Evening star., 1948-02-22
Higher Skill
FOrLOWPay?
New Workers Try to
Help. Government
Get Talent
By Siqrid Arne

Government pay has kicked up
plan for Government Reserve
Corps" It's being debated seriously
in closed congressional committees
The plan proposes to set up poo
of specially skilled men from which
the Government could borrow indi.
Ividuals for specific emergency jobs
The men would get a leave of alb
sence from their private jobs. Theil
employers would piece out theil
Government salaries so they woule
not have to take a loss in income.
At first the plan was devised to gel
the best possible workers into the
supervisory jobs that will open once
the Marshall Plan is working.
That would have meant mostly
men with some experience in the
foreign field. But now there is such
general interest in the reserve corps
plan that it is being widened tc
permit the hiring of emergency
trouble-shooters for jobs in the
United States. --..
Obviously the plan could also
supply temporary specialists for the
occupation areas and for the special
commissions sent out by the United
Nations.
Plan of New Workers
1t has been difficult to get such
people. Men are needed who know
taxation, rationing, shipping, for
eign trade, public information, in
dustrial management, labor rela-
tions, transportation, education. The
Government has succeeded in get
ting some such experts, but prob
ably few are the best in their fields
This plan, unlike most that tickle
Washington fancy, was not Matched
here. 1t grew up around New York
luncheon tables among nine young
men. Some of them had had Gov
ernment offers which they had had
to turn down because of today's
cost of keeping a family. Their
need to turn down their Government
ranked so this plan was devised.
None of the nine is nationally
known. But during the war they
did the special administrative jobs
now needed: They found supplies
in foreign lands, ironed out inter-
national legal tangies, wangled
medical supplies. They worked fol
the military, for the Board Of Eco.
nornic Warfare and for lend-lease
They include Robert w. Chaste-
Eney, jr.; Somerset r. Waters, jr.
and H. Alexander Smith, jr., al
in the publishing business; Petel
III. B. Frelinghuysen, jr.; Donald II
Mclean, jr.; Arthur E. Palmer anc
Benjamin R.. Shute, all lawyers
Richard G. Gettell, an economist
: and Basil Harris, jr., doctor.
Their plan would work this way
1t would be run by very small
Office, headed by some well-respect-
ed American. That Office woulo
comb the wartime lists for the
names of men who had done spe-
cial jobs.
| Would Set Up Office
Those men would get invitations
to put their names on the reserve
corps list. Those who accepted
would be put through the usual
Government Jump for character, in
tegrity, skills and patriotism. Those
who qualified would go on the list
Others could volunteer.
The nine young men who though
up the idea have talked to long
list of big employers, potential "re-
servists" and Government chiefs
All are enthusiastic.
Many of the Nations big EN-.
ployers pieced out their staff men,
Ders' salaries while they were away
in the war. Many of them now
think the Marshall Plan and other
peacetime projects are as important
as the shooting victory. They are
willing to continue their wartime
salary practices.
The nine young men also tracee
many of the men who did the war
time special jobs. They found sucf
people are now earning from $4,000
to $25,OOO. The Government car
pay only $4,000 to $4,000.
Under current Government prac.
tice such people would stand to LOSE
not only the actual difference il
pay but also the time in which they
might be earning promotions from
their private employer.
A Recent Example
Most of the men were willing tt
make such sacrifices for themselves
but they baked when they thought
of their growing families.
President Truman ran into thai
problem when he asked George P
Baker of the Harvard Busines!
School to serve On the Civil Aero
nautics Board. The job pays s10,'
900.
Mr.. Baker was willing but ht
couldn't afford the salary cut, 81
Harvard offered him weekend as
signments to piece out his Govern
ment pay. Then it was found thai
the CAB law prohibits employees
receiving outside pay. Mr.. Bakel
had to decline.
The nine young men are particu'
larry anxious that any law setting
up a reserve corps state that a mar
may take outside pay. They alst
want it to state that an employer
may deduct the salary of an absen
staff member from the company''
income tax. To safeguard th'
Government the nine young r1er
suggest that the law state that NJ