The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1920-10-24
CHANGES
.INu.S.SERiV|CE
Washington Academy Of Sci
ences Suggests Revision IN
Classified Lists.

Eight improvements in the pro-
cedure of the Civil Service Commits
SION were hast night recommended
in outlining revision of the Jones
reclsssifcstion bill at a meeting
Of the Washington Academy OF
Sciences IN the assembly hall Of the
National Museum. g,J.
g5..slusion was reached that
fthe breakdown In our present civil
service system, insofar as II has
failed, is not due 10 the. system
Itself. but 10 the unfavorabie con-
ditions existing. which have made
it impossible 10 carry out the ~
tenn properly"
WOULD REVISE SERVICE. !.
"A Reorganized Civil S0vice" was
the subject OF a lengthy report read
at the meeting by DR.. Edward b.
Rosa, chief physicist, Bureau Of
Standards. This report was pre-
pared by DIR. Rosa after more than
years study OF the reclassification
subject. during which time he was
in personal touch with bureau heads
and. Government officials. His re-
port, therefore. Is regarded as ex-
pressing the views of these officials
on reclassification. IL Is the nrst
occasion upon which officials have
conveyed their opinion on the ques-
ton.
The eight recomme ndations for the
Improvement of the Civil Service Com
mission were made as follows:
% A system Of standardized posi-
lions with more adequate salaries, and
provision for revising IT and keeping
IL up to date 4 Cd an enlarged and
Ca -,at. q
sion; (s) an advisory council 10 the
commission, consisting OF representa-
tives of employees and administrators;
4D civil service extension agents or
liaison officers detailed to the various
departments: (5) personnel commit
tees in all the various bureaus and
departments TO assist In the admin
istration of the personnel: 90 en-
'ployes' committees and systematic
provision for hearing and answering
complaints; "a efficiency ratings and
promotions based on the same; 90
the removal of restriction on trans
fers and the provision OF a transfer
register at the Civil Service Commits
transfers.
STRENGTHEN SYSTEM.
1t was declared that such additions
TO the procedure Oh the civil psINieC
commission would complete and
greatly strengthen the present
system. In this respect DR.. Rosa's
report continued:
$50 long as the Civil Service Com
mission does not have the stan to
advise and cooperate effectively with
administrative officers, and to- CO.
ordinate the system as a whole, II
cannot be expected that IL Will work
satisfactorily with an utterly in
adequate scale of government salaries
and a rapidly changing personnel
among administrators as well as
among employees generally, II can
not be expected that administration
will be entirely successful or salts
factory.
The subject OF recognizing the
civil service was further discussed at
the meeting last night by Col w. b.
Greeley. chief forester, department OF
agriculture; Paul II. Myers, deputy
commissioner OF internal revenue; DR..
George Otis Smith, director of the
geological survey DIR. +. G. CottreE.
director of the bureau of mines; DR..
p. J. Claxton. commissioner of educa-
ton; o. c. Merrill, executive secre-
tary, FEDERAL Power Commission; Mar
tin A. Morrison. president of the Civil
Service Commission. and Lewis
Merriam, assistant director. institute
for Government research.