Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1941-12-20
Win Help Find Homes.


ton also will help the employees get
domiciled at their new stations, and
will set up a unit to look after the
property interests of those who have
investments in homes here.
Concurrently, the Civil Service
Commission announced that de-
Capitalization service was being set
up under the direction of Archie
C. Edwards to arrange for the plac-
ing elsewhere of those employees who
are unable to leave Washington. and
otherwise to make personnel adjust
ments necessitated by the transfers.
The commission said that trans
fers will be arranged wherever 1t
can be done without impairing eff
flciency. and that vacancies created
in the transferred agencies will be
filed as far as possible by recruit
ment at the points where they are
locating.
The commission said that 1t would
receive applications for transfers to
these agencies from persons who
would have an opportunity to go
to work in their home communities
by reason of the shifts, provided they
could get releases from the agencies
in which they are employed.
Residents to Get Priority.
an this placement work. priority
will be given employees who have
legal or voting residence in the
State in which the decentralized es-
tablishment is located, with second
airy consideration being given other
employees" the commission said.
The suddenness of the order
caught the Government employees
unawares and many of them today
filed application for transfer to
other Federal agencies. officials at
the Civil Service Commission said
they were unable to supply figures
on the number of applicants for
transfer who had contacted them
during the morning. but that three
phones had been busy constantly
answering their calls.
Murray w. Latmer, chairman OF
the Railroad Retirement Board,
said that in a general discussion of
decentralization with the House De-
Capitalization Committee two days
ago he had expressed the conviction
that not more than so per cent OF
the boards 1000 employees would
leave Washington if it was decided
to shift the board
This was without any regard to
where the board might be moved,
Mr.. Latimer said, as the House
committee was not discussing the
matter with any definite location in
prospect.
Office Space Here Needed.
In announcing the Presidents
order. Mr.. Smith said it was deemed
necessary to afford relief from the
critical shortage which has de-
veloped in Government Office space
and in housing facilities due to the
continued expansion of war agencies,
which the Civil Service Commission
estimates will require in excess OF
10000 additional employees before
July l."
The commission reported today
that as of October 30, employment
here totalled 1901 persons, an
increase of more than 3,400 for the
month. Since the defense program
got under way in May of 1910. about
5000 employees have been brought
into Washington
Field employment also increased
about $1,000 in October, according
to the commission statement, which
put the total personnel outside of
Washington at 1.317,417.
Other Agencies Transferred.
The decentralization move follows
others undertaken since the defense
program began to create office space
and housing congestion.
Several months ago, the Home
Owners Loan Corp.-wi,h the excep-
ton of skeleton force-was moved
to New York, about 800 employees
being shifted from Washington
The Grazing Service of the Interior
Department also was taken out of
the Capital.
Where the decentralized agency is
defense agency. and an employe
resigns instead of taking the new
| assignment under the shift, rein
statement will not be permitted fol
three months unless the request
for reinstatement is accompanied by
statement from the former en-
ployer that consent had been given
for the resignation.
While it had been understood fol
some time that new decentraliza-
ton moves we're in prospect, the
sweeping nature of the projected
changes came as a surprise, and the
agencies involved were not known
outside of the immediate precincts
of the White House until the Presi-
DENTS order WAS made public