Evening star., 1942-09-28
Thousands Used
BeIow,Best Skill,
Survey Charges
Poor Supervision
Blamed in Report
To Congress
BY J. A. FOX.

The time and talents of thou.
sands of Government employees
are being wasted by the agencies
where they work because of poor
supervision, the Civil Service
Commission told Congress today.
In report covering interagency
transfers which showed 1902 work.
ers shifted employment between
March l and June 80 of this year,
the commission said:
Thousands of Federal employees
are working below their highest
skills. Thousands of Federal en-
ployes are using their highest skills
for a very small percentage of the
working day. This is a waste of
manpower at time when the coun-
try can i'll afford to indulge In such
practices. Furthermore, such con-
ditions result in a lowering of morale
among Government employees at a
time when morale should be at it's
highest peak. Employees want to
make the maximum contribution to
the war effort. They become dis
couraged when management denies
them that opportunity.
Report Asked by Congress.
The report, copy of which was
sent to the President, was submitted
to Congress in response to an ap-
preparation bin rider calling for an
investigation of the transfer situa-
tion with view to determining
whether practices exist = = which
are not in the public interest"
The inquiry was ordered after re-
ports of personnel-pirating led the
Senate to adopt a deficiency bill
amendment prohibiting employees
from receiving higher pay when
going from one job to another. The
Senate ban was dropped when 1t
was decided instead to investigate
conditions.
Surveying the 10000 shifts, the
commission said "the general effect
OF these transfers has been beneficial
to the public interest. In a great
majority of cases, the cause of the
transfer has been the pressing need
OF the Government service as q
whole, and Of the war agencies in
particular. for employees skilled in
| occupations which have become
critical in the war labor market.
However, there have undoubtedly
been instances where agencies used
the discretion to fix salary rates in
the field service for the purpose of
outbidding one another for the sery-
Ice OF personnel on the Federal paw
roll to do work of the same diff1culty
or responsibility" the report stated.
improvements Cited.
The transfers on which the com,
mission reported were subsequent to
an order issued by President Roose-
welt In February designed to get the
best use out of Government per-
sonnel by shifting workers into
channels where they could make the
best contribution to the war effort.
Citing what had been accom-
plished along this line, the COM
mission reported one case of a
building guard getting 1920, who
was found qualified for the position
OF assistant bacteriologist in the
Agriculture Department at $4,000.
and a 81 l,260 file clerk in the Vet
erans' Administration, transferred
to an executive assistants position
in the War Department at $1,000.
Several similar instances were listed,
Approximately two-thirds Of the
transfers were within the same
salary groups, according to the re-
port. The shifts resulted in salary
reduction in about per cent OF
the cases. Decentralization was re-
sponsible for some transfers, en-
ployes being unwilling to leave
Washington.
The commission blast at wasted
energy was in connection with the
congressional request for recon-
mendations for improving personnel
practices.
Every agency, the commission
said, should Immediately place
upon some responsible official the
duty of facilitating the reassign-
ment or transfer of employees within
the agency" At the same time,
however, it was added, all units
should be in a position to block re-
assignments or transfers which do
not contribute to the intelligent
utilization of human resources, but
(See WASTE, Page 2-x9