Evening star., 1920-11-23
IOPRESS FOR NEW
LEGISLATION upon
RECLASS|F|CAT|0N
LehIbach Says Prospects of
Regarding Work and Pay
Are Not "Dead."
WILL CONFER WITH
HOUSE Committeeman
Bill to Be as Simple and Concise
as Possible-Various Schedules
Now Being Worked Out

Prospects of passing at this session
the reclaSsification bill to regrade the
work and pay of government employees
are by no means dead" Chairman
Lehlbach of the committee on reform
in the civil service said today. He
hopes to induce the republican leaders
that justice demands the enactment OF
this legislation now. In this deter
mination he is being supported by the
citizens associations of the District.
Il think there is chance that those
who will be primarily charged with
framing legislation for the short Ses-
sion may decide that the proposed re-
classification is entirely feasible and
preferable to the continuation or ex-
tension of the present bonus system
with its many ineouities," said Rep
reseEtative Lehlbach.
Expects EARLY Action.
He intends to take the matter up at
publican steering committee and. pos
sibly. with the rules committee. seek
ing to have his bill given right of
way in the House. He also expects.
after Thanksgiving. to confer with
Chairman Good of the appropriations
committee. and with Chairmen Davis
and Wood of the subcommittees which
IidhulC Tic aPPNoPilASfoh OiA6 S6fAy
ing salaries for the government en-
ploves-
The Lehlbach reciassification bill he
Will urge has not yet been drafted. A
tentative draft was made. which was
not entirely satisfactory to himself or
to the COMMITTEES. and this is now be-
ing redrafted. He expects to have 1t
in shape to introduce promptly when
Congress meets on December s. and
anticipates no difficulty in getting an
mittee on reform in the civil service
Fer simple. Coneiae Schedule.
This bill will be as simple aud con-
the classified schedule Of grades and
asiaries attached. 1t will eliminate
all other features of reform or inn
p-ovement In the civil service which
are commended in the hill and re-
rort of the joint commission on re-
classification. which Representative
Lehibach says arp not necessarily in
volved In the question OF recias6jnca.
what we want to 40. sssd Rzprs-1
bill 70 seai Win recssssif,apatioon sS prHoDss :. :
duced to its simplest form, and with
the schedule a. simple and concise
az possible consistent with doing sub
stantiAl justice to the various grades.
expect to have this bill ready for
0AOSASoAVAA 04h0 OkAuy 00At week.
The various schedules are now being
worked out and whipped into finally
condensed shape. There will be ma
terially fewer grades or classes than
in the commission BILL, Mr.. Lehlbach
explained, because various commis-
sion classes are to be combined. we
aim to get the schedule of grades into
such compact form that the people
will read it, study 1t and understand
H." Representative Lehlbach laughed
at the published statements that there
was to be a 40 per cent reduction in
grades and a 20 per cent reduction In
salaries.
Our committee bill will call for ma
terially less increase in salaries than
proposed In the commission proposal,
with considerable saving to the gov
ernment." said Mr.. Lehlbach. ut win
not be In the beginning an unreason-
able increase over the present COM
pensation paid for service" He ex-
planned that this means 'in each
grade q salary range that win enable
periodic promotion for increased ef-
fciency and merit. 30 as to make it
worth while for some one in the sery.
ice to learn his toh and do 1t we'll"