Evening star., 1947-01-23
10000 70 Lose
Jobs by July |,
Hearing Told
Budget Bureau Puts
Federal Employment
Goal at 2,176,000
: By Joseph Young


The Government plans to dis
miss 10000 employees between
now and July i. Joseph Winslow,
assistant director of the Budget
Bureau, informed the Senate
Civil Service Committee today.
Another development at the hear
ing came when Chairman LANCER
announced that on the basis of
hearings thus far the committee =.
should propose legislation to apol-
ish the Office of Indian Affairs,
which supervises the activities of
the country's $4,000 Indians on
reservations. The bureau has about
12,00G employees and last year cost
$40, ,000, 900 to operate.
One of the key witnesses in the
committees investigation of alleged
widespread overstaff1ng of Govern
ment personnel, Mr.. Wirlslow said
the 10000 jobs dismissals would re-
duce the total Federal employment
to 2,176,600 workers by July /.
LOopholes in Law Blamed.
Although Congress last year or
dered the Government payroll cut
to 1911 900 employees by July, the
committee was told this could not
be accomplished because of subse-
quent loopholes enacted in the law.
Several agencies such as the Post
office Department and the Veterans
Administration, whose employment
estimates for next July l were in
cluded in the 1,611 900 total, already
have exceeded these estimates under
q provision exempting them from
personnel ceiling requirements set
up by Congress, the committee was
told. The 1,611, 900 estimate also
did not include overseas personnel,
which numbers about 100000 en-
ployes.
Firings Under Schedule.
Mr.. Winslow said any further
drastic personnel reductions after
July l will have to come from the
five Government departments which
have IS per cent of the total Fed
eral personnel These were listed
as the War, Navy, Postoff1ce and
Treasury Departments and the Vet
Grams Administration.
The firings during the next six
months, however. will proceed un-
der the schedule set up by Congress
with the War and Navy Depart
ments together. with old-line and
wartime agencies. ....
At one point, Senator LANCER
asked the witness if he thought the
Interior Department was guilty of
duplication of various functions.
When Mr.. Winslow replied he was
not familiar with the Interior De-
partment situation, Senator LANCER
banged his fist on the committee
table and exclaimed:
I'm sick and tired of witnesses
appearing here who do not knew
anything about the situation we are
trying to clear up"
Mr.. Winslow explained justifica-
ton of the various budget esti-
mates made by the departments are
made by Budget Bureau examiners.
Then give us their names and
addresses so that we can find out
about all these things" Senator
LANCER responded.
Rolls Down 1,414,O00.
Mr.. Winslow presented the COM
mittee with figures showing that
Government employment has de-
creased by 1,414,000 since June, 1945.
In regard to agencies exempted
from personnel ceilings who have
already exceeded their next July l
employment estimate, Mr.. Winslow
presented the following figures:
July /, 1s47 nest
employment already
Veterans Administra@ estimate feA'nso'
ton mo --NN-A1Ae-1s5 .e 900 100000
sG;5 s:s'oSs oes 5ss:l55 r. 4ssOoo $4,000
officiais Of the interior Depart
ment, the first Government depart
ment to be called by the committee
in its investigation, continued their
testimony today, but Senator Lam
ger together with other members
of the committee declared that their
answers were not satisfactory.
I'm tired of stalling tactics"
Senator LANCER declared. Lets
call on the men who can give us
the answers"
George D. Riley, staff director Of
the committee, was instructed to
notify Interior Secretary Krug to
appear this afternoon.
Regarding the Indian Affairs
Office, Senator LANCER declared, Il
think it is about time that we gave
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