Evening star., 1942-12-26
u. 5. Employees
Start WORKING
Full Saturday
Many Take Day OFF
As 48-Hour Week
Goes in Effect

Government departments and
agencies worked full day today
but the effect of the 48-hour week
on the city's life and traff1c move
ments was modified because large
numbers of workers took the day
on on annual leave.
District employees, however. were
awaiting anxiously the decision of
District officials on the question of
whether they would have to work
this afternoon and following Satur-
days.
Federal personnel officers were, for
the most part, busy telephoning sec
ton heads that the eight-hour day
was official today and wiring offices
In other cities.
A meeting was held in the Interior
Department to decide whether to
work the employees this afternoon or
to begin next week There seemed
to be some leeway in the language
OF the Presidents order, which said
that he desired" department heads
to put 1t in effect rather than
ordered" 1t was decided to put the
full Saturday in effect today and
orders were hastily telephoned just
before the normal quitting time.
Bus Traffic Light.
Bus traffic was light this morning
indicating that many Government
workers had made it a three-day
holiday by putting in a leave slip for
the day for the approval of their
supervisors.
District officials discussing the
Saturday afternoon question with
Engineer Commissioner Charles w.
kutz-the only one of the three
Commissioners at his Office this
morning-were Budget Officer Wal
ter 1. Fowler and Corporation Coun-
sci Richmond B. Keech.
A District Building source said.
however, that it was felt local en-
ployes might not have to work the
48-hour week, adding that the length
OF work might be within the discre-
ton OF city heads. This, it was
pointed out, would permit District
employees to continue with their
present 44-hour weeS, which in
cludes four hours on Saturdays.
Information Is Sought.
Meanwhile. calls were coming in
to the District Building all morning
from District agencies wondering if
their employees would have to work
through this afternoon.
At the Labor Department, it was
said that a skeleton force would
work all day. The telephone op-
orator could get no answer from the
offices of the Secretary, the chief
clerk, the director of personnel or
the director of information.
At the Capital Transit offices, it
was said that the regular weekday
schedule would be kept in effect to-
Gay. Some bus drivers may get more
overtime as a result. Most of them
have been putting in considerable
overtime to date. Traffic was light
this morning, it was said, and no
dlft1culty was expected for the end
of the day.
Traffic Signs Problem.
Another problem facing District
officials was that of whether street
signs, marked one-way at certain
hours except on Saturdays and holi-
days, should be changed to elimi-
nate Saturdays.
This, of course, would make them
one way on Saturdays as on other
work days. 1t is understood that
recommendation to make such
changes have been sent to the Dis
trlct Building this morning by M.
Q. Eldridge, acting director of the
Department of Vehicles and Traffic,
1t is pointed out that parking
signs, however, usually apply to
Saturday. A lieutenant in the
traffic division of the Police De-
partment said he had not yet re-
ceived any orders for special details
OF police for this afternoons traffic,
pending any change in signs.
Engineer Commissioner Charles
w. Kutz, who said he had not seen
the recommendations yet from the
traffic department., said he thought
the 48-hour week will involve
changing the signs"