Evening star., 1920-10-14
WORK ON MEASURE
FOR RECLASS|Fy|NC
BEGINS TOMORROW
Specialist to Hold Informal
Conference With Selected
US. Workers..

Active work on preparing reclassih-
cation legislation for submission to
Congress at the coming short session
will begin tomorrow at an informal
conference to be held between selected
workers on the classification COM
mission and Robert Moses, reclassifca-
ton specialist.
This step is preliminary to the COM
ing of Chairman Lehlbach of the
House committee reform in the civil
service, who is expected in the city
shortly to start the wheels to turn
out a recla Ssification bill to be sub
mitted to Congress.
The conference tomorrow is held
with the primary purpose of smooth
ing out any differences of opinion that
may exist over what should be includ-
ed in the reclassification bill to be sub
mitted by Mr.. Lehlbach.
Works With Mr.. Lehlbnch.
Mr.. Moses is working with Mr.. Lehl-
bach on the matter, and has with an
other specialist Morris Lambie. writ
ten a brief on reclassification and laid
down the principles of new re-
clasSi fication bill. This latter is be-
ing studied by Chairman Lehlbach.
In the meantime the idea is to bring
out the points of harmony among
classification here and not to allow
some of the points of difference to
overshadow the great fundamental
reclassification aims.
That this is more than ever neces-
Sary became apparent to government
workers here today. in view of facts
published in The Star yesterday as
to the contents of the official esti-
mates of the government departments
for the fiscal year beginning next
July, to be turned in to the Treasury
Department tomorrow With the
knowledge that no increases in salary
are being asked for the great rank
and file of government clerks except
in one department., it becomes ever in
creasingly apparent to the federal
employees that recla ssifica ton is the
only hope"
Workers May Give Aid.
1t was in the hope that government
classification commission last year
could give invaluable advice on the
matter that the conference is being
held here tomorrow. The detailed
stan Of workers from the de partnents
helped to draw up and create the ap-
proximately LOO classes or titles into
which the entire government person
mel here was divided by the comrnis-
sion.
There has since arisen in some
quarters an opinion that this number
of pay titles is much too many. and
that the whole proposition would be
simplified by the reduction Of the
number Of titles. Recommendation
to this effect has bsen made by
Messrs. Moses and LAmhie. rheir
brief and attached bill. containing the
suggestion that the titles should not
number more than / 900. has been print
ed by the government printing Office and
is being used for the benefit Of the mem.
bers OF the House committee on civil
service and retrenchment.
Much in the way Of harmony" be-
tween the various forces working for
Redistribution has been accomplished
recently through the mere passage of
time. it is felt here. The project to
closely unite reclassification with budget
legislation, vigorously pushed last sum-
mer in some quarters, has apparently
died a natural death, unless II should
spring to life again.
But there still rema ms. many believe.
some dissension as to matters pertain
ing to recla assification. and the confer
ence here tomorrow will endeavor to
bring as many forces together as possi-
BILE.
Since reclassification is about the only
thing that seems able to save the gov
eminent clerks. the great rank and file
of federal workers here, from struggling
along on the same old salaries, it is
believed that Congress will take action.
May Propose New Bonus.
Lacking such action. another bonus
proposition is likely to be proposed at
the next Congress. as the cost Of living
has not been reduced enough, it is de-
cIared, to make it possible for the clerks
to exist on the base salaries, many of
which we're fixed fifty years ago.