Evening star., 1941-12-24
Transfer Order
Madeh. 0. T..
Rebuild Staff
OfficioIs Soy Shift
Reduced Efficiency,
Slowed Up Work
By OLIVER MCKEE,
Star Staff Correspondent.

agencies moved from Washington
will face the necessity. due to per-
sonnel losses, of rebuilding large
part of their organizations.
OF the 600-odd employees who are
today in the home Office of the cor
poration, first important Federal
agency transferred under the decen-
tralization program, less than hall
were on the rolls of H. o. L. c.
prior to the shift from Washington
three months ago. Transfers OF per-
sonnel to other Federal units before
and after the shift to New York
have tended to slow up the work and
lessen temporarily the efficiency OF
the organization, it was admitted.
Officials are confident, however,
that when the necessary readJuSt-
ments are made and new personnel
fully trained in their duties, the
H. o. L. C. will do as good a job in
New York as in Washington.
l27 Employees Gone.
Since the move to this city in
September the home Office has lost
127 employees, Howard B. Titus, per-
sonnel director. disclosed today.
Military service explains some OF
the loss. but the greater part has
been due to transfers to other Fed
eral agencies.
Many OF the H. o. L. c. veterans
still in New York are seeking Fed
eral jobs in Washington. 1t seems
likely, therefore. that the organiza-
ton will suffer further losses of ex-
perienced personnel. The wives and
families of a number of home office
employees have remained in WASH
ington.
Some of the home office units have
found it necessary to recruit vlr-
tually a new organization since the
move to New York. The personnel
department, for example. has statt
of IS. Of these only five were on
the rolls in Washington. In another
unit. the entire staff of II are new
comers.
Recruiting and training new per-
sonnel have been the big problems
faced by the H. o. l.. C. during the
past three months AS one official
pointed out today there is no sub
stitute for experience"
In the light of the difficulties en-
countered by H. o. l.. c., it is essen
tial the official pointed out, that
Federal agencies transferred from
Washington take steps to assure
themselves in advance of adequate
STATS of trained employees to obtain
efficient operations during the period
Of readjustment.
Charles E. Cotter, a retired shoe
manufacturer from Lynn, Mass,
with eight years experience with the
organization. was appointed general
manager of the H. o. L. C. on
December /. succeeding Charles A.
Jones, who resigned to join the staff
OF the r. F. G.
Though conceding that the move
to New York had resulted in some
temporary loss of efficiency, Mr..
Cotter expressed the view that the
H. O. L. C. would have no difficulty
in operating from New York.
Everything is working out fine"
Mr.. Cotter said. Il see no disad-
vantage in having our headquarters
in New York instead of Wash
ington."
Spacious Offices.
The H. o. L. c. occupies several
floors in loft building at 2 Park
avenue. on the threshold Of the
swankiest area in New York City.
The Offices are spacious, comfortable,
and we'll equipped.
Announcement of plans to move
the H. o. L. c. to New York was
made in July, and the transfer was
effected about September 90
The Federal Home Loan Bank
Board, the Federal Savings and
Loan Insurance Corp. and a small
number of H. o. L. c. workers-in
all about 275 employes-remained in
Washington. 1t is planned to reduce
the group to about 100. Though
more than 900 H. o. L. c. employees
were affected by the original remov-
al order, the New York headquarters
is carrying on with staff of about
800. Contraction of H. o. L. c. ac-
tivities throughout the country has
brought about a general curtail-
ment Of personnel.
The fact that the H. o. L. c. is
regarded as an agency in process of
liquidation is said to explain in part
why so many Of its employees have
been seeking other Federal jobs
For this reason, it is pointed out
other agencies moved from Wash
ington whose future status is more
secure may not suffer personnel
losses proportionately as large.
Some Sought N. Y. Jobs.
Following the announcement OF
the shift from Washington the H
o. L. G. recruited New Workers from
employees of other agencies who
wanted to move to New York Dur
ing July, August and September
1900 applicants from other agencies
who desired transfers to New York
were interviewed.
Because of the demands of the
expanding defense agencies the H
o. L. C. had little difficulty in find
ing places in Washington for mos,
of the clerical workers who ex-
pressed a desire to remain IN the
Capital. 1t was not so easy to ar
range transfers. however for en-
ployes in the higher salary brackets
H. o. L. c. operations. In recent
months, have reflected the impact
of the war program. AS result OF
the higher incomes of workers, COL
lections have been unprecedentedly
large. and sales of properties on
H. o. L. c. books are reaching a
new peak. These are now running
about 300 a month.
More than 1000 loans have been
paid in full, and approximately 10000
OF these have been paid off during
the past year. OF the 708 900 original
loans remaining on the corporations
books at the last report. more than
90 900 were current or less than three
months in arrears.
On October l. the H. o. L. C.
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