| Show Five Day Week Proves Failure In Governments Government's Pay Cut Plan Editors Editor's note This is the third of four special articles on the federal federal federal fed fed- eral governments government's new pay cut plan van which is designed to save a year for Uncle Sam By RODNEY DUTCHER BUTCHER WASHINGTON Sept 14 NEA NEAThe NEAThe NEA- NEA The five day five week as proposed for of the federal government has blossomed into a complete flop And that one may add to t the e huge relief of nearly all of Uncle Sams Sam's workers It wasn't the kind of a five- five day week which is commonly advocated advocated advocated for industry as an unemployment ment remedy or the type of scheme any worker would accept unless he had to For the government clerks it would have meant a larger salary cut and entire loss of anything re resembling resembling re- re resembling vacations When the economy act became effective ef effective effective ef- ef It was President Hoovers Hoover's plan to tie up p the furlough plan with the five day week apparently with the idea of encouraging industry to adopt the short week and of obtaining any political credit that might come from the adoption ota ofa looking forward-looking employment employment employment em em- policy The act provides compulsory furloughs furloughs fur fur- furloughs of 24 payless days a year and andas as 85 the government workers have a Saturday half hat holiday it seemed rather rath rath- er easy to furlough time the he adoption of a looking forward-looking em em- Saturday and Sunday off oU UPROAR FOLLOWS President Thomas E. E Campbell of the civil service commission who represents represents represents rep rep- resents Mr Hoover in matters of personal personal personal per per- policy after a series of conferences conferences conferences con con- recommended the plan to the White House in principle Uproar Uproar Uproar Up Up- roar followed fast The five-day five week which labor had always urged Was one which would involve no pay cut or the giving up of any advantage Here was a five day week for which the would pay in full through a salary cut and would lose all all' rights to any vacation as as' as his 24 furlough days would be eaten up in half haJ Saturdays Not only would the vacation principle be abolished but butan butan butan an who had to be away a week or more in case of a family death or similar call instead of be be- be- be to take leave when needed must go without pay for the period of absence and nd still take the full pay cut Most have to take time off at some period in the year so the probable loss was obvious It was argued that the government would be setting a very bad rather rathe than good example on the theory that tha every white collar worker was en entitled entitled entitled en- en titled to a week two-week vacation with wit with pay Some of the stronger men in th the government including Secretary o othe of the Treasury Ogden Mills balked immediately immediately im im- immediately im- im mediately pointing out that man many branches of the government dealin dealing with the public such public such as the postal posta service service service-couldn't couldn't possibly go in on a aplan aplan plan to make Saturday a universal holiday The commerce department was strongly opposed Federal a agencies agen aien- en- en cies des dealing with banks institutIons institution such as hospitals and prisons anc and many others had to be counted ou out at the start starL TWO ADOPT PLANS So many objections and complications appeared that eventually only two sized good-sized agencies adopted the plan The civil service commission pu puit put it in force because Hoover wanted it The department of labor adopted i it presumably because Secretary o of Labor Doak always subservient was wa anxious to please the president Then along came Comptroller General General Gen Gen- Geni eral McCarl and threw the final fina monkey wrench with a ruling that tha the five-day five week couldn't be normally normally nor nor- mally applied that applied that if it t were established the must lose one one- eleventh of their salaries instead o othe of the twelfth one-twelfth reduction under th the straight furlough plan It seemed that tha congress In the economy bill bilI had stipulated that bureaus could have th the five-day five week If the compulsory furLough furlough fur fur- Lough laugh were made 26 days a year in instead instead in- in instead stead of 24 Thus the federal em em- would not only be taking a pay cut They would also be charged a premium for the of losing their vacations That gave the civil service commission commission com corn mission a chance to ease out and its were permitted to have a referendum on the proposition O Of course they voted it down At last reports Secretary Doak was still insisting that his department would stay on the five day week 4 Next The Next The two big effects of Uncle Sams Sam's economy drive lower drive lower moral morale higher efficiency |
