The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1908-02-13
HITS At OLD CLERKS
House Bill Plans Decapita-
ton in Departments.
AFFECTS TRANSFERS ALSO
New and Startling Civil Service
"Reform" Proposed In Measure Re
ported Yesterday SupeTnnnunted
Employees In Danger Of Positions.
May Cause Fight on Floor.

Civil service reform of new but
startlingiy unpleasant kmd-at least. to
some of those who may be forcibly re-
f0rmed-Was advised in the legislative.
executive. and judicial bill reported to the
House yesterday by "a subcommittee Of
the Committee on Appropriations.
The two reforms are both sweeping,
both stringent. and are both aimed at the
thousands OF government clerks who MI
tle departments in this city. BY the
terms OF the first, the retention of super
annuated clerks viii be made impossible,
while by the latter reform it viii be inn
possible for clerk in one executive de-
partment to leave that department until
he has served three years, and 60 to an
other branch of the classified government
service,
The former provision OF the new bill is
by far the more severe. as the latter
does not affect the livelihood Of any gov
eminent employee, but may merely limit
his scope Of activity TO one department.
Has Been "In the Air.
The first reform has been "in the air.
for many years. but has never been
preached so openly before in an appro-
priation bill That Il will meet with de-
termined opposition In the House and
certainly in the Senate is deemed certain.
The subcommittee, however, which draft
ed the bill. is ready 10 fight for it on the
floor Of the House, and under the leader
ship of Chairman Tawney and Gen. Bling
ham il is likely that a strong display OF
reasons for the discharge Of suptran-
nuated employees will be SET forth.
As the bill is a long one, it is not prob
able that the House viii reach the first
OF these reforms for several days, and as
there viii surely be some argument upon
I II. it is safe TO say that this particular
section cannot be disposed of before next
week
The first clause referred 10 reads as fol-
I lows:
THE appropriation herein made FOR the
officers. clerks, and persons employed in
/ the public service shall not be available
I for the compensation Of any persons In
Icapacitated for performing the service for
which such person has been employed
and the heads of departments shall cause
/ this provision 90 be enforced either 10y the
demotion OF removal of such person from
! the public service"
/ The only loophole left for a department
/ head, ii the provision stands. is demo
/ ton" whereby be might hope 10 save
/ some employe by placing him ia some IN
/ ferior position which required but little
I work. Otherwise the provision Is couched
/ in no uncertain terms. and leaves the
heads of bureaus and departments abso-
/ lutely without other recourse
The Transfer Clause.
The second clause, affecting ;he trans
! fer Of clerks from one executive depart
mcnt 10 another. reads as follows: mo
person now or hereafter employed I'm the
classified service Of any executive depart
/ ment shall be transferred from one ezecu-
/ tive department TO, or DE otherwise EN-
ployed in an other executive department
until such person shall have served COL
tinuously not less than three years IT.
/ the department from which he seeks
/ transfer. or in some other department. as
1 an employee in the classified service"
/ This second proposed reform was thu
outcome Of the testimony given by de-
partment and bureau heads before the
subcommittee. Many Of these officers :es-
/ tilted that their good clerks had left dur
/ ing the past year to accept better posi-
( tions in other government departments.
Only Way to stop It.
/ The committee thought that the On.V
way to stop this wholesale transfer sys-
! TEN, which tends. it was shown, 10 lessen
the efficiency Of various departments,
while it may raise that of others. was to
| frame such a clause as the one given.
/ Both the provisions will most likely
have 70 sand a fire Of comment before
! they become effective, and the belief at
/ present is strong that they cannot pass.