Evening star., 1943-03-10
BigCutin u. 5.
Personnel Seen
Civil Service Official
Is First Witness
At House Inquiry
BY WILL 2. KENNEDY.

was forecast today by Arthur D.
Flemming of the Civil Service Com
mission as the House Civil Service
Committee began hearings on the
Government personnel problem.
Mr. Flemming, the first witness
called in the investigation, testified
that the rapid increase in Federal
employment had slowed down in
December. Representative Reese.
Republican, of Kansas. ranking
minority member on the investigat-
ing committee, promptly remarked
that 'it is strange that pressure had
to be applied by the threat of in
vestigation by Congress before the
slashing started We know that We
can compel a far deeper cut"
Mr.. Flemming replied, L think
events Of the next few days will show
this committee that something is
being done in that direction"
Mr.. Flemming admitted that there
is just criticism Of practices in the
executive branch of the Govern
ment,' but he warned the investiga-
tors that there is also a favorable
side to the picture"
Charts Distributed.
He distributed to the members Of
the investigating committee charts
showing the enormous growth of the
Government structure and personnel.
During the siX-month period be-
fore Pearl Harbor the average
monthly increase in personnel was
| 1851, Mr.. Flemming explained.
Since then the average has increased
to 97,364 employees The rate of in
crease dropped to approximately
$4,000 in January, 1943, however, he
pointed out.
At this point Chairman RamSpeCk
commented that lin other words, the
rate of increase dropped off so per
cent since this investigation was an
nOunced'
Mr.. Flemming explained his chart
on the magnitude of the Govern
ment structure by pointing out that
there are 2,103 Establishments, each
with 100 or more employees, scattered
in $40 cities. Establishments include
981 war agencies, 179 Navy agencies
and 943 bureaus not connected with
| the war effort, he said. During the
last six months of 1912. Mr.. Flem-
ming said there was an increase of
| 609 Government establishments.
| Watchdog" Agency Suggested
| The responsibility for enormous
| increases in Government personnel
rests entirely with department
heads. Mr.. Flemning said, explain
| ing that the Civil Service Commits
/ sion has no authority to question
/ heads of departments or other ad-
ministrative agents regarding their
requests for personnel.
When several members of the
committee asked if some sort of a
watchdog" agency might be set up
to inquire into the orders of various
agencies for new personnel, Mr..
Flemming said that only the Gen.
eral Accounting Office and the
Budget Bureau have any present
function along that line, and that
it is difficult for them to place
limitations on departmental orders
Tor new workers as long as Congress
! tAeto pAoV lNCd WlllCu can De
used for that purpose.
When the commission fails to
provide the personnel requested bv
a department head" Mr.. Flemminy
SAID. we are censUred for not doing
our job. We simply Go not have
authority to question requests for
additional personnel
MOSE rpO1nlajyo+c
agency overstafnng have been
against the War Department, Chair
man Ramspeck disclosed before the
committee began its hearings.
OPA and WPB Next.
OPA and WPB have been next in
order of complaints, but the criti-
clsm is more regarding their attitude
towards the public. Mr.. Ramspeck
said.
This personnel problem seems to
me to add up to one important con-
cluslon," said Mr.. Ramspeck. I'VE
have a large body without a CO.
ordinating head. There should be
some supreme authority regarding
waste of manpower.'
HE animated that he believed that
the hearings by his committee will
be led along that line, and that the
/ ClVll Service Committee members
/ Will be compelled to consider some
such manpOWer authority.
| When asked if the Budget Bureau
is not supposed to pe checking such
waste, Mr.. Ramspeck said he did not
oeleVe that was being done now and
| emphasized that the Budget Bureau.
| itself, Will come under careful COM
mlttee scrutiny, just the same as
| any other Federal agency when we
check on unnecessarily large staffs."
To Explore Recruiting Methods.
The hearing today is primarily to
learn what the Civil Service Com
mission is doing about supplying re-
| quests for more personnel, and what
methocs are being employed to re-
crut workers. Many members of
Congress have complained about the
way the commission has been "ex-
| traVagantly" advertising for clerical
help to come to Washington.
The Budget Bureau will be oues-
toned next regarding its advice on
how waste is being reduced and how
economy and efficiency are being
promoted
Mr.. Ramspeck indicated he has in
mind some sort of quasi-legislative
agency to serve as overall SUPER
visory authority on personnel en-
ployment and exchange of workers
among agencies. He says it is i'm
peratlVe that teeth be put in orders
Tor drastic reduction of workers.
Many members of the House are
reported determined to curb over
staining by reducing appropriations
unless the orders to reduce the nav.