Evening star., 1937-03-02
Added Expense of $1,000,.
600 to District Seen Un.
less Action Is Taken.
MORE THAN 5000
WOULD BE Affected
Data Collected for Possible Use in
Restricting Incomes of D. c.
Employees.
BY JAMES E. CHINN.


lished 4O-hour week for per diem
workers in the District service woulo
add more than 81 100000 to the previ.
ously estimated $10,OO0,00O revenue
deficit in the coming fiscal year, the
House Subcommittee on Appropria.
tions in charge of the 1888 District
supply bill, considered several pro-
posed plans today to curtail the wages
of these employees.
One proposal said to be receiving
serious consideration is to put the
per diem workers on part-time basis
and thereby cut their salaries to save
the Sl,OOO,O0O
Between 5000 and 4,500 per diem
employees, it is estimated, would be
affected. Most of them are connected
with the water, city refuse. highway
and sewer departments and the Dis
trict Repair Shop.
Would Return Hours.
Chairman Collins disclosed he
would like TO write a provision into
the appropriation bill returning the
per diem workers to a 44-hour basis
but feared it would be eliminated on
point Of order, since House rules
do not permit legislation on a supply
measure.
Information given the subcommittee
that per diem employees in the Dis
trict service had been put on 40
hour week at the same salary they
received for A hours. and, in addition
given the same benefits as annual
workers on a 44-hour week schedule
in so far as sick leave, annual leave
and holidays are concerned, apparently
shocked Collins.
Highway department officials gave
the subcommittee a report several
days ago showing that the so-called
reproductive" working days of per
diem workers had jumped from %
days a year in 1880 to 100 under the
40-hour week plan.
Cites 152 Days OF Duty.
Including Sundays and holidays" !"
Collins declared, that means these
per diem workers would be entitled
to 152 days leave a year. Saturdays
and Sundays would give them 104
days. Then there's 26 days annual
leave, Is days sick leave and seven
holidays. And besides that, I've been
told this 40-hour week would cost the
District more than 100000 addi-
tional each year. Why. in the COM
ing fiscal year the District is facing
a deficit of s10,000.000."
Collins, however, vigorously denied
reports that the subcommittee would
attempt to restrict the income of Dis
trict employees by denying them the
privilege of outside" employment
after regular working hours. He ad-
mitted he personally would like to do
it, if possible.
A move was made at the last session
of Congress to restrict the income OF
District employees. The House re-
jected a proposal to prevent employees
whose salaries amounted to $2,400 or
more from engaging in outside" en-
ploynent. The Senate, however,
agreed to the proposal, but raised the
figure to $500. The provision finally
was eliminated from the bill in con-
ference.
Letter Asks Income Data.
Reports that the subcommittee was
considering a similar plan grew out
Of a circular letter sent to District
department heads by Maj. Daniel j.
Donovan, auditor and budget officer,
asking them to report the names of
all persons under their supervision,
together with the amount and sources
of their income.
Collins first denied he asked for
the information and Donovan ex-
planned it had become an annual GUS
tom to gather such data in event the
House Subcommittee on Appropria-
tionS should ask for it. Later. how
ever, Collins admitted he sought the
information in an effort to learn how
many district employees have outside
employment, but reiterated he did
not propose to make any use of Dono-
vans report.
The principal object of the survey,
Collins indicated, is to find out how
many District employees are driving
taxicabs, running elevators or doing
custodial work after hours. He said
a quiet investigation convinced him
number Of employees were driving
taxicabs in of hours, preventing regu-
lar drivers from making a decent
living"
Data Sought Last Year.
Similar information was sought last
year when former Representative
Blanton of Texas was chairman of the
subcommittee. The subcommittee at
that time was particularly interested
in the judges of the various courts and
the lawyers in the corporation coun-
sells Office who were teaching law
classes at night.
The subcommittee spent the entire
day yesterday continuing considera-
ton of budget items of departments
under Jurisdiction Of the Board Of
Public Welfare. One of the chief
items calls for $1,465,000 for emer-
gency relief IN the coming fiscal year.
When the relief item was under
consideration delegation represent
ing the Society Of Friends appeared
before the subcommittee and painted q
vivid picture of distress and suffering
in the District as a result of made
quate relief funds.
Headed by Mrs. Morris G. Belts,
the group pleaded for funds to meet
the present emergency at once, and
then plan a longtime program Of
relief.
Miss Margaret Scattergood told the
subcommittee there are several thou
sand persons "in dire need" with no
funds available for their relief. Vim
cent Nicholson cited statistics show
ing that Washington Is not caring for
its victims of unemployment as well as
q number Of other cities Of comparable
size, and Mrs. Belts cited several pa
thetic cases involving families In need
Of aid. 80, b..