Evening star., 1944-05-12
Garnishee Bill
Is Opposed by
Commissioners
Enactment Would
Hondicop District
Work, Hearing Told

Passage of the Kefauver bill to
permit garnishment of Federal SAL
aries, including those of District
employees, would seriously handicap
business. the Commis-
sioners today informed the Senate
Judiciary Subcommittee conducting
hearings on the bill.
The subcommittee, headed by
Senator Hatch, Democrat, of New
Mexico, concluded the two-day hear
ing shortly after noon. A recon-
mendation will be submitted to the
full Judiciary Committee in two or
three weeks. Senator Hatch said.
In a letter from John Russell
Young, chairman of the Board of
Commissioners, the subcommittee
was informed the District Govern
ment is opposed to the measure.
which already has passed the
House. The Commissioners also
pointed out that the local govern
ment should not be compelled to
stand at the bar of the courts and
participate in judicial controversi-
ties carried on between debtors and
creditors"
Sees Public Suffering.
while these contests were going
on" the Commissioners stated, "the
public interest would suffer by ab-
stracting from their corporate duties
the time and the attention of the
officers, and occupying time in con-
tests In which the corporation (the
Distric) has no interest.
| However desirable 1t may be to
the creditors to enforce against the
officers of the corporation their just
demands, by the means sought to be
established by this bill, yet the
Commissioners think that public
policy forbids the imposition of
such liabilityS* ..
The Commissioners explained
they set up rules and regulations
several years ago in connection with
District workers who became finan-
cially delinquent and reserved the
right to discharge employers for
failure to pay their just debts.
The Commissioners also called at
tention to the fact that fees of
$3.50 for garnishments under S100
and $500 for those in excess of that
amount would be paid to the Fed
eral agency on which the attach-
ment was served, but that no pro-
vision had been made in the bill to
permit the District to collect such
fees.
Government Liability Cited.
/ 1t was also contended the Gov
ernment would be liable in the
event salaries we're paid after no.
tice had been served on the depart
ment head
i The Commissioners opposition to
the garnishment bill was merged
today with the objections of rep
4 resentatiyes of other Government
!. agencies. including the War and
|, Navy Departments and those of
, spokesnlen for organizations of
; Federal workers.
}, Fletcher G. Waller, assistant di-
rector of civilian personnel in the
, War Department, pointed out there
are now 1855 separate installations
in his department, and that a con-
siderable increase in manpower
would be necessary to centralize the
|, handling of garnishments. He pre-
dicted that 800 such attachments
would be, served on the Secretary of
War every day.
The similarity of names among
the departments 1,168,000 civilian
employes also would cause con-
fusion. During the attempt to CEN
tralize the War Departments War
Bond sales, Mr.. Waller said, 5000
John A. Smiths were found to be
employed by the agency.
Navy Also Opposes Bill.
Similar opposition was expressed
by Comdr. P. P. Brown of the
Navy Department. Other witnesses
testifying against the bill were E. E.
Naylor, special assistant to the War
Department fiscal director; John
@. Cannon, administrative assistant
to the Attorney General; Lewis G.
r1iilSS, IldtlOnal IeglSlatlVe represent
tative of the American Federation
OF Labor; Charles 1. Stengle of the
American Federation of Govern.
ment Employees; Luther G. Steward,
president of the National Fedra-
tion of Federal Employees; P. r.
Leisz, secretary of the Legislative
Committee of the Government
Printing Office Union, and N. P.
Weathersby, secretary treasurer Of
District A, International Associa-
tion of Machinists.
A. j. Daftron, Richmond, Va, rep
resenting the Retail Credit Institute
OF America, testified in favor of the
bill