Evening star., 1947-06-11
Agencies Saved
10-15% JobCut
By HouseU Unit
To Be Allowed to Use
1947 Funds to Poy
For Terminal Leave
BY Joseph Young

The House Appropriations
Committee today took action
which will save the jobs of thou
sands of Government employees
during the 1948 fiscal year.
In reporting out the urgent second
deficiency bill, the committee came
to the rescue of Government de-
partments and agencies by permit
ting them to spend unused 1947
funds for terminal leave payments
in 1948.
Government officials said the COM
mittee,s action undoubtedly saved
the jobs of about 10 to is per cent
of Federal employees who otherwise
would have been fired over and
above the dismissals already de-
creed by Congress in the 1948 ap-
preparations bill
Less Than Agencies Asked.
The committees recommendation
was made in sending to the House
a bill providing $58 8,856,257 for vari-
Gus Government agencies during the
remainder of this month. Most of
the money is for the Veterans Ad-
ministration and the Post Office
Department.
The amount is 81 1,422 500 less than
the agencies had advised Congress
they needed.
District Government items total
ing $224,782 were included in the
bill. The largest was $140,5l0 for
reimbursement of the United States
for the Districts share of the cost
of the Federal Courts here.
The bill also provides S29, 500 for
operating expenses for District Gov
ernment buildings, $4,000 for ad-
ministrative expenses on workmen's
compensation, $4,000 for institutions
for the INDECENT, S40,4o6 for pay
ment of certified claims and $2,364
for payment of judgments against
the District.
Unused Leave Accumulated.
Here is the situation in which
Government departments found
themselves:
Thousands of employees are losing
their jobs during the current econo-
my program. The peak of dismis-
sal notices was reached this month,
but the employees won't actually
leave the Federal payroll until July
l when the new fiscal year begins.
Those employees have an average
Of between As and so days unused
annual leave due them and this must
be given to them when they leave
the Federal service in terminal leave
cash payments. And under a law
adopted earlier this year by Con-
gress, Government agencies were re-
quired to pay them out of 1948 funds.
1947 Funds Available.
In as much as 1948 budget re-
quests have already been severely
slashed by Congress, the law would
have meant that the 1948 funds
would actually have been cut by
another 10 to IS per cent due to the
terminal leave payments.
AS result, Government officials
say they would have had to fire an
other 10 to Is per cent of their en-
ployes, in addition to the thousands
of dismissals that have taken place
in Government during the last few
months.
The committees action today will
make this unnecessary. The thou
sands of Government workers who
will lose their jobs at the end Of the
month will be paid their terminal
leaves out of 1947 appropriations and
Federal departments and agencies
will not have to dig into 1948 ap-
preparations.
Government officials point out
that the 1947 appropriations, voted
by Democratic Congress, were
much more liberal than the 1948
appropriations and therefore most
departments and agencies have
ample unused funds on hand to
pay for the terminal leaves.
House Funds Running Short.
Figures released by the Appro-
priations Committee in reporting
the bill showed that the House Is
spending about $45, 900 a month on
investigations and up to $25,000 on
telephone calls and kilograms.
J. C. Shanks, House disbursing
clerk, told the committee Congress
appropriated 100000 for investiga-
tions during the fiscal year. and
by the end of May had only $35 900
left. He estimated S50,000 more will
be needed to close out the year
The House may not have enough
to meet its telephone bills at the
end of this month, Mr.. Shanks con-
tinued. 1t has only $4,000 left out
of $500, 900 appropriated for the year