Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-11-19
Objects Not to Conflict.


crnment work efficiently.
Objects Not to Conflict.
1.-THE two objects are not necessarily
in conflict continued the summary.
"A thorough Reconsideration OF the serv-
ice. with adequate provision for pro-
motion and a strict supervision by
central agency, will accomplish both
objects.
"(b) The commission. by the very
fact of making Il complete classitica-
ton of ali positions, will answer the
demand of Congress by assigning def
mite salary scales for all positions.
which will be approved by Congress.
The question of lump sum or statutory
will. therefore, if the commissions re-
classitica ton report is adopted ana
budget system introduced. be settled
by incorpora ting the best features OF
each into the new system.
"(c) The central agency that Will
bet set uD to carry on the classical
tion-suppcsedly the Civil Service
ComQission-should have representa-
tivesEn every department to cooper
ate with the department heads in per-
sonnet matters and to check up the
whole system for the government.
Full reports should be made to Con-
gress annually showing the working
of the system and suggesting any
necessary amendments of it,
The Redistribution commission has
omyhenda tons. the full report. with
the exception of the summary already
given. follows:
~. Statutory Salariext,
statutory positions are fixed by
Congress for each bureau or admin
istratiye unit in the service in the
annual appropriation bills, the num-
Der of positions of each kind and
the salaries of each being specified in
detail These positions are of two
kinds. (a) where the salaries and
titles have been standardized. and
(bl where the salaries and titles arc
recommended by the bureau chief or
head of the particular branch Of the
service concerned. No change can be
made in the title or salary OIL any
position after 1t is granted except by
Congress, and this is done only in the
annual appropriation bills. More
over, any increase of salary is subject
to q point of order in Congress and
hence even if the appropriations COM
mitree has recommended an increase
in any given case 1t can only oe
granted by unanimous consent.
"This fact alone, namely. that Con-
cress has provided no regular method
of revision Of salaries or making pro-
motions in statutory positions. ana
cannot do it If a single member OBJ
iects, is one reason for dlscontlnnlns
such a system. AS estimates are made
ont nv the departments at least nine
months before the beginning OF each
fiscal year. it is twenty-onee months
from the time the estimate is maze
until the end of the fiscal year DUR
ing which the money is expended. of
,.o1rse. it is impossible to foresee the
renuirements of bureaus personnel
or Of the personnel of any particular
line of work in a bureau, accurately
in detail 81 year or more III huFahce.
No matter how carefully the work
may be planned. conditions cnan
and it is usually ecessary to modlry
Mans and make changes in personnel.
Sometimes very considerably, to meet
changed conditions.
.... DIFFICULTY of Fortelling statutory
Positions Needed:
pm, even if external conditions did
not change, it is impossible to 1oreteil
how work will develop ana just now
will he needed for a given investigation
Sunnose for example, an lnVeSuga-
ZION is undertaken which REQUIRES
physicists. chemists. mechanical en-
gjneers, statisticians and clerks. 10
estimate a year in advance no" many
wen of each kind will be needed. and
~. salaries of each, would be little
better than guesswork. When the
work is undertaken the men in charge
of the several branches or the work
develop the problem gradually. and
they gather their personnel as needed
and as they can. 1t is partly a ques
tion of what is needed to do the work
as it develops and partly question
of what men can be found who are
competent and available at the sal
aries that can be paid.
"If a man who is splendidly equip
ned for some part of the work is
ha
a year, it is very awkward II the
highest statutory salary available
is $4,000 and only statutory salaries
are available. Perhps two chemists
arc needed and only zone has been
estimated for; or perhaps TWO me-
chanical engineers were provided and
it is found that one would better he
an electrical engineer. In short. to
be hampered and embarrassed by re-
strictions of this kind which do no
good and make it impossible to carry
out work efficiently is exceedingly
undesirable.
Under a lump fund appropriation
the bureau chief is free to employ
the men most needed and to make
salaries fit the men, instead of try
ing to fit the men to predetermined
salaries. Under this plan, the serv-
when not required and the money
used for some other position. The
plans for the work may be developed
gradually and the division of funds
between salaries and other EXPENSE
may be determined by the needs of
the work and not by a guess made a
year in advance.
'3. Promotions:
Under a statutory salary plan
promotions are made by advancing
men to vacancies at higher grades.
These vacancies usually arise either
by the securing of new positions at
higher salaries. or by designations. In
a bureau that is growing rapidly there
are apt to be many new positions, and