Evening star., 1947-03-28
Army Firing Of 1900
Civilians 10 Hif Fewer
Than $500 in District 5.


nissal of $4,000 graded civilian en-
ployes between April and June 80,
and the closing of 55 Army posts
we're disclosed today in another
economy move by Secretary Patter-
son. The dismissals are expected to
affect considerably fewer than $500
of the departments civilian workers
in Washington.
Officials said the exact number in
Washington slated for discharges by
June 30 cannot be estimated &C
curately until chiefs of services and
branches have submitted revised
figures.
Thirty-five of the 55 Army posts
to be closed were declared surplus
and 20 will be made inactive.
A list made public today revealed
that none of the posts in Washing
ton, Maryland or Virginia is af-
fected.
$4,000 Limit Set.
The reduction of $4,000 graded
civilian workers was required to
bring the total of such employees
down to 10000 by June 30. Most
Of those to be dismissed now are
employed in the SIS posts which are
being closed.
When the ceiling of 10000 was
set last year, in order to meet the
curtailed budget for the 1s48 fiscal
year, 1t was estimated that some
$500 employees in Washington offices
and the Washington military area
would lose their jobs.
In view of the large number of
additional Army posts that are being
closed there would be fewer civilian
discharges in the Washington area.
"The closing of the IS installations
listed will make possible a consid-
erable saving in civilian personnel" !"
the War Department explained.
However, to meet requirements, ad-
ditional civilian personnel reductions
will have to be made throughout the
military establishment"
1t was announced the War De-
partment has designated ceilings on
civilian employees for the six Army
areas, corresponding to the former
four areas; the technical and ad-
ministrative services and for va
rious other staff and operating
agencies of the department. Prompt
reports have been requested of all
commands on plans and progress of
the projected reduction.
In bringing about the reduction
In force, the War Department has
given priority to the retention of
necessary civilian personnel in the
medical and intelligence divisions
and in the branches devoted to re-
search and development. These
latter are increasingly important
functions of the peacetime Army
The number of civilians on War
Department payrolls in continental
United States totaled 400.933 on
February %, but only about 230, 1000
of these were graded or classified
employees.
AS a result of economies and cur
tailments since the close of hostili-
ties, the present force compares with
1,050,000 civilian workers on vi day.
The reduction of more than 600 1000
since Japan surrendered has aver
aged 36,059 per month, or more than
1900 per day.
Going still further into the per-
sonnel picture, officials said, the
total civilian employees on June 30
will be 358,683, figure that is about
$4,000 below the -pre-Pearl Harbor
division strength.
The $4,000 reduction will be eff
fected by abolishing positions which
have become unnecessary as activi-
ties have decreased and functions
been eliminated.
The percentage of contemplated
cuts will be greater in the higher
grades, officials said, because previ-
GUS reductions have been. largely in
the lower grades.
War Department officials today,
however, did not state the specific
classification grades affected. How
this policy will be worked out has
been matter of heated dispute be-
tween Undersecretary Kennet h
Royal and other officials.
The announcement said the fol-
lowing installations will be declared
surplus "as soon as practicable:
Fort Huachuca, Ariz.; Camp Cru
Der. Okla: Camp McQuaide, Calf.
Harbor defenses at New Bedford
Mass; Charleston, S. c.; Key West,
Fla; Pensacola, Fla; Galveston
Tex. and Columbia, Oreg.
Camp Beale, Calf: Cambridge
Engineer Sub-Depot, Ohio; Baton
Rouge 'Ga) Engineer Depot; San
Bernardino (Calif) Engineer Depot
San Antonio (Tex) Arsenal: Doug
las Airfeld, Ariz.; Luke Field, Ariz.;
Cochran Field, Ca; Newark IN. j.
Army Airf1eld Except facilities TO,
air reserve); Elmira Quartermaster
Depot. N. Y; Montgomery Quar-
termaster Depot, Ala; Shreveport
Ga) Quartermaster Depot.
Pasco (Wash) General Depot;
Albany IN. " Sub-Depot; Fort
Benjamin Harrison, Ind; Fort
Douglas, Utah; Fort Hayes, Ohio;
Fort Omaha, Nebr; Seymour.
johnson Army Airfield, N. c.; La
Junta Colo, Army Airfield; Pueblo
(Colo.l Airf1eld; Walla Walla
(Wash.) Airfield; Long Beach
(Calif.): Airfield Except facilities for
air reserve); Miami (Fla.) Air Depot;
Greenville IS. c. Army Air Base
and Sedalia (Mo) Airfield.
The announcement listed the fol-
lowing installations to be placed In
caretaker status "as soon as prac-
ticable"::
Fort Mcclellan. Ala: Camp Nc.
Coy, Wis; Columbus Airf1eld, Miss;
Perrin Field, Tex: Bryan Airfield
Tex; San Marcos Airfield, Tex;
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