Evening star., 1939-09-13
100000 Personnel
Reduction Secuted
By Mitchell
Tukes Issue With
Murphy Declaration
At A. F. 6. {. ConcIuve
BY J. A. FOX,
Star Stan Correspondent.

ATLANTIC CITY, N. j., Sept. 13.
The recent declaration of Attorney
General Murphy that 100000 en-
ployes could be Topped from the
public pay roll with resultant an
nual saving of 100000, 900, with
out disturbing necessary functions
of government, today drew sharp
dissent from Harry B. Mitchell,
president of the Civil Service Com
mission.
In an address to the eighth con-
vention of the American Federation
OF Government Employees, Mr.. Nit
chell said such reduction-a fourth
Of Federal, State and local govern
ment personnel-was "altogether
unreasonable so far as the Federal
establishment is concerned, and that
he doubted proportionate slash
could be made in the States.
I'VE all agree that waste and in
efficiency should be eliminated and
that public affairs should be con-
Quoted on an economical basis" Mr..
Mitchell said, "but SO long as the
pSoplC Vic OlllUCu oGdUCS vi dCl
through their representatives, that
certain services shall be performed
for them by the Governments they
have established, it is unfair to
criticize the servants of the Gov
eminent because these services are
costing lot of money"
Analyses Effects.
Yv~ oo11 1f
posal of the Attorney General, Mr..
Mitchell said it would be necessary
to eliminate more than 145, ,00T en-
ployes in the competitive ranks-an
obviously impossible move in view
of the fact that this would hit among
such agencies as Post Office, Trea-
sury, War, Navy and other impor-
tant civil service establishments.
Nor did he believe, he continued,
that non-civil service units could
reduce their force by Is per cent
eliminating the less competent-and
still do the work that it is necessary
for these agencies to do
In State and local governments,
the speaker continued, about 1,000,-
900 of 100000 employees are in the
school systems and several hundred
thousand are estimated to be in
public safety service and on highway
operations, leading to the conclu-
sion that TT would seem rather
difficult to show that 25 per cent of
these could be dismissed and leave
enough to continue efficiently the
services now rendered.
Sees Possibilities in Counties.
Mr.. Mitchell conceded that the
system of counties in this country
Is wasteful, and in many parts of
the country we might get along
without counties at all, as they do in
the provinces of Canada, with ad-
vantage for the taxpayers of these
provinces
Mr.. Mitchell's speech was heard
with interest by the delegates, who
earlier in the convention had been
told by Charles 1. Stengle, fedora
ton president, that Mr.. Murphy's
figures, mo doubt quite uninten-
tionally," had furnished ammunition
for congressional proponents of re-
trenchment at the expense of per-
sonnel.
Meanwhile, the convention con-
tinued today to grind away on the
huge mass of resolutions designed to
shape policies until the next meet
ing, two years hence. Previously
conventions have been held annual
ly, but it was voted last year to
meet biennially, starting in 1941.
While several cities are seeking
the next meeting, the principal con-
tention is being furnished by st.
Paul and st. Louis.