Evening star., 1947-03-28
Hits
40-HourWeekin
DistrictAgencies
Deficiency Items
TotoIing a Million
Approved in Report
By DonlS. Warren

duOpJlO1A VI GIl6 tU-1lUGT WOIk
week for some of the District
government agencies, after re-
viewing deficiency requests to
cover overtime pay.
The committee granted District
deficiency items totaling s4,O35, ,7S5
after Topping off $217,o6s. or about
per cent, from the requests of the
commissioners. ..
In approving the report of the
deficiency subcommittee, headed by
Chairman Taber of the. full Appro-
priations Committee, the group
called for a review of the applica-
ton of the short work week to
various agencies.
Certain Agencies Cited.
1.-The committee is not satisfied
that the 40-hour work week should
have been adopted for some agen-
cies of the District government,
such as zthe Coroners Office, the
Poundmaster's Office, and certain
other Offices where round clock
service is required. the report
stated.
The committee took the view that,
in some District agencies operating
longer than eight hours a day,
actual work performed during hours
OF duty may be compare lively
light" 1t suggested that these ques-
tions should have further review,
looking toward the most economi-
cal operation of the facilities of
the District Government"
Representative Koran, Republi-
can, of Washington, head of the
District Subcommittee of the Ap-
preparations Group, who partici-
pated actively in the review of Dis
trict deficiency requests, questioned
use of the 40-hour work week for
Public Library employees.
Library Involved.
Miss Clara Herbert, librarian, tes-
tilted during recent hearings that
partly because of the 40-hour work
week and this years appropriation
limits it had been necessary to close
major units of the library system on
Friday and Saturday nights.
Mr.. Koran commented: I'VE want
the Libraries operating, obviously,
and we have run into the 40-hour
work week before. I have asked
Chairman Dirksen of the House
District Committee to review the
operations of that act.
Certainly, if that broad cate
gorical blanket is placed upon all
vacations in the United States, it
does not necessarily follow it is
going to work efficiently, or ad-
vantageously, in all fields. I DO not
believe it works advantageously with
regard to our libraries, along with
some others.
"Au a time when this Congress is
passing bills aggregating $10,000,000
to bring ir additional help to the
United States, it does not look like
we need the 40-hour week to spread
work. We are asking Mr.. Dirksen
to give consideration to that"
Miss Herbert's request of $24,840
for additional library funds was cut
to S14,904 by the committee.
S665 More for License Bureau
The sum of $665 was added to the
District deficiency estimates for the
District License Bureau, increasing
the appropriation to $1.565. District
officials explained the increase was
asked to get an earlier start on
the issuance of licenses for barber
shops and many other trades. 1t
would enable the tax bureau to
begin issuance August l instead OF
November /, the beginning of the
license year.
The committee Topped off $1,855
from request for $500 for re-
placement of the flooring of a
Maine avenue building owned by
the District and rented out to a
seafood restaurant
Mr.. Koran cited the flooring item
In his testimony Wednesday before
the joint House-Senate Committee
considering District revenue pro-
posals as an illustration of lack
Of economy in municipal operation.
He revealed he had obtained an eS-
innate from the Office of the Archi-
'tect of the Capitol that the leaky
flooring could be replaced much
more cheaply than indicated by the
District estimate.
Value of Type Doubted.
Yesterday, however, Municipal
Architect M. A. Coe answered these
criticisms by stating, first, that the
estimate obtained by Mr.. Horan
called for a different type of floor
ing than, that contemplated by Dis
trict engineers. Secondly, Mr.. Coe
eontended the cheaper flooring
would not last as long or prove as
satisfactory. He also voiced doubt
its cost would prove as cheap as
estimated.
Representative Bates, Republican
of Massachusetts,, head of the Fiscal
Subcommittee of the House District
Committee, said he felt the District
engineers were entirely reasonable
in their approach to the problem
He pointed out they could not prop
erly spend money to draw detailed
specifications because it was minor
repair question and because con-
struction funds as yet had not been
granted.
District welfare and relief officials
were vigorously examined on theil
requests for a deficiency appropria-
ton of Sl84,200 for the remainder oil
this fiscal year The committee
sliced $4,000 off this request.
Administrative Costs Hit.
IN announcing its decision the
committee stated, "It is obvious that
a disproportionate amount of funds
appropriated had been used for ad-
mlnistrative expenses" This is g
condition which the committee con.
sidered "deplorable and one which
can and must be corrected"
In further explanation, the COM
mittee said it had reduced~the re-
lief sums to s155, 200 "inasmuch as
a recomputation of the estimate
since its original submission indi-
Gates the case requirements will be
lighter during the remainder of the
L !