Evening star., 1921-06-21
]. S. BUSINESS MEN
ASK |NCREASEF0R
FEDERAL WORKERS
Complete Revision Of En-
pIoyment Policy Urged by
, Chamber of Commerce.
RESULT OF REFERENDUM
AMONG 1,400 CONCERNS

Advocate Adequate and Uniform
Pay Through Redistribution and
Regarding Positions.
Complete revision of the employ
ment policy Of the federal govern
ment was recommended today by the
United States Chamber of Commerce
as the result of a referendum vote on
the subject just completed among tne
1,40O business organizations IN the
chambers membership.
Recasting the governments syssenl
Of obtaining employees is held neces-
sary by the chamber as means
toward obtaining efficiency in the
service. and among the nine recon-
mendations for bringing 1t about Is
higher and adequate pay 1or all SoF-
ernment employees.
The recommendations follow:
u. The present system under wnlch
personnel for the federal civil serV-
ice is secured and managed should De
recaSt.
"2. Adequate and uniform pay un.
der essentially like conditions should
be established as fundamental prin-
ciple for the federal civil service
through reclassihcation and regrao-
ing.
Revision by Statute.
iii. Redistribution should be by
statute based on Investigations al
ready made and further investigation
by the Civil Service Commission.
Nv. Reclassification should be in
stalled by the Civil Service Commis-
sion and the budget bureau and cur s
rent correction made by Congress AID
ed by these agencies.
~. Promotion should be given stat
utory recognition as the pre1erreo
method for filling vacancies. with INES
of promotion clearly defined ana pro-
motions made upon the basis OF
proved merit under civil service reg
ulations.
responsible for determining policies
should be included under civil service
rules.
.VII. Efficiency records should be de-
should be regulated by executive or
ders consistent with the civil service
law. -.
developed by the Civil Service CoH-
Tx Removal Of an employe should
1,e rossible upon a written statement
Of reasons to the employe with oppor
tunity for a written reply, but wltnout
right of appeal above the heao Oh 'he
department.
The recommendations were made 10
Gno national chambepShXit its- co3plts
70 on budget and efficiency. after
fi,ev were sent out and voted on, ac-
xompanied by arguments. pro anu CON-
on revision of the employment system: u
There were few opposing votes' II Is
stated.
Redistribution and related problems
affecting the civil service, the report
states, are Of pressing interest and I'M
portance. -, snter-
nrise which engages the services OF
more than half a million employees
cannot be minimized." the committee
declared, .if the public which foots
the bill in ever-increasing amounts
for government costs is ever TO re-
ceive a reasonable return on Its m
yestment. Recent developments make
it not only opportune but imperative
that business now give thls mater
the thoughtful consideration whlch II
"For all practical purposes" said
the committee personnel problems
in the administration OF the national
government are those which are m
eyitable in a civilian force or nearly
a half million men ana women EN- EN-
ployed on work OF almost every coh-
ceivable character"
In private Industrial and CONNER
cial life" said the report, the IN
Vulnerable questions relating TO the
efficient utilization of the operating
and managing 1orces OF tne oLsaniIa ;.
ton are now accepted as OF vital I'm.
portance to successful management
of the business. In this field of ad-
ministration of the public business
government has Jagged far behind"
With reference to it's recommends
tion that adequate and uniform pay
under like conditions should be es-
tablished, the committee says:
1T is an elementary proposition that
q body of employees permeated with
.sense of unjust and ineQuitable treat
ment by the employer in the primary
dered will be inefficient and expensive.
Present conditions in the federal serv-
ice as to fixation of salary rates are
perpetual indictment to discomfort and
half-hearted effort and an undoubted
source of great waste of public
money"
An important recommendation Of the
committee is the one having to do
with inclusion within the civil serv-
ice of administrative officers not
charged with determining matters Of
policy. With respect to this suggestion
the committee said:
"One of the most serious handicaps
to both economy and efficiency in the
federal service is undoubtedly to be
Sound in the practical exclusion from
the permanent civil service OF a very
large part, II not practically all, Of
the administrative offices Of real dis
tinction No one would suggest that
cabinet officers and their immediate
assistants should be other than the
personal selection Of the President or
Of themselves. and permanency in the
highest posi- tions in the foreign serv-
Ice Of the Department of State, such
as ambassadors and ministers, prob
ably will have to come as a matter
of practice rather than law or execu-
tive rule.
Appointment by Political Favor.
"There still remain, however, a very
large number ofppositions which be-
long properly with the permanent op-
Grating force of the government and
should be so recognized. These in
clude principally such local Offices as
1,ostmasters of the first, second and
third classea
appointments to these Offices con-
6inue to be made almost without ex-
ceptton on the basis of political favor.
Each change in administration, par
ricularly II 1t involves a change in
Sparty, means a wholesale overturn in
This personnelS This waste is tre-
-..aaus and ohviousS