Evening star., 1951-03-08

and the charm that Washington
has for people who call it home.
The surveys made by the eX-
perts to determine how many peo-
pie would decentralize with their
positions" are meaningless.
"Sure I told them I'd go just
to protect my job" is what the
people say, ''but if I can find
another permanent job in Wash
ington TIL never leave"
Those willing to leave usually
wanted to get back to their home
States-and they are in the mi
nority.
The decentralization program
announced yesterday affects units
of the Agriculture Department,
Civil Service Commission, Com
merce Department, General Serv-
ices Administration, Interior De-
partment, Labor Department,
Treasury Department, Army De-
partment, the Air Force and the
Federal Labor and Cancellation
Service.
One well-informed Government
official estimated that not more
than 1000 of the 5,183 affected
by the first decentralization plan
would make the move-willingly
or unwillingly.
Before the end of the year the
decentralization program calls for
the transfer of an additional IA
158 employees from Washington.
Originally it was thought that
only key officers and stats would
be involved in the changes, but
now officials are admitting the
new program notably will see
thousands of the working stats
moved.
Woman Refuses to Move.
The Star sent reporters to the
Government bureaus to talk to
the people who will be the first af-
fected by the program. Here are
some samples of what they say:
Miss Marion Caswell of 822
South Buchanan street, Arlington,
claims examiner in the Bureau of
Employe Compensation for q
years:
Il said mo, I'm not going any,
place when they asked me. We
were decentralized to New York
in 1912 and didn't get back to
Washington until l948.
I'm getting along in years now
and can't see any point in going
through the turmoil of another
move. If it was a question of
eating or not eating I suppose
I'd go, but there will be jobs in
Washington and I'm going to
stay"
Miss Caswell lives with her
parents, who have retired and
bought their home in Arlington.
Wants No More Hotels.
From 1912 to 1948 Miss Caswell
lived in hotels in New York. She
wants no part of that life again,
Sidney Heller of 1902 Erie street
Sc, also a claims examiner,
Joined the Labor Department in
1885 and had been married for
year and a half when he was
decentralized in 1912.
1--WE owned our house in Ar
lington and had a 6-month-old
daughter then," he said. In New
York we rented a house and it
was sold from under us three
months later. We rented a beach
cottage, then moved into an
apartment. Finally I sold the
Arlington house and bought a
house on Long Island. Mean
while, we had another daughter
Then I was drafted and was away
for two years. My wife sold the
Long Island house and came to
Washington stay with her folks.
when I got out of the Army
in 1916 went back to the bureau
in New York and my wife stayed
in Washington while tried TO
find an apartment. Finally we
found a place in a veterans prof.
ect. 1t was not big enough to
hold our furniture and we had to
leave most of it in storage.
''Then the Bureau moved back
to Washington. Again it took us
months to find an apartment.
Finally we bought a cooperative
apartment in Naylor Gardens and
Continued on Page Al, Col. 2.)