Evening star., 1947-11-06
The Federal Spotlight
By Joseph Young

Congress next year will give
serious attention to the posi-
bility of placing a ceiling on the
number of permanent status
employees in the Government.
Those members of Congress
favoring the move say that this
is the only way to reduce .sizably
the Federal payroll.
To support their argument, they
point out that the number of per-
manent status employees today al
ready exceeds the prewar total. Be-
fore the war permanent-status en-
ployes numbered about 950,000
Today the figure Is well over l.
100000, and there are hundreds OF
thousands of war service jobs that
the Civil Service Commission still
has to convert to permanent
basis.
Limiting the number of perma-
nent-status employees will force the
Government to get down to an en-
ployment figure approximating pre-
war levels, these members feel. The
ceiling favored by some is about l.
100000.
The annual Government employ
ment turnover due to death, resig-
nations and retirements is about
10000, and consequently the Gov
ernment could make that many
permanent appointments year
without increasing Federal en-
ployment, it is argued.
On the other side of the picture,
Federal officials contend that lin
iting the number of permanent en-
ployes would seriously crimp agency
activities. They say that Govern
ment services and activities have
increased since preWar days and
consequently more employees are
needed. It's unfair to try and limit
Federal employment to 4the stand
ard of prewar days, they contend.
It's hot issue right now and
there Is apt to be bitter fight on
the subject when Congress convenes
for its regular session next January
CENSUS BEGINS - The Senate
Civil Service Committee has begun
it's census among Government en-
ployes to find out what they think
about their jobs, their colleagues
their bosses and their. opinions or
how Government efficiency can be
increased. \
The first agencies being polled are
the smaller ones, with the larger de-
partments> to be tabulated within
several months
Initial results show that some en-
ployes opinions OF their superiors
are none too fiattering. Another
question asked employees was "Woulo
you be willing to accept more re-
sponsibility in your job for the same
pay?"
Surprisingly enough, the answer
was yes" in nearly all the cases
Which should effectively nail the
canard that Government ~employes
lack initiative and have, no interest
in their work other than to put in
their day and pick up their pay
checks.
&x~* 49,.
HE'S HAPPY NOW -. A rather
surly building guard at one of the
larger departments in town quit his
job recently, giving as his reason
the fact that he didn't like the work
he was doing.
Several weeks later on, one OF his
former colleagues met him and
learned that he had gotten a job as
a night watchmarf in a private CON
Germ here and was happy in his new
job.
But it's the same kind of job that
you had in the Government. except
that you work nights" the rather
surprised acquaintance remarked.
Yeah" snapped the guard, "but
now I don't have to look at people.
CRACK DOWN Several agencies
are heading for trouble if they don 7
cease discrimination against Negro
employees. One of them is chronic
offender and has been warned be-
fore by the Civil Service Commits
sion. q,
President Truman previously has
notified all Federal bureaus that all
discrimination should cease, but ap-
Iparently some Government officials
have forgotten the warning.
Now, with the Presidents Com
mittee on Civil Rights again point
ing out that colored Federal en-
ployes In many instances are not
getting a fair break, both the White
!