Evening star., 1943-01-05
Byrd
(Continued From First Page)

through June OF WorK Teuei III
Puerto Rico to employ an average
of 10000 persons because OF the
unusual conditions prevailing there
= The possibility Of cutting the non
war budget by canceling old appro-
priations for projects that cannot oe
carried out now was considered TO-
day by the joint committee.
Perhaps there is a substantial
amount OF such money that could be
scratched off the books" Senator
Nye of North Dakota, ranking Re-
publican on the Appropriations Com
mittee, suggested.
Senators Byrd and McKellar also
expressed interest in this possible
new source of savings.
The question was raised by COM
mitteemen when Samuel H. Dodd of
the Budget Bureau explained the
Treasury has two separate reserve
funds created by freezing portions OF
congressional appropriations.
One reserve he said, is for savings
and contingencies. and should not be
returned Immediately to the Treas
ury because this money may be
needed before the end of the year by
the agencies depositing 1t.
Other Fund for Public Works.
Mr.. Dodd explained the other re-
serve fund consists of appropriation
for public works, such as reclama =
ton. public buildings or highways
which are made available by Con-
gress until expended, but which
cannot be spent at the present time
To illustrate, he said Congress
made 100000 available for Davis
Dam in Arizona, for reclamation,
but the shortage Of critical mate
rails prevents the work from going
forward now. The money. he said
Is put into the reserve fund until
some future year
Senator McKellar expressed sur
prise that such reserve fund
existed, and asked if that meant
appropriations could be laid aside
for five years. then spent.
Mr.. Dodd said that was correct,
provided Congress had specified
the money was to remain available
until spent.
Senator McKellar called it prac-
tice that ought to be stopped" and
asked the Budget Bureau to submit
later a report on the total amount
Of such appropriations frozen in
the Treasury at this time.
Drastic revision Of the method OF
classifying positions in the Federal
service was urged today by Chair
man Byrd of the joint committee
and concurred in by Senator Nc
Kellar.
Their statements came while Ma
Cen Philip B. Fleming. Federal
Works administrator, was setting
forth some of the difficulties of rat
ing specialized employees under the
present Classification Act
Race for Preferment.
Gen. Fleming made this state
ment:
"One problem which confronts
every Federal agency endeavorine
to operate eficiently is the present
application of standards under the
Classifica ton Act. 1t is my belief
that the act itself is sound. How
ever, the tendency to give specia
emphasis to the number of persons
supervised results in constant
effort on the part Of supervisory
personnel In many agencies to builo
up unnecessarily large organiza
tional units, for only in that way
does 1t seem possible to raise the
grade levels Of the supervisors. Thi;
condition has been aggravated by
the great expansion of various de-
fense agencies which seem to be
able to offer higher grades than car
be secured in the Federal Works
Agency for many of our positions.
While this is problem in the
higher grade positions. it is ever
more difficult in the lower grade
work. Present standards with re-
gard to stenograpllic and Statistical
and accounting personnel operating
alphabetic electric tabulating ano
accounting machines are extremely
serious and result in an unneces-
sairly large turnover among depart
ments. 1t seems that some method
should be devised whereby standards
now applied by the Classification
Act can be raised for these lower
grade positions in which the turn
over is heavy.
The highly skilled professional
employe is especially at disad-
vantage in this race for preferment
He may be, and frequently is, en-
ployed wholly in an advisory capac-
ity. He may have no staff at all
under his immediate supervision
In many cases, indeed. he does not
even have the services of a full
time stenographer. His advice and
counsel result in the saving of very
large sums OF money to the Govern
ment. Yet he frequently has the
experience of seeing the man across
the hall, engaged only in routine
work. promoted year after year to
higher grades sirnnly hv fhe orr,I