The Washington times., 1906-08-11
TO ESCAPE
TERMS Of NEW LAW
AGAINST TRANSFER
Belief a Large Majority
Will Not Come Under
Its Operations.

/ A big majority of the civil service
clerks and other employees Of the Gov
! eminent may escape the drastic provis-
/ ions of the new law making IL impossible
/ for them 10 procure "A transfer from one
department TO another till lhCy have
been in the one three years. # a point
that has just been brought up Is decided
I'm their favor. and this seems likely.
1t developed today that there is a
marked division OF opinion among the
members II the Civil Service Commits
sion, a well as among the heads Of the
various executive departments, as TO the
fun scope Of the new law, some OF them
cdntending that the law applies only 10
such civil service people as are employ
ed in the executive Departments proper.
as confined to the city of Washington.
and not TO employees in any branch of
the service outside OF the city, nor 10
/ persons employed IN the civil Service
Commission itself. the Interstate Com
msrcc Commission. the Government
| Printing Office, or other branches Of
the Government not directly under the
control Of a member OF the CabircL II
this stand is upheld by the proper au-
thorities. it is pointed out Al the Offices
OF the Civil Service Commission, that
tie employees of the District government
also would be free from its application.
This view IS said to be strongly taken
by General Black. president Of the Civil
Service Commission. who also is known
10 be Of the opinion that the law binding
clerks down 10 one place for three years,
drawing them into a nut when better
opportunities may be offered in other de-
partments. is bound 70 work out gross
injustice 20 the employe, and not
great benefit 10 the Government. Gen
eraI Greene takes the stand that il was
no doubt the intent of Congress that the
law should apply generally, and he has
stated that If a case should come up for
his decision, he would decide that 1t APP
plies 10 all civil service employees,
whether I'm an executive department IN
Washington or at any point in the
world. and whether q member Of one of
the numerous commissions independent
of the executive departments. Commits
sioner Cooley Is understood t1 be In
strict accord with Mr.. Greene's stand.
Commissioners Out of City.
None Of the Civil Service Commission
ors is IN the city at present. and the
slttings Of that }3dy viii not be resumed
tn we'll toward the middle of Septem-
bcr II is expected that this will be
one Of the first questions 90 come up for
"a decision, as already "a number Of APP
plicati0us for transfer have been made
the clerks pointing out that owing 90
their peculiar position, the law does
not apply To them. II is thought likely
that II the two junior members OF the
commission should override President
BLACK. Cabinet officers themselves would
take "a hand IN the matter. This would
likely lead mp 20 such situation as
ouW the President could solve with an
executive order making clear just what
branches Of the service shall be govern
cl bE the law. If this method does not
seem feasible IL VIII then be up to Con
gress % amend the law SO as TO leave
40 doubt as TO its scope.
The law governing the transfer OF
clerks comes under section i've OF the
executive. legislative and judicial enact
mfnt as follows.
'It shall not bee lawful hereafter for
any clerk or other employe IN the class
incd service in any OF the executive de-
paTtmeurs 10 be transferred from one de-
partment TO another department until
such clerk or other employe shall have
served Tor q term of three years i'm The
department from which he desires to be
transferred.
Although the law went into effect only
July ], already there has been re-
quest for transfer on the part Of clerks
outside of the executive department
proper. who have not been n that
branch OF the service three years. Il is
thought that some OF them mean TO
raise the point and make a test case.
or approximately 1900 civil service
employees within the District of Column
bIa, 81 is known that several thousand
of them have not served the necessary
three years TO obtain a transfer. Those
who are in the executive departments
proper recognize the futility OF applying
for transfer. so there was a noticeable
decrease I'm the number OF requests in
comparison with those Of July last year.
Instead Of requests for transfer from
these people under the new law, said
Secretary Doyle. Of the Civil Service
Commission, today. we are now Tsceiv-
ing their designations. 1t already has
been clearly demonstrated that the new
law VIII make II harder than ever for
as 10 keep a good class Of people in the
Government service. Last year We lost
over % per cent Of the clerks In the
Civil Service Commission alone, and
now. II they lose hope Of transfer we
will probably lose more this year. Most
of those We lost were the younger or
newer employees. but who had been with
US just long enough 20 make themselves
worth much more 10 private concerns
than they were able 10 obtain from the
Government.
Il fear that It viii soon be a common
complaint in all branches of the service
that the dissatisfied clerks will quit the
service soon as they fnd they cannot
get into another department where
chances of promotion are better, OF
where the work and salary may be
more to their liking
Mr.. Doyle stated that although he be-
lieved the new law would result to the
detTiment of the employee and not 10
much advantage 10 the Government.
gave 1t as his opinion that the sense of
Congress in passing the new law was
& -, GIL af4 rfun
ployes alike, whether in an executive
department or at any point outside of
Washington but il seemed 10 be a point
for the commissioners and the heads OF
the various departments to decide.
WhMTEn PATROL WhGnM