Evening star., 1921-04-10
IMMEDIATE ROW
OVERU.S SEMP[0YES
LOOMS IN SENATE
Question of Jurisdiction Over
Redistribution Measures
Will Come to a Head.

The row which is coming in the Sem
ment employees promises to come to
head at the very outset of the new ses-
sion. This contest. in outward form. is
a question of Observation-Disclosures the
Senate appropriations committee or the
Senate civil service committee shall
have charge of the measure. Under
meath the surface is feeling that the
civil service committee will deal more
literally with the government employees
than the Senate appropriations commit
tee in making the reclassifications-
Senator Warren. chairman Of the ap-
preparations committee. and Senator
Smoot of Utah are heading the faction
that contends the appropriations COM
mittee should handle this reclassifica-
ton legislation. Senator Sterling. South
Dakota, chairman of the civil service
committee, is leading the fight to have
the civil service committee assume
jurisdiction in the matter.
Contest Sure to Come.
All bills died with the last Congress.
The reclassifcation bills, which must
be acted upon. are to be introduced
at the opening of the new session this
week. Senator Smoot has a bill al
ready prepared and Senator Sterling
will have one ready by tomorrow or
next day.
When the bills are introduced. they
must be referred to one of the stand
ing committees. And the contest Will
come over the reference. If the Vice
President refers them to the appro-
priations committee. then Senator
Sterling will move that they be
referred instead to the civil service
committee. If the Vice President
refers them to the civil service COM
mittee. then Senator Smoot or Senator
Warren may be expected to move that
they be referred to the appropriations
committee.
There is not little feeling over
this matter of jurisdiction. Senator
Sterling contends that the reclassi-
fication of the government employees
is a legislative matter and should be
referred to the legislative committee.
rather than to the general appropria-
tions committee. The opponents of
this plan argue that the appropria-
tions committee has to make the ap-
preparations for the government de-
partments, including the salaries of
the government employees, and should
handle the reclassification.
E-~Iov>. R.eLin~ Sterling
The Federation of Federal Employees
is backing the Sterling faction in the
Senate. kilograms have begun to
come to senators from their home
states, signed by the locals of the
federation in those states.
Senator Smoot has already discussed
the matter of reclassification with
President Harding and will do so
again. The President. it is known, is
taking an interest in the matter
Senator Sterling plans to talk with
Representative Lehlbach of New Jer-
sey, chairman of the House civil
service committee. before introducing
his bill. in the hope that Mr.. Lehl-
bach will agree to introduce a SINH
lar bill in the House.
During the last Congress. the re-
classification bills were referred in
the House to the civil service COM
mittee and not to the appropriations
committee. In the Senate. however
the measures along with the report
of the joint commission on reclassifi-
cation were sent to the appropriations
committee. Senator Sterling started
his fight to have the reference chang
ed in the last few days of the last
session. But in the jam over legisla-
tion at the close Of the session he was
unable to get change of reference.