Evening star., 1915-03-20
Post Office Department to
Have Method Based Prin-
cipaI|y on Efficiency.
MEANS MANY REDUCTIONS
AND MANY PROMOTIONS
Officials Explain Purpose to Be the
Abolition of Inequalities in
the Service.

| y new system of efficiency ratings.
devised by officials of the Post Oft1ce
| Department working In conjunction
with the efficiency division of the civil
service commission. probably will be
| Installed in the department some time
between now and July !, it was learn
| ed today. The ratings of the 1900 en-
| ployes of the department and all other
data required to put the new system
into effect has been gathered and
merely awaits application.
! The institution of the new system
| based upon the efficiency ratings
worked out for the department en-
| ployes is bound to mean many promo
| tions and many reductions. it was said.
The changes will not be made all at
once. but gradually.
The efficiency division of the civil
service commission was created by law
about two years ago and appropria-
tions have been made for it since, to
investigate and report as to the ad-
1ninistrative needs of the government
service relating to personnel IN the
various departments and bureaus. The
Post Office Department called upon
the division for assistance in working
out a system of efficiency ratings, and
this work has now been done.
Puts Value on Work Done.
The idea of this system is to set
value upon work done in the various
positions and to find the best men to
carry on that work. Many square
pegs have slipped into round holes in
the executive depa rtments. it is said,
with resultant loss in efficiency to the
government service, and it is to correct
such conditions in the Post Office De
partment that the new system, under
the ratings worked out, is to be estab-
lished.
Under the existing system. it was
pointed out. man receiving $1,000 a
year may be working alongside of
man receiving only $1,000 or less. and
both may be doing the same kind of
work, and the man receiving the small
er pay may he doing better work than
the man who gets more Also under
the present system. d man may be pro-
NOTED from grade to grade in the Serv-
ice without really changing the char
acter of work which lie does In this
way many Inequalities have grown up
i'll the service.
Superannuation Considered.
Superannuation is another matter
which has caused inequalities III the
pay and work done in the department,
it was said, but until Congress acts SO
to bring about retirement system
for the superannuated clerks, the loss,
due to the fact that the older clerks
cannot do the full work for which they
are paid, cannot be overcome. For 1t
is regarded as impossible to turn out
of the service men and women who
have given the best years of their lives
to it and leave them TO get along as
best they without work.
The committee in charge of devising
sthe new system and the division of ef-
ficiency of the civil service commission
have approached the work with great
care. realizing that it would affect the
fortunes of d large number of persons.
I, 1twaS felt that efficiency ratings made
in the past in executive departments
have taken into consideration many
things which really had nothing to do
with the efficiency of the employees in
performing the particular tasks as
signed to them.
Applied to Treasury Division.
AT the request of the Treasury De-
partment, the division of efficiency has
also worked out system of ratings
for the employees in the money count
ing division of the Treasury Depart
ment and the ratings for the employees
in that division 1t is expected that the
division of efficiency, of which Herbert
-. Brown is the chief, will, at the re-
quest of other departments eventually
work out the efficiency ratings of the
employees of all the other departments
SO far this work has been only for the
Post Office and Treasury Departments
The division also has aided various de-
partments with suggestions to bust
ness methods, it was stated at the
Post Office Department today.
Provision Of the Law.
The law which provided for the ef-
ficiency division is part of the legis-
lative, executive and judicial appro-
priation bill for the fiscal year 1914
1t is as follows
For the esta blishment and 1nainte-
nance Of system of efficiency ratings for
initial year, $4,000, to be Immediately
ayaila BILE. The civil service commits
sion shall Investigate and report to
the President. with it's recommenda-
tions. as to the administrative needs
of the service relating to personnel in
the several executive departments and
independent establishments in the Dis
trict of Columbia. and report to Con-
gress details of expenditure and of
progress of work hereunder at the be-
ginning OF each regular session