Evening star., 1946-05-04
Huge Federal Payroll
Likely Compoiqn Issue
Critical Report of Byrd Group
Interests COP Stratesists
By Jay G. Hayden

By Jay u. Hayden
In the 1920 presidential election, the
first after World War /, one of the most
effective Republican battle cries was for
swift disbandment of the bloated war
bureaucracy, and judged by the report
Of the Special Congressional Economy
Committee Tuesday, the same issue is
made to order for Republicans this year.
Presented by Senator Byrd, Democrat,
of Virginia, this report disclosed that
the regular Government agencies, ex-
cepting the Army and Navy, increased
their personnel in each of the first five
months following VI day.
The all-time peak civilian employment
of the Federal 649, 1859 in
August, 1945-dropped to 2ss3,670 last
January 81. But of the 755,oe9 reduce
ton, thus disclosed, 611,37O came from
the War Department and 134,348 from
the Navy Department, leaving the over
all drop in all other branches, regular
and emergency, only 1o,38l.
Some Agencies Enlarged.
Even this, however, does not tell the
whole story. Due to such things as
Byron Prices total discontinuance of
his Office of censorship on the first day
after the japanese surrender, employ.
ment in emergency war agencies de-
creased 97,203 in the same period. But
the latter reduction was all but wiped
out by an increase of 86,822 in the old
line regular departments.
For example, the Post Office Depart
ment payroll jumped 66,481; the Labor
Department, 27,343; the Reconstruction
Finance Corp, 1921; the Treasury
Department, 1879, and the State De-
partment, 1887.
An inquiry to the Post Office De-
partment brought the explanation that
Its large increase is due mainly to
taking on returned veterans without
commensurate discharges. The RFC
attributes its increase to assumption of
the job of surplus property disposal.
and the Labor Department to absorption
OF the United States Employment Offices.
formerly operated by the War Man
power Commission, and so on.
Still the bald fact remains that the
conflict has been over for some time. but
there is almost no reduction in number
OF civilian Government employees. ex-
cepting discharge of workers from Gov
ernment factories engaged in manu-
featuring war materials and on Govern
ment construction projects OF the War
Departments reduction, for example.
290,003 were technicians actually serving
the armies on foreign soil.
Rapid Reduction in '20s.
In contrast with this record the re-
duction after World War I was rapid
The Republicans won both branches of
Congress in 1918 and in consequence
they had the war bureaucracies, largely
manned with faithful Democrats at
their mercy. The more that were
fired the better for Republican election
hopes
Inc peak civilian employment on No.
vember II, 1918, was s1776o, and this
mad dropped only to s42,2l4 on June 30,
1919. But during the ensuing II months,
the nrst period in which the Republican
Congress was able to get in its licks, the
number dropped to 691 ,116, and it went
steadily down to 515,772 on June 30. 1929
In the fiscal year 1882, last before the
New Deal, the total was only 5s3 .so5.
The Roosevelt administration had
boosted this to 928,836 by December.
1889, without the excuse of war.
The dilemma which confronts the
Truman administration at the present
time is easy to understand. For ex-
ample Mr.. Hannegan, in his role Of
Postmaster General, might like to re-
duce the cost of his department. But
from the standpoint of his other Job
Democratic national chairman-he must
be acutely alive to what might happen
to his party's election prospects in l948
If 66,4Sl deserving Democrats were dis
charged in campaign midyear to make
way for that number of returning
veterans
a change of administration NAV not
be the only way to liquidate an over
sized war bureaucracy but, as illustrated
IN 1913 and 1920. it is one effective way.
lNorth American Newspaper Allonee)