Evening star., 1942-02-22

been made Of 1t.
Some agencies which had sought
unsuccessfully to get employees by
transfer complained Of this situa-
tion,. as did employees who were
denied promotions because Of it, 1t
was said yesterday. In one case
brought to the attention of the Civil
Service Commission, the policy cost
an employe a $1,000 raise: in an
other, one of $500 annually.
Up to Budget Director.
Under the new order the classi-
fication by the Civil Service Com
mission ss between defense and nom
defense agencies will be supplanted
by that set up by the budget di-
rector, who Is directed to establish
priority classiflcations OF the several
executive departments and agencies.
or Of parts or activities thereof, in
respect to their relative Importance
to the war program" These classifi-
cations, 1t Is specified, shall be con-
trolling as to transfers" ,-- --'
The next provision is that which
may give the commission the power
to initiate transfers. This author
izes the commission ito secure in
formation as to employees of execu-
tive departments and agencies who
are deemed competent to perform
essential war work in departments
or agencies having higher priority
classification, and, with the con-
sent Of the employe concerned. to
effect the transfer of any sIlch
employe to meet the personnel needs
of a department or agency having
higher priority classification"
The commission already has this
information available in the files of
the Inter-Departmental Placement
Service, which catalogues the quail
fications of $4,000 employees. 1t is
believed possible that if the COM
mission was called on to supply q
certain type of worker, and the
placement service reported person.
mel Of that character was available
in the service, a transfer could be
ordered. The commission is not
expected to say if this power will
be exercised, however, until the
Budget Bureau has completed its
classification.
Transfer In 10 Days.
Transfers will become effective
within 10 days after an agency has
been notified that an employe is
wanted.
IF within that period" the order
continues, "the employing depart
ment or agency presents to the
Civil Service Commission evidence
that its work will be jeopardized by
the loss Of the employees services,
the Civil Service Commission shall
consider such evidence and make
final decision"
The only qualification of this
power is that transfers to depart
ments and agencies having the same
or lower classifications, shall not be
affected without the consent of the
department or agency in which the
employe Is serving"
Transferred employees retain pay
and seniority status.
A statement accompanying the
order explained that it was de-
signed to implement that of a week
ago, when the President called on
all agencies to survey their per-
sonnel to determine what employees
could be released for more impor-
tant duties in connection with the
war.
A check made by this newspaper
indicated that little could be looked
for in this direction, agencies en-
ploying more than rs per cent of
the 200,000-odd employees here re-
porting that they did not expect
to shift any personnel. Some said
they had made transfers to meet
war needs, and yesterdays state
ment said that since May ~ last.
8,049 employees have been shifted
for this purpose.
To Survey Expenditures.
The earlier order which called on
the Budget Bureau to review pros
pective personnel expenditures in
the Government to determine if
savings could be effected, also has
been amplifled, yesterdays state
ment disclosed, and the study is to
take in "other ordinary depart
mental expenditures"
The personnel survey being made
in response to the Presidents first
order probably will be completed
within the next 10 days and pre-
sumably will serve as the basis for
the Budget Bureau to decide what
groups will get preferential status.
Similar information also has been
called for by the Senate under the
Tydings resolution, which, like the
Presidents order, seeks to make the
greatest possible use of employees
already on the job here instead Of
bringing in more to add to the
congestion.
In another development bearing
on this situation yesterday, It Was