Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1942-12-25
The Presidents PROGRAM


President Roosevelt has outlined
an excellent policy for all Govern
ment establishments in the state
ment which accompanied the sign
Ing OF the war pay legislation, aim
Ing as it does at conservation of
manpower and economy in opera
ton. Further, this conforms to the
intent Congress expressed in passing
the measure.
To accomplish the first step, the
President directed universal adop-
ton of the 48-hour work week. which
already is in effect in the War and
Navy Departments This will add
tour hours to the schedule of other
agencies, and as President Roose-
welt points out, should make possible
reduction OF force in some and
/ obviate the necessity of filling va
cancies in others.
Supplementing this move, MIR.
Roosevelt calls for the elimination
OF duplicating and unnecessary &C
tivities to put the Government on an
"all-out war basis"
1t virtually was a foregone con-
clusion when the pay resolution was
adopted that the 48-hour week
would result. Congress paved the
! way by terminating the Saturday
half day law, and as the pay increase
is to include time and one-half
overtime for hours in excess of 40.
it is to the advantage of employees
to work longer. The Government
likewise will benefit, for it means a
better utilization of manpower, and
corresponding easing of the per-
sonnel-recruiting problem, which has
reached the stage where the Civil
Service Commission finds it impos-
slble to get men and women for GER
tain categories of employment, in
both departmental and field service.
The volume of recruiting should be
reduced materially, for the longer
work week should check expansion
and at the same time create a sur
plus of labor available for transfer,
another possibility to which the
President refers.
In calling for economies in opera
ton, the President only generalized,
but he laid down principle that will
bear good fruit if observed.
AT this time" he said, I'VE must
measure all Government activities
against the grim standards of total
war. Many activities desirable in
peacetimes must be eliminated, pro-
vided only that such Examinations do
not result in permanent harm to the
future health and security of our
individual citizens; many services
must be provided at reduced stand
ard; all agencies, military and civil
ian, must take all necessary meas
ures to organize their work for maxi
mum efficiency"
To give point to this endeavor, the
President directed all agencies to
report quarterly on their accomplish
ments to the Budget Bureau, imple-
menting the law itself, which directs
the bureau to require each unit to
justify its personnel expenditures.
The bureau, in turn, has moved to
make this check
There have been widespread indi-
cations that the next Congress will
be decidedly economy minded, and
the Presidents attitude evidences an
intention to 60 along that will be
welcomed in the country at large.
AS for the pay bill itself, it can be
agreed with the President that it
sis a major step toward setting the
Government personnel situation in
order" 1t removes inequities by
providing overtime for thousands of
lower-paid employees whose extra
hour have gone uncompensated, and
at the same time helps offset ad-
vanced living costs.