Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-12-22
CLASS|F|ERS ASKED
TO AID EFFICIENT.
Eliminate Inefficient and Pro-
mote the Worthy, Is Urged
in Brief.

Means should be provided for the
ployes in the government service and
for a promising career for the eff
cient, according to a brief presented
to the joint congressional commission
on Reconsideration Of salaries in the
District today at the hearing given
employees of the personnel service.
These objects would be obtained.
the commission was told. by a stricter
enforcement of the civil service rule
relating to the probationary period,
promotion Of those retained as EN-
cient, periodic promotions within the
several grades. tSs ~ i'''ss=' = s f.Fsf ~
would Keep Clerks From "Ruts."
Study for clerks in the lower
hs1e Them "of the tefdiSsRey stc w
into a rut. which seems to have DSen
the curse in the past" according tbiL.
F. Allen of the War Department Vno
presented the brief to the commis-
sion. ~ A.,
government service were favored by
the committee representing/the per-
sonnet service. b. w. kumler OF the
Civil Service Commission presented a
separate brief in behalf OF the exam
liners of that body.
In presenting a brief for higher sal
aries for members of the accounting
bookkeeping and auditing services
Monte Sanger of St Elizabeths HOS
pitaI and Donald B. Mcleod OF the
Treasury Department, who acted as
spokesmen, declared that "a wage
scale that does not provide an incen-
tive, and ultimately career. Will un-
der present conditions attract only
mediocrity or incompetence
Many Would Quit Service. &C..
large per cent of the finSncial
group. the speakers asserted. are
studying to leave the service and NIL
professional positions.
Each year they go, and the govern
ment fills their places with the pick
of it's clerks and educates them at its
own expense" declared MIR. Sanger.
.The present system is wrong. the
proposed system should correct it, or
the labor turnover will increase.
THE technical character OIL TINS
class of work should be recognized.
and it is Imperative. that there be pro-
vided a proper recompense for work
performed and for financial RESPONSE
bility imposed
when the commercial accountant
errs his firm pays. Mr.. Sanger pointed
out. When the scientist errs his en-
ployer pays But if any member of
the governments financial group errs,
Mr.. Sanger said, he must personally
bear the loss. I'VE maintain that he
should be rated as technician and
be paid accordingly" concluded Mr..
Sanger.
An interesting point in today's hear
ings before the commission was that
the class specifications, as drawn up
by the commission for employees OF the
personnel service. agreed almost ex-
actly with specifications drawn up by
the employees themselves, neither
ftr,
other.
May Give mp Holiday.
Employees of the Redistribution
ofticials to give up their Christmas
holiday. it developed today, in order
that the commission may be able to
present a report to Congress by jan
uary ~, 1920.
Although the House has agreed to
an extension of two months, the SEN
ate allowed the resolutions calling for
the extension to lapse until that body
convenes January 5. Unwilling to
trust to what time may bring, the re-
ella ssification commission saw moth
ing to it today but to put on steam
i12.
employees of the commission. theL4
fore. will be asked to sacrifice their
Christmas holiday to help with the
work, and it is regarded as likely
that all will be willing to make the
sacrifice.
A gigantic reclassification of the
no 600 positions in the government
service into approximately $500
classes of positions. with salary
schedules attached for each class. will
constitute the bulk of the report to
Congress il it is made January II. If
The extension of time is granted,
elaborate tabulations and statistics
will be presented to support the re-