The Washington times., 1936-12-21

nuDI1Gne0 0HlIY III IuS llIIleSs uUNeEH-
ORGANIZATIONS should contact the writer
in the editorial room by 5:15 p. M, or
r should phone District 1000, branch 21O.
Quarters, subsistence and laun-
dry" viewed as a mere technical
term by many Government work
ers enjoying the comparative COM
forts Of the departmental service
within the Capital, has become a
pressing problem to attendants of
the Veterans Administration''s facil-
ties in the field.
An example Of the irritation and
trouble which "QSL" can cause
when backed by foolish admins
trative red tape has been dis
:, covered at the hospital facility
; located at Perry Point, Md, where
:. Veterans Administration also has
the use of numerous houses built
by the du Pont munitions inter
ests during the World War.
= The cottages are used to accom-
= modate married attendants, who
receive a salary ranging from 500
T.. to $110 per month. The employees
:: are charged $35 per month, for
u rent, which includes either heat
:, from a central plant or an allow
= ance Of coal, and a limited light
:; allowance; $22.50 more is charged
: for subsistence and laundry and
the whole is deducted from salaries
:, before they are paid.
The joker, however, is that there
; is no reduction during the summer,
when heat is unnecessary. And
:, while $35 doesn't seem unreason-
able, employees stationed at the
facility say they can acquire SINH
; lar accommodations at Perryville,
ar across the railroad tracks, for $40,
paying additionally for fuel only
= when needed.
:. This practice is frowned upon,
=. however, and those who rent "off
:, the reservation" are denied the
privileges of bringing members of
:" their families to community enter
tainment given by the Govern
sment. But workers living within
. can even invite out-of-town visitors
=. to the fun-uSually movies.
:. Other jokers exist for those who
live within, also. If an employe
accepts a cottage that has more
than five rooms, the extra rooms
= are locked and kept vacant, as
= regulations call for only five
to be allowed. Regulation" also
prohibit an enploye from renting
lone Of his rooms to another en-
ploye to cut expenses. All of
= which sounds like the Soviet, &C.
.ocording to complaints that have
travelled quite number Of miles.
Several hundred Bureau Of En-"
craving and Printing employees en-
joyed the annual Christmas party
sponsored by the bureaus Ameri.
can Legion Post Saturday in the
building rotunda.
The chief feature, in the eyes Of
about $50 needy children who
were invited, was the fact that
Santa Claus civilian Mays, of
Naval Observatory emerged from
a large imitation chimney and dis
tributed toys from beneath a
large tree appropriately decorated.
The Bureau Band accompanied
choral songs by the assembly,
honor guests being Alvin W. Hall,
engraving director, Isaac Cans, of
the Alcohol Beverage Control
Board, Police Lieut.. Horace Line
berg( department commander of
the Legion, and Mary Kohlos, di-
- rector of child welfare for D. c.
Legion units. William F.. Barrett
was chairman of the arranging
committee.
A majority of Federal organiza-
.tions, including some which are
d. bitter rivals, have agreed on a
< three-point legislative program to
= be stressed before the forthcom-
ing congressional session.
The agreement came recently at
a luncheon gathering at the Wash
ington Hotel under a auspices of
the National Civil Service Reform
League, whose executive officers,
Robert L. johnson and H. Eliot
.Kaplan, came to the Capital for
the second time within month.
- The program will seek classifi-
cation Of postmasters under civil
service first, with leaning toward
House Civil Service Chairman
RamSpeck'S bill as the most eff.
cient instrument. Second the
merit system throughout the serv-
ice will be stressed, and the final
point includes complete field class.
ification.
Such rivals as the National Fed
Grafton of Federal Employees and
American Federation of Govern.
ment Employees were represented,
together with the United States
Chamber of Commerce, Business
and Professional Women's Fedora.
tion, National Woman's Party,
League of Women Voters and
United National Association of
Post Office Clerks,