Evening star., 1942-02-13
Roosevelt Seeks
Shift ofCIerk
For War Work
Officials Of Agencies
Directed to Make
Survey of Stoffs
(Other Story on Page A-5.)
By JOHN C. HENRY.

President Roosevelt today or
dered heads of all Federal de-
partments and agencies to
resurvey their personnel require
ments in the light of the war
effort and the increase in the
Governments work week.
1t is imperative, he said in
memorandum dispatched to agency
officials, that surplus man power pro-
vided by increasing the work week
to A hours "be Immediately capital
lied and effectively channeled into
defense work"
The President at the same time
instructed the director of the Budget
Bureau to review personnel appro-
priations for the remainder of the
present fiscal year and to place in
administrative reserves funds that
might be saved by the curtailment
of personnel rolls.
Plan Disclosed to Press.
Mr. Roosevelt disclosed this step
toward Government reorganization
on war footing at his press con-
ference this morning.
In addition to making personnel
available for transfer to other
agencies, the President said that the
directed survey would assist in the
release of men who are subjected to
conscription in the armed services.
A uniform policy for passing on de-
ferment requests of Federal en-
ployes was promulgated by the
Chief Executive earlier this week.
During questioning, he indicated
arbitrary curtailment in the func-
tions of any department must be at
specific direction of Congress. Un-
der further questioning, he offered
justification for continuance of both
the National Youth Administration
and the Civilian Conservation Corps,
two projects for which outright
abolishment had been suggested.
The former, he said. is turning out
semi-skilicd mechanical workers at
the rate of between $4,000 and 10000
every three months The C. c. c.,
he went on, is made up almost en-
tirely at the present time of boys
below the draft age or veterans of
the first World War. The former
group in large proportion is being
rehabilitated or toughened physi-
cally to make them of future value
to the war effort.
Man Power Augments.
| In his memorandum to depart
ment heads, the President noted
that voluntary extension of the Fed
eral work week to A hours has
greatly augmented available man
power and has provided material
relief for agencies which previously
were understaffed. A result, he said,
is that agencies which were ade-
quately stated on the basis of the
39-hour week and are not now con-
fronted with war work are over
supplied with man power.
In the light of imperative demand
that this surplus be channeled i'm
mediately into the war effort, he
directed that agency heads survey
every operational activity and deter
mine those employees who may be
promptly released for employment
in other agencies.
Particularly in Washington this
action must be expedited in order
to help meet the shortage in per-
sonnel and housing and to avoid as
far as possible bringing new en-
ployes into the city"
Mr.. Roosevelt instructed the
Budget Director to work with agency
heads in reviewing personnel appro-
priations and impounding 1912 funds
lin proportion to the approximate
increase in man-hours which are
tSee ROOSEVELT, Page AID