wedding Out Process Is Expected
to Be Gradual Until Person.
mel Reaches 100000.

With economy the watchword as
the administration starts work on the
budget for 1888. Government EN-
ployes are beginning to give thought
to the question Of job permanency.
Not only are departmental heads on
notice from the White House to hold
down costs to q minimum, but there
are savings possibilities seen, too, In
the triple inquiry on Government re-
organization by Senate, House and
the Presidential Committee.
The peak Of employment was
reached here as Of June 80. when
the executive agencies reported Ill.,
103 persons on the pay roll. Since
then there has been . decline-the
wind-up Of the bonus payments was
largely responsible until on Septem-
ber 80 the total had dropped to 1i4,-
GIL.
This gradual weeding-out has taken
place without any noticeable effect
on employment conditions generally,
and officials would not be surprised to
see it continue on the same basis un-
til the personnel here stands at about
100000. Those familiar with the
workings of Government believe. how
ever. that for q long time to come
the additional functions that have
been undertaken will require at least
a force of this size for administrative
duties.
107, 365 Permanent Workers.
At the end Of September there were
107,365 employees here classed as per-
manent, or indefinite, and 7,246 as
temporary. Assigned to the regular
work of the old line establishments
were 1856 permanent and 1884 tenn
porary employees, which represented an
increase of about rs per cent in the
first class and so in the second, over
the staff when President Roosevelt
took Office.
That growth reflects in some meas.
ure the increased work that has been
necessitated by purely New Deal ac-
tivities, but it Is not entirely an un-
natural enlargement. For example:
From the middle Of 1927 until June
30, 1882. when the first economy wave
hit, the Federal force was increased
here by about 5000, and in that period
there was nothing of unusual nature
undertaken. When the rigid re-
trenchment of 1888 was launched, it
was demonstrated quickly, too, that
the Government machine was not
overmanned for the work it was ex-
pected to perform.
Trend Was Upward.
Along with the old line groups there
now must be considered as permanent
flxtures-sans Supreme Court inter-
vention-the several new establish
ments dealing with agriculture, labor,
housing, banking and kindred matters.
At the end of September the per-
manent workers in these numbered
12,l61 and temporary, 759 and the
employment trend was upward.
OF more indefinite status are public
works employees, 15,548 of whom are
claSsed as permanent and 1853 as
temporary. Scattered all through the
Government where various phases Of
the works program are directed this
force has been dwindling in recent
months. There are hundreds, however,
whose services will be required for q
long time, even when the LIQUIDATION
process sets in.
Positions Being Found.
In the meantime persons with civil
service status who face the loss Of Jobs
created in the emergency set-up, are
being placed whenever possible in va
cancies in civil service establishments.
Hundreds Of these found their way
into the new units after losing out in
the shake-up Of 1928, and If they
have permanent employment status
they get preferred position on the re-
employment registers, provided they
get an unqualified recommendation
from their most recent employer.
It was said at the Civil Service Com
mission yesterday that the past two or
three months have seen marked ac-
tivity In the unemployment registers.
These are serving as q principal source
Of supply for the Social Security
Board which Is enlarging its force, and
other groups also use them. These
k>I~