Evening star., 1942-04-24
U. 5. EnlpIoye
Total Climbs
To 1,8O5,186
Wor Dept. Alone
Tops 1885 Figure
For Executive Bronch

The War Department alone now
has more employees than were re-
uuired to operate the entire execu-
tive branch of the Government eight
years ago. II was disclosed today
when the Civil Service Commission
reported figures for February show
ing 8o5 .iS6 persons in the White
House, 10 departments and IS inde-
pendent establishments.
OF this number. 606 BOT were en-
ployed in the War Department. and
there have been large additions in
the two months intervening al
though exact figures will not be
ready for several weeks On De-
cember 81. 1888, total employment
throughout the Government was
GOT .g36.
The February report showed net
increase of I02.087 employees In the
Government as whole. with the
War Department adding 76.420 and
the Navy. 23,775. The force of the
latter agency is 35l $50.
Some Decreases Shown.
Figures for the Capital we're made
public some time ago and showed
the February increase here at ap-
proximately 10000, for a total of
233, ,403. March totals are expected
shortly.
Other principal increases IL Feb
ruary outside of Washington were
once of Emergency Management,
1884; Justice, 1918, and Commerce.
i.o86. There were decreases in
Post once, Agriculture and Ten
nessee Valley Authority.
Total personnel expenditures for
February were 1862, los $40, exclusive
of that for l56 900 field employees of
the War Department, which had not
been compiled. Administrative pro-
motions took $I47,3i9 of which
t85,540 went to local employees.
Despite the increase In personnel,
however, Government hours have
been unduly extended in some Of
fices." and agencies are finding that
illness and absenteeism go along
with long hours" James B. Burns,
president of the American Fedora
ton of Government Employees, A.
r. l.. afiiliate, said yesterday in
talk over WINK.
They are finding that more mis-
takes are made, as might readily
have been expected; that produc-
ton falls Of, and that morale is
lowered" he added.
Some Up to 4S Hours
Government agencies generally
are supposed to be on 44-hour
week here now. In War and Navy
II Is 4s.
In the meantime. / TOO employees
OF the Old Age and Survivor In
surance Bureau of the Social Secur-.
ity Board were preparing to leave
Washington-or seek new employ
ment-in the wake of an announce
ment by Budget Director Harold D.
Smith yesterday afternoon that
will distribute them to six cities.
Approximately 500 from the ex-
ecutive and policy making stats will
60 to Baltimore about June /. while
the remainder. engaged on claims,
will leave within the next four
months for New York, Philadelphia,
Chicago. New Orleans and San
Francisco.
Changed From Philadelphia.
The entire group was to have been
sent to Philadelphia under the De-
cember decentralization program,
but office space could not be found
The same difficulty was encountered
when a later effort was made to
send them to Baltimore, where 5000
bureau employees engaged on ac-
counting work have been located
since the Social Security Act became
operative.
The claims work Of the bureau
now will be set up on regional
basis. This plan was considered for
the entire bureau when 1t was at
first organized.
The new Baltimore Offices will be
in the Equitable Building at Calvert
and Fsyette streets, which is not far
from the present Offices in the
Gambler Building.