Evening star., 1940-01-10
RooseveIt-Tait Row
On Economy Stirs
Federal Workers
Employment OF Here
CoincidentoIIy With
Reorganization Tolk
By JOHN C. HENRY.

While President Roosevelt and
Senator Taft, Republican presiden-
tial candidate from Ohio, remained
In disagreement today over how to
effect Government economies, their
remarks about further depart
mental reorganizations and extra"
Government personnel aroused local
interest.
Coincidentally. report Of the
Civil Service Commission released
today showed . slight drop, 234, in
Federal employment here from Oc-
tober to November.
Revealing that q District gov
ernment reorganization plan is now
being circulated by the Budget Blu
reau among interested or affected
departments. the President said at
his press conference late yesterday
that further administrative revisions
In the Federal Government ma
chinery are expected to bring total
net savings of SIS, 900 900 yearly in
operating costs.
Net Savings Claimed.
The President already has esti-
mated that net savings from the
first two Government reorganiza-
ton plans, promulgated last sum-
mer, have approximated $ll 600 600.
Emphasizing yesterday that this is
net figure reached after allowance
for increased costs in a few depart
ments or agencies, the Chief Execu-
tive pointed out that improvements
which are dificult to estimate are
expected to arise from the perfect
ing of the civil service system, one
of the items calling for increased
appropriations.
An end to departmental habits OF
"robbing" each other Of valued en-
ployes is one Of the objectives OF q
greatly improved" civil service, he
said, with the Intangible value to
the Government amounting to hum
dreds of thousands of dollars yearly.
But it was the Presidents ironic
lab at Senator Taft's economy pro-
gram-a plan which Mr.. Roosevelt
estimated would bring net savings
of only about $1,000 900 yearly-that
precipitated q new outburst by the
Ohioan against swollen Government
pay rolls.
Taft Defends Plan.
Defending the plan, which he out
lined in Z radio address last Fri
day night and answering to the
Presidents caustic analysis OF yes
terday, Senator Taft issued the fol-
lowing statement last night:
The truth is, Of course, that Mr..
Roosevelt does not want to balance
the budget.
"The President has picked out
some of the examples gave Of bu-
reaus which might be eliminated,
but says that they only total 3S.0OO,-
600, which, in New Deal style, he
considers to be nothing.
He says nothing Of the $4,000
extra employees Of the Department
Of Agriculture, OF the extra 81 ,200,-
600 900 he has added to the Federal
pay rolls, Of the saving of $375, ,000,-
600 which I pointed out could be
effected in relief. or Of any Of the
other more important items"
President Scornful.
Mr.. Roosevelt spoke scornfully
yesterday Of the idea that the Ohio
Republican apparently would econ-
omize by cutting down on such
agencies as the National Resources
Planning Board, which he said Is
saving the Government and the
people money; the National Ad-
visory Committee on Aeronautics,
which he pointed out is performing
service in the public safety; the
Electric Home and Farm Authority,
which has operated ut q profit since
its creation, and the Disaster Loan
Corp, which the President said had
spent most Of its money on Ohio
River flood relief.
The whole Roosevelt Taft con-
troversy, or at least its present
manif festations, began about month
ago when the Ohioan asserted in
. speech that the Federal budget
could be balanced in two years. The
President offered his political critic
- handsome prize" for 1 bill Of
particulars and the fight has been
going on ever since. III.
Meanwhile, with . budget SUBJ
mitted for 1941 that would reduce
the expected deficit below S2,000,-
000, 900, the President said yesterday
that It ID entirely up 70 Congress
| to decide whether It would like to