Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1942-11-17
BY GOULD LINCOLN.

oSAdIOA oylo VI tuBIlld Has
asked how this Government ex-
poets to get the fullest use of
American manpower for the
armed forces, for war production
and for essential non-war pro-
duction when it is using nearly
100000 men and women in It's
civil agencies. The number of
civil employees Of the Govern
ment is continuing to increase at
the rate OF more than 100,0O
month.
AS chairman of the Committee
on Reduction Of Nom Essential
Federal Expenditures, Senator
Byrd proposes to tackle this
problem in practical way.
Already the committee has sent
missionaries to every agency
of the Government asking the
total number of civil employees,
how many are permanent, how
many are temporary, full time
and part time, what are their
classifications and their pay. A
very large number of the en-
ployes are rated high, and paid
high, as experts of one kind or
another. The Office of Price Ad-
ministration, according to re-
ports, now has more lawyers on
its staff than has the Depart
ment Of Justice-and soon will
have one lawyer for at least
every county in the United
States.
AS soon as the answers to these
questionnaires have been re-
ceived and examined and an
alyzed by the committee, hear
ings will be begun. For Senator
Byrd believes that only by the
fullest publication of the facts
and an aroused public opinion
will it be possible for q reduction
in the number of civil employees
OF the Government-or even a
halt in the constant fiow Of new
employees to the Federal payrolls.
1t is his belief that, instead OF
adding to the number of civil
employees, the present huge total
should be reduced by at least
one-third. In such a way, he
insists, will it be possible to re-
lease thousands of men and
women for essential war work
and for the armed forces.
A Difficult Job.
As practical proposition, it
Is admittedly a difficult task to
bring about any such reduction
in civil employees of the Govern
ment. No department or other
agency Of the Government is 60
Ing to relinquish employees with
out a struggle. That has been the
history of all Government agen-
cies. The rolls have been fat
tened largely through the use Of
lump sum appropriations, which
Congress has passed in recent
years at the urging of the admin
istration. Today, so fast have
employees been taken into the
Government service that the Civil
Service Commission is 80 days
behind knowing just how many
employees there are, according to
Senator Byrd. They are not able
to keep up with the procession
Of new employees.
Senator Byrd's protest against
this constantly increasing army
of civil employees is based on the
tremendous cost to the American
''hording" of manpower by the
"hording" Of man power by the
Government itself, when that
manpower is needed for pur-
poses more nearly connected with
the war. The American people are
faced today with tax bills such
as they have never at any time in
the history of the country faced
before. Those are taxes already
enacted into law, to be imposed
during the coming year. Almost
before the ink has been dry on
the Presidents signature of the
new tax law, the administration
spokesman have come forward
with demands for still more bill
lions of additional revenue-with
a new tax bill in prospect next
year.
Twenty-Five years ago this
country was fighting another big
war. Then as now it was sending
huge supplies to its allies abroad.
Then as now it was arming,