Evening star., 1920-01-05
CIVIL SERVICE RULE
WILL LGOVERNUNDER
RECLASS|F|CAT|0N
To Act as Pilot of Uncle
Sans Ship With Crew
of 10000.

act as pilot of the great governmental
ship manned by its crew of 10000
federal employees here under reclassi-
ication, it was definitely announced
today. The joint congressional com
mission on reclaSsification of salaries
in the District will recommend to
Congress that the Civil Service Com
mission carry on the work of reclassi-
flcation.
This means that the civil service
board will be the successor of the re
classification commission. and carry
out all the provisions which Congress
may enact on the recommendation of
the reclassfication commission. such
as salary schedules. efficiency, promo
tions and working conditions for gov
ernment employees here.
COmmis issiOn to BE Enlarged.
The Civil Service Commission. under
recommendations to be made to Con-
Sress. will be enlarged. with a prob
able representation of employees and
the public upon it, and a personnel
established in order to place man
from the civil service board in each
of the government departments.
1t will be the duty of this repre-
sentative of the Civil Service Commits
sion in each department to see to it
that the system of efficiency promo
tions and new salary schedules set up
by Congress on recommendation of
ried out and enforced.
Speculation Set at Rest.
Announcement of the above today
set at rest the speculation that has
been going on among the mass of gov
ernment employees as to what would
become of their old friend, the Civil
Service Commission. under reclassifi-
cation. Under reclassification the
Civil Service Commission will be "it."
charge of the proposed permanent
wage board and tribunal and will carry
out the work of the proposed training
school for government employees.
The Civil Service Commission will
have charge of the various systems
which will be established to give
Uncle Sam the most efficient working
force in the country. This efficiency
will be secured by establishing proper
salaries and working conditions and
system of merit promotions. and
then strictly enforcing them.
VIII Eliminate dead Wood"
Integral with the enforcement of
the positive factors will be the en-
forcement of laws which will elimi-
nate from the government service the
dead wood. which is now declared
to exist in it to some extent. A law
will be asked of Congress by the re-
classification commission It was def
nitely stated today. calling for the
Animation of the inefficient by en-
ft rcing the efficiency ratings to be
REQ tired of every employe.
"lhe commission will not indorse
any .etirement law. but will content
itself With pointing out the necessity
for suoh measure" Commissioner
Edward Keating declared today. Mr..
Heating said that Congress has pro-
gfessed so far with retirement meas
ures that the commission feels that
all that is necessary for 1T to do is
to add its voice to the good cause.
The enactment of adequate retire
ment legislation is the first big step"
is maintaining the most expensive
and least satisfactory retirement sys-
tenn in the world now. And by that
1 mean that it is keeping on it's rolls
thousands who should be retired. In
almost every case the pensions which
would be granted these people would
be less than their salaries.
"A Brake on the Service
Their work is negligible, and they
are brake on the service. "Commis-
sioner Heating continued. BY the
enactment of retirement legislation
not only the speed of the whole serv-
ice would be enhanced, but a great
saving in money undoubtedly would
be secured for the government.
'Those opposed to retirement Iegis-
alton" continued the commissioner.
do not appreciate the fact that we
have a system of civil pensions now.
/ mean these old. faithful empiores
who have done their work and are
now too old to perform it, but never
theless must be kept in the service to
draw their pay. Think of the shame
and pity of it-a blind employe being
brought to work each day and al
lowed to sit for eight hours doing
nothing, Think of the old men and
Women!'
Just what part the Civil Service
Commission would play in enforcing
retirement legislation that may be
enacted was not entered into, but the
civil service board would have entire
charge of the elimination of ineffi-
cient employees in the government
service by means of tests to be ap-
piled to certain groups.
These tests would be another great
step in giving Uncle Sam a 100 per
commission believes. Certain en-
ployes were admitted to the service
by means of ''substandard' eXami-
nations during the war. 1t is now
proposed that the Civil Service Com
mission, when it begins to carry on
the conduct of the civil personnel of
the government under reclassifica
ton, shall give new examinations to
these employees.
Close tab on the efficiency records
of the great mass of government en-
ployeS, so as to insure fair treatment
both for them and their employer
Uncle Sam-will be kept by the rep
resentatives of the Civil Service Com
mission, to be placed in each depart
ment and Independent establishment
of the government