Evening star., 1919-03-14
URGES REFORMS
IN CIVIL SERVICE
Mr.. Heating Would Reclassify
Government Workers and
Unity Departments.
UNFAIR CASE IS CITED

"A pathway leao1nS TO important
and well paid jobs under the govern
ment service should be open to every
person who enters the government
civil service, providing he or she ID
capable. willing to work and ambi-
| tious to improve" said former Repre-
sentative keating of Colorado. secre-
tary of the joint congressional COM
mission on the reclassification Of fed
eral and municipal employees in tho
District of Columbia. discussing the
objects of the work of the commits
sion today.
Mr.. Keating returned to Washington
from New York yesterday. where he
went to consult officials who have
that now undertaken by the joint
commission. He held conference
with several of the other members Of
the commission yesterday afternoon
and gave them the sum of his Obser-
vations in New York.
First Purpose Accomplished.
Mr.. Heating said that when the
civil service system was organized, in
the SOS. the purpose was to protect
the employees from the old "spoils
SYSTEM" under which the government
clerks were promptly dumped out OF
office when new administration of
aiffs5ens Wasbinstoo political complexion came to
In the main. he said. this end has
been accomplished. But if the civil
service is to be raised to it's max
tmum efficiency and to develop as it
should, he said. something more must
be done for the employees than merely
II n n hoy ho n
political spoilsmen.
The employees must be followed up
IN the civil service, and given an op-
portunity to improve their positions
and their salaries. he said. Outlining
his own views. Mr.. Keating continued
woman who is doing the same kind
Of work in the civil service should
be given the same classification; that
for each grade or classification there
should be a minimum and maximum
salary. depending upon length Of
service. and that persons in lower
classification or grade should be
given full opportunity to advance
themselves to a higher grade through
passing an examination or test, show
ing themselves to be capable Of do
ing the work Of the higher grade.
In, In this way. ,s.s he said; promotions promoters
through merit, and the old way Of
seeking the influence of members Of
Congress to obtain promotion in the
government service would be done
away with.
members of Congress should be ap-
pealed to for influence to obtain pro-
motions in the government service"
said Mr.. Keating, "but they are ap-
pealed to constantly, especially the
new members when they reach Wash
ington-"
For Unifying Departments.
Another point which Mr.. Keating
made was that the government de-
partments should be considered a. one
government service when it comes to
making promotions. If there is An
efficient clerk or stenographer in the
Interior Department. for instance, and
an opening Is to be found In tho War
Departmen for an advance to high
er classification, the clerk in the In
terror Department should be given the
opportunity to take the place In the
War Department at the increase.
'In the past" said Mr.. Keating, lit
has been considered almost immoral
for clerk to be transferred from one
government department to another at
an advance In salary"
1t should be q comparatively simple
thing, he said. for tho commission to
separate stenographers into several
classes. perhaps half q dO1en classes.
according to their proficiency. After
this has been done, no said. then all
the stenographers in the government
service should be placed in these clas-
sif1cations. and those who were able
and developed themselves should be
given opportunities to advance into
the classes above. The same process,
he said. should be followed with the
clerks.