Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-04-30

| District of Columbia. exclusive of the
navy yard and the postal service. In
short. | can give the positions OF en-
Moves over which the commission had
|! juri sdiction. For these. the positions
|! of employees at the Capital city alone
j. the book of estimates contains loss
different titles. OF this number $50
are included in estimates for statutory
appropriations and 1883 are included
in the details supporting estimates
| for lump-sum appropriations.
ut appeared to the commission that
this was an excessively large number of
titles. In fact. it is larger by 3O4 thar
the total number of titles for classes of
positions appearing in the report of the
Redistribution commission. The COM
mission would have welcomed a further
decrease, but it was not authorized to
recognize the government service. 1t
took the service as it found it and en-
deavored to classify the existing posi-
tons for which Congress had been max
ing appropriations But the large num-
Der of titles in the book of estimates
is not the worst feature. These present
titles are vague and in many cases
meaningless. Except in few cases there
are no statutes defining what they mean
II They are not backed UP with specfica-
tons.
Four Classes Of Clerks.
II Under an act of 1854, sections lG2
and 1874 Of the Revised Statutes, there
are created four classes of clerks
classes /. .. and 4. \ clerk of the
hrst class is one who gets $1,000 per
year; of the second class. $1,400; OF
the third class. $500 and of the
fourth class, $500 We often found
clerks of these four classes doing the
same work. but getting these differ
ent salaries and, under the present
law. in different classes. The trouble
is that the present titles do not rep
resent a classification on the basis
of the duties of the positions and the
duties.
| 1T was found that for positions in
volving the same duties and the same
degree of responsibility there were
often great varieties of titles in use
This lack of Standardization in
present titles of positions gives such
a good understanding of the funda
J mental defect in the present situation
: that I think You will be interested in
: what the report has to say about it. :
Mr.. Henderson read to the Senate a
: statement of the classification plan ir
general, showing that there are 1.16.
sets of specifications. each of which
: normally covers one class Of positions
me classes are arranged also in forty.
four services.
Statement Of Duties.
Under the heading duties" Senate,
: Henderson said:
: In many sets of specifications ex-
amples are given in addition to tn,
: general statement Of duties. These
: examples. set forth in participial form
: are used to show the variation in de.
: tails of work that the incumbent Of
any position in the class NAV h,
called upon to perform. They serve Il
support and explain the scope of the
class as Indicated in more genera
: VIII also assist in allocating to il.
proper class given position of know
duties. The examples of duties a
: gwen are not to be considered as in
: elusive or exclusive. nor do all the
: kinds of work listed necessari,S ann ~,
TO any one position
Il The statement of uual;6o,tion,
covers two or more of the folIowins
I'VE INES: % education and training
- experience; CD special knowl
edge OF subject matter. process o.
. method: ca traits of character: Is
physical attributes The aualifiea
ions in every case are those which
: any person should possess to b,
: eliglble for appointment to a position
: within tho class. They serve mi
marty to assist in defining the char
. acter of the employment covered b,
the class, experimenting the dutie,
statement. incidentally they should
: be of great value to the agency tina
: must recruit the service. Since pro
: rciency increases with experienc,
5 and industry in the work Of the class
: the qualifications set up are not thos.
of the employe who has attained The
8 maximum usefulness but those prom.
erly required of an employee at on.
trance. Moreover, since the govern.
ment wishes to provide the wides,
possible competition for merit ap-
: pointment to positions in the various
classes, the qualifications are mt a,
the minimum to secure efficient sery-
: ice from the entering employees.
Educational Requirements.
Ordinarily the educational reouire-
ments are given first. These are given
depending on the extent of etlucatiop
required, in the following form: III
Commons school education. I,l
Training equivalent to that renre.
sented by graduation from a high
school: 90 Training equivalent r.
that represented by graduation w;th
a degree from an institution of recoe-
nized standing. In no case has ths
commission recommended that the
from an educational institution he
made an absolute requirement. In
every case it has specified educational
qualifications equivalent to- the
education represented by a forma !
certificate or degree. This has been
2 | l.
: ploye. who. through general reed;ne
: or private study, has acquired ths
: equivalent of the education me.s>
ured by formal certificates or de-
{ grees. is just as much desired for ~.
: government service as any Other II
) is left to the employing authorize
to apply these terms Of euuiyalents
: under the limitations of the promises
bill reading as follows:
whenever the possession ~ .
: university or college degree or a h;ph
school diploma, or the equivalent 81
: such degree or diploma, is prescribed
: az a qualification for class. the cnro
: mission shall prescribe as such enIi,,
aient standard. or standards hasad
: on experience or demonstrated ah;il
: ity in the performance of duties SIM
lar to those prescribed for such cla..
: alent.' equlV-
. 1T Is to be remembered" continues
senator Henderson. that the deyelor,
ment OF such classification a. tbp,
herewith submitted. with princinaI ,ina,
: OF Promotion Indicated, has been aw.i.
60 by the Civil Service Commi..ion n.
preliminary to the establishment =,
.ne competitive system for true nro,,o'
: iS fnr