The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1921-11-23
URGES EXTENSION
OF CLASSIFICATION
In CIVIL SERVICE
Commission Points to the
Lack of System in the
Hiring Employees.

|
egislation providing for reclassi-
| fcation in the Civn Service, en-
phasiIing the desira bility of reduc-
ing the dead wood in the govern
ment departments and summarizing
the architectural growth of the
District were yesterday transmitted
In letters from President Harding
to Speaker OF the House Glllett.
In transmitting the ninth report
of the National Committee of Fine
Arts, the Presidents letter says in
part: The report deals with the
progress made during the past
twenty years in realizing the COM
prehensive plan for the entire Dis
trict of Columbia reported 20 the
Senate as result of extensive
studies of the plans of capital cities
of Europe. This plan was prepared
as a'public service by men OF the
highest standing in the profession
of architecture. sculpture and land
scape architecture.
Extends L'Enfaat Plan.
"Professedly it was based on the
iL'Enfant plan OF 1892 70 rthe Fed
cral city in the District of Column
bia designed under the personal su-
| pervision OF President Washington;
and indeed was largely an exten-
sion fthat plan to cover the en-
tire District of Columbia. The
L'Enfant plan was the first and
most comprehensive design for a
National Capital ever adopted. The
plan of 1901 reasserted the author
ity Of the original plan; extended IL
to meet the needs of the nation af-
ter century of growth in power,
wealth and dignity; and marked the
path of future development.
During the pats two decades the
essential features of the palm hav.
been established so that the work
of the future will be largely a fill-
ing in of the outlines 1t is a source
of satisfaction that so much has
been done to make the CITY of
Washington conspicuous among the
national capitals in respect Of dig
nifty, orderliness, convenience and
beauty.
| Justihes Founders Foresiskt,
"All that has been done increases
the Importance of adhering to a
plan that during century and
quarter has sbundantly justified
the foresight and vision Of the
founders OF the Republic"
The report Of the Civil. Service
Commission draws attention to the
economies which have been Effected
| In the reduction Of the force of
empsayes following the war and
tho return toward peace-time meth
DDS of administering the service.
During the war" the report
states, the commission has aided
in the retirement system, under
which employees contribute to their
snnuities, continued and expanded
under Executive authority the sys-
tenn of competitive examinations
for residential postmasters. re-
placed methods OF examinations de-
vised for rapid recruiting in war
time, made some progress in inn
proving entrance examinations for
the postal service whereby a better
grade of eligibles are being Sc
cured. reduced the number Of tenn
porary appointments which war
conditions had made necessary"
Reached Total Of sI7,7so.
Just before the entry NJ IN. Ir,,,-
ed states IN the world warn the
service numhe red
approximately 43s,7ss employes.
according to the report, and 80, 25s
of the total number were employed
in the departments in Washington.
The remaining 4o0,53s were scat
tered throughout the United States
On ovemoeS IL when the armis.
tice was signed the number of en-
plpyes had reached s17.7sO, of
which were employed in the Dis
trict Of Columbia and 500, 600 else
where. The service In the District
Of Columbia, it is shown, had
trebled.
By July 81. 1921. the executive
civil service had ben reduced from
sl7,76o to 5s7,ts2 employees, re-
duction Of IS per cent, the report
points out. emphasizing the fact that
the reductions have not been at the
same ratio throughout the service
and in some parts thera ba. ha.n