Show o National ToP Topics ics Interpreted by William Bruckart National Press Building Washington T D. D C C. C Washington One One of ot the New Deal policies about which there isan Is Isan an nn ever Ignore lug Ing complaint Is Civil Service Its wanton destruction destruction de de- of the civil service It used to be said under under under un un- der Democratic and Republican administrations administrations ad ad- ministrations alike aUke that It was next to Impossible to get a government go Job except through examinations conducted by the Civil CI Service commission com com- mission That Is s there were few I app appointments available other than under civil cl service below the rank of ot Presidential selection Now the scene has bas changed to such an extent extent extent ex ex- tent that there Is little chance to get In the lire government through civil service and the bulk of the appointments appointments appointments appoint appoint- ments therefore are of or a n purely po po- Indorsed character I do not Dot mean to say that the Civil Service commission has shut up shop although It has been lIeen virtually virtually vir vir- dehorned but I r do emphasize th F as of September SO the SO-the the latest pay roll roU figures for the government the the number of ot civil service workers workers workers work work- ers was only slightly more than half of the tIle total on the government pay payroll payroll roll roU exclusive of ot the army navy and Marine corps and Civilian ChlIan Conservation Conservation Conserva Conserva- tion corps Tho TO Civil Service commission continues continues continues con con- to Issue Its monthly statements statements statements state state- ments on the government personnel personnel person person- nel but hut they are becoming Increasingly IncreasIngly Increasingly less reliable because one of the most difficult things to get bet In Washington these days s 's Is the accurate ac no accurate curate figure on the number of or workers employed by lIy Uncle Sam The commission records are com corn complete complete as far as they go but they fall tall to go far enough At this time for example the Civil Service commission commissIon commission com com- mission reports that the government go parro payroll covers employees ees That figure ure however does not Include In elude clude the vast army of ot employees of or the A Agricultural Adjustment administration administration administration ad ad- ministration who are scattered In n nevery every county In the nation I have heard estimates that the number of or these county chairmen Inspectors Investigators In etc exceeds but hut whether that Is too large or too small I cannot be sure for the rca rca- s sor that there Is s no way by which the number can be checked Similarly Similar Similar- ly It Is next to Impossible to ascertain as as- certain the number of or workers In some of the newer agencies created cre ere under under- the guise of emer emergency enc conditions because they too are scattered far and wide but the fact remains that the personnel of or the government has been expanded more rapidly than ever In history and find to the hl highest recorded peak peal even een for war time The number of employees on June Tune SO 20 was given ghen by hy the commission as t from l' l 0 m Personnel which It will be Increases seen there has been heen an of more than In three months That Is there has been that much of an Increase for which the commission commission commission com com- mission has records but again It must be remarked ed that the commission commission com com- mission has no way of compelling some iOme of the alphabetical agencies to supply It regularly with the Ule number number num num- ber her of employees ees on their payrolls The number of ot federal employees ees aside from the military services when Mr r. r Roosevelt took o office ice was approximately The number of ot employees on the federal payroll payroll pay pay- roll when Mr 11 Coolidge e retired and Mr Hoover became President was rou roughly From these the enormous growth of the government bureaucracy Is at least hinted If IC art CTt ut demonstrated fully Then there are more yet to come Several Se new a agencies were created un under er acts of the last con congress and others have hae since been created by executive order or cr of the President Take the Rural Rehabilitation administration administration administration ad ad- ministration for example Prof Reye Rexi- Rexi ford Guy Tugwell who used to bo be i brain truster No 1 I hits has a fund of i with which to play and obviously Mr Sir Tugwell will need a great start staff to assist him The National National Na Youth administration Is another another another an an- other new one It will not have as us much money moncy as us Mr Tu Tugwell well but hut It Is starting Its Us operation with and and that Is quite n chunk of money to most of us The National Labor board Is hardly organized organized or or- yet et and the Social Security board has Just lIe begun un to arrange a setup Likewise the board to administer administer ad alJ- minister tho the Guffey coal law n law a littie little little lit lit- tle tie NnA for the soft coal Industry bas bas been appointed and Is operating oper oper- along with only onty a few clerks I It t cannot get et along without a sizable siz able corps of Inspectors and examIners examIners examiners exam exam- iners and In It will an Investigators have ha to have an nn ext extensive e research sta stain staff staffIn ff In order that It can be supplied at atall nil all times with whatever facts an and d f figures ures It needs or wants So It goes coes on through the list almost un un- ending One newspaper columnist had th the e audacity to say In his Ills