Evening star., 1943-12-07
War Department
.Emp|oynentCu Cut
15,245 Workers
Stimson Reports Full
Doto Sought by Byrd
Cont Be Obtained

ment in the past two months had
made net reduction of 15,245 in
the number of it's civilian employees.
Chairman Byrd Of the Joint Com
mittee on Reduction Of Nonessen-
tial Federal Expenditures today
voiced hope the department will
continue the good work"
Meanwhile, the Byrd Committee
released a statement it had re-
ceived october 80 from War Secre-
tary Stimson that the War Depart
ment had found it practicable to
secure only portion" of the data
sought by the economy group as
to the number of Army personnel
performing various types of nom
combatant duties. The question:
naire had applied to physically fit
officers and enlisted personnel be-
tween 18 and 35 years of age, as
of July this year and last.
Records of the War Department.
do not indicate the specific type ur
duties performed by individual off,
GERS and enlisted men OF the Army
said Mr. Stimson.
Involves Extensive Research.
To provide the data requested,
| 1t would be necessary to contact all
posts. camps and stations in the
continental limits of the United
States he said, adding that this
would involve extensive and long
drawn-out research and correspon.
dence.
The number of clerical hours
required to complete task OF this
magnitude he continued, cannot
be estimated, but the figure would
reach prohibitive limits. I believe
the results from such a survey,
even if undertaken, would be in
accurate and incomplete. as many
units have left the continental
limits of the United States and
some had been inactiyated and their
records placed in storage"
Information supplied in answer
to the questionnaire included re-
ports that as Of last July 656 off,
GERS and l68 enlisted men were on
assignment with other departments,
or As more officers and 56 more
men than the year previous.
Reduction Of IL Per Cent.
Also released by the Byrd Com.
mlttee was a reply November ia,
from Undersecretary Robert P. Pat.
terson saying the use made BY ths
department Of its extensive work.
load studies was illustrated by the
/ fact the Army Service Forces was
able to reduce its overhead strength
between May 81 and August 81 by
$4,000, or by 1872 per cent.
Asserting that department policy
prohibits use Of military personnel
to replace civilian personnel, Judge
Patterson contended that the func-
tlons Of classifying. investigating
and placement of civilian employees
belong with the department.
The job of recruiting civilian
workers Is a function of the Civil
Service Commission which its
representatives have DISCHARGED ne
said. He added. however. that
where. "in the interest Of efficiency
or economy of effort. Joint recruit
ing missions are advisable, they are
undertaken"
Assumes Responsibility.
The department, he said, "aereeds
to assume full responsibility for de-
termining the character and loyalty
OF War Department appointees be-
cause of the tremendous increase in
its staffs and burden facing the
csc. Placement and classification.
he asserted, are properly RESPONSE
bilities Of the department.
The Byrd Committee reported
that as of the end of October, tho
number of civilian employees of the
Government was 2961 ,O68. Since
September. n departments and
agencies were reported to have in
creased the number of their civilian
employees by 2o,644, while 81 other
departments and agencies elimin-
ated 30.75s employees, making a net
cut Of 10115.
Decrease Of 134,395.
iidao oCNIl d IlSl ucCIe dSe OF
l34,395 since last June, when civilian
employment reached the peak Of
3095, the committee noted.
The War Department led the list
in reductions since September, with
the 15.245. Others making substan-
tlal cuts were: Post Office, 6l64;
Agriculture, 2,0l4; Interior. 164O;
War Manpower Commission. 852:
Tennessee Valley Authority, $40, and
OPA, tbs.
Greatest increases were made by
Navy Department. 1899; Com
merce. 909-mostly due to seasonal
employment of more than TOO cot
ton agents; War Labor Board, 524;
General Accounting Office. 646:
Maritime Commission. 307. and Ma
tional Housing Agency. 228.