The Wilmington morning star., 1944-10-16


What Is Bureaucracy'-
Beside Election Football?
The article beneath specifically and al
times whinsically answers the question. Gov
ernor Thomas E. Dewey, it says, denounces
1t. Democrats justify it. Statistically il
amounts roughly to 100000 civilian EN-.
ployes out of total population of $4,000 000
'"rhis is one federal worker out of every Al
in the nation the highest ratio in history.
Note, now, how the article breaks down
this figure:
The United States Civil Service Commits.
sion publishes the latest figures The total
was actually 3,302,526 at the end of August.
Republicans have charged the Administra-
ton with increasing pay rolls just before
election.
But in August, reversing almost a years
trend, 1852 federal workers were cut adrift
The home total now is 2,908,557. Those abroad
are 1893, 800.
WELL who are these bureaucrats'?
1.-The statistical detective has trouble right
at the start Will somebody please define 'bu-
reaucrat'? Everything depends on that
Is Mary Smith, working as buffer girl
in the Brooklyn Navy Yard, bureaucrat'?
Is Sam Jones, operating lathe at the Johns
town Arsenal, 'bureaucrat'? Both are on the
federal pay roll. Both are included in the
grand total. Both are viewed with alarm by
political breast-beaters.
Mary and Sam don't view themselves
with alarm They had vague idea they were
being patriotic in taking war jobs.
"Yet, if Mary and Sam aren't 'bureaucrats
it makes big hole in the total.
TT also makes hole in the argument.
1.-The current Civil Service statistics give
breakdown of Federal employees in Con-
tinental America Most Of the 1893, 969 workers
abroad have war jobs Of one sort or another.
$50 that leaves 1908, 557 at home.
''Of these, 1,215,742 are in the War Depart
munitions or ornaments plants, many of
them owned by the Government but operat-
ed privately They are just like any other
war workers.
The Navy in the same way. has 672, 119
civilian workers.
MANY of these War and Navy jobs are
stenographers, working in Washington.
I'm addition, there are 172,077 employed by
other temporary emergency war agencies.
$50 that leaves S4s,6l9 federal employees at
home after the war agencies are subtract ed.
Are these the real bureaucrats'?
Here again there is real problem. The
Post Office Department employs 364,277. Is
paid by the Government.
How about the 1913 in the Agriculture
Department; the 92,42l in the Treasury, COL
lecting war taxes?
IF all these are subtracted, the total is
down to 314,108. less than one tenth Of the
initial figure. Perhaps these are the real
'bureaucrats.'
The 3l4.10s includes the Veterans Admins
tration $4,000; the Commerce and Justice
Departments 10000 and $4,000 respectively;
the Federal Security Agency 10000; the
Tennessee Valley Authority Administration
(2l 1000; the Justice Department, including
the Federal Bureau of Investigation (2s, 0O0).
1t includes dozens of other agencies, most OF
them valuable though small. Miss Perkins
Department of Labor, for example, has only
5,752 employees.
maybe Its ineffectiveness is due to its size.
Or vice versa It's hard to say.
by the time the statistical sleuth has ex-
anained all these figures under microscope,
he is hot and bothered
There is no doubt that total workers in
the Federal pay roll is appalling
Whether this answers the original question
to the satisfaction of the reader we have no
means Of knowing. For cur part, we incline
to consider members of the administration
OF the Ickes ilk the real bureaucrats
--V-
Tho Coed III Vn