column thi the theother theother e other da day that If It Relief nellet Administrator Adminis s Harry Hopkins really wants want s to solve the unemployment problem m ho he ou ought ht to turn his attention t to the government Itself At the rate rat e of ot expansion the government ably could be made matle to a absorb orb th thA the e r A I 3 unemployed cd to whom Mr Air Hopkins was preparing to give o work worl by December L JL f December 1 Is hereabouts But Mr Hopkins has not succeeded In his much Where Wheres s cited plan to give the Jobs all alI of ot the unemployed workers Jobs Ho lIe was wag doomed to failure from the tho start He announced announced an nn It will be remembered that all nil federal relief was to end on November 1 I by which time he figured figured figured fig fig- that work made would 1 be available for tor the This fig Og- figure Ogi i ure mire was the topmost limit for which the federal government was to be beI responsible The states and municipalities muni muni- municipalities I were to take care of ot the remainder of roughly who bad had to have help November 1 came along and Mr Hopkins changed the date to D December December De De- cember 1 1 L He did this tills after consultation consultatIon consultation con con- with the President who announced with considerable emphasis emphasis emphasis em em- that he meant Just what he said and that federal r relief lIef was gong goIng goIng go- go Ing ng to stop as of December 1 1 L But It seems the machinery was too ponderous ponderous ponderous pon pon- derous to get In motion In time to absorb all aU of ot these workers Most folks folies recognized It weeks ago but Mr Hopkins steadfastly clung to his dream and that dream like so many others was dissipated In the thin air and sank Bank almost without trace S On top of this Hopkins failure has come a serious problem It Is serious serious- for tor the Serious administration Problem not only because of oC the fact that winter Is s coming on and people must he be fed and clothed but It Is del delicate cate from the political standpoint In Inthe Inthe Inthe the last few weeks a considerable rahle rahlen n number of complaints have hn reached Washington officials from those who were Verc provided with work They contend contend contend con con- tend that the government wage rate Is Insufficient to meet their needs This results from the Increased cost of living living higher higher prices for food and clothing and the other necessaries necessaries saries sarles of or life The administration Is being blamed for this condition Opponents Opponents Opponents of or the tho New v Deal are capitalizing capitalizing capital capital- izing this tills discontent They are sayIng say say- Ing to the folks who find the wages wag too small that they have been made malJe the victim of New Deal policies such as tampering with the currency currency currency cur cur- rency nationalizing silver sll paying bounties for reduced production on un the farms and the thc like The upshot of Oc the situation Is that not only those on work made who are paid by the government but those who are arc on legitimate payrolls of oC Industry are becoming thoroughly dissatisfied They hey are demanding more money I do not believe an anyone one can forecast what wI will happen One thing aging Is certain If Industry must Increase wages consumers will have to pay the price There wI will be further Increases Increases Increases In In- creases In the things we all nIl buy huy In event higher wages are obtained from commerce and Industry And If the government o raises wa wages es to those on work made the drain on the treasury will be correspondingly corresponding corresponding- l ly faster The rhe taxpayer er has to pay this Few of or us ever stop to think what a n Job It t Is to maintain the supply of ot money Its It's Some 1 i n circulation Big Job Omitting any consideration conn con con- of the paper currency which keeps the gigantic bureau of ot printing and engraving engraving en en- graving operating 24 21 hours each ench day lJay and considering only the coins that I Jingle It requires s the operation of or two or three great plants to mint our money I IThe The bureau of the mint In the I treasury gave aYe out some fi figures res theother the theother other day that seem to me mo to be I most Interesting They are arc Interesting Inter inter- interesting esting because of ot their size On the basis of these figures It Is calculated I hated that there are actually In the pockets of the Am American rIcan people the following number of or coins each figure fig ure ore being an approximation 1000 dimes climes nickels els pennies quarters half dollars and approximately silver sil sil- silver ver ter dollars SIl 1 These figures furnish an Interesting Inter lifer eating esting commentary as well on our our present modes o 0 or living They supply sup Supply I ply a sidelight ht on our system of tax- tax atlon which pennies nickels nickels nickels nick nick- els and dimes here nere there and everywhere every cery where as a n result of oC sales safes taxes Besides Besides Besides Be Be- sides transportation s systems stems like the hc street cars call for tor an exceptIonally exceptionally large quantity of or the minor coins like nickels and dimes One could enumerate a n score of or factors factors factors' i I In modern life that life compel each of ot ofus us to carry and use these small coins The mint bureau Is authority also I for tor the Information t that at even eten this stupendous sum of mInor coins seems Insufficient The mints accordingly ac no- cordingly have been speeded up and aC 1 they are now working at a n rate almost almost al ul most double that of ot 1934 1931 e Western NOl Newspaper Union I |