Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1921-05-20
CIVIL SERVICE
HEARINGS
FLYING START
Many Recommendations Be-
fore Joint Congress
Committee
Especial to The Herald)

Vim 4hd.
ings on the various pending bills
TO reclassify about quarter of a
million government positions and adj
just salaries throughout the United
States Civil Service are under way
before joint sessions of the Senateand
House Committees on Civil Service,
of which Senator Sterlingg of South
Dakota and Representative Lehbach
of New Jersey are the respective
chairmen.
Every branch of the government
service, in Washington and through
out the country, with the exception
of the postal service, which was olas-
sified a year ago, will be affected by
the proposed Legislation. Besides the
Government administrators, repre-
sentatives of employees in all occu
pational groups, including profession
al, clerical. inspectorial, public safety
and custodial services, over 30 skilled
trades, and various unskilled groups
will be given an opportunity TO su1-
NIT testimony and recommendations.
and any other organization interested
in civil service problems in general
will likewise be heard. Because of
the wide scope and complicated char
acter of the subject. il is expected
that the hearings will continue over
several weeks.
The National Federation Of Fed
eral Employees, composed of 240 To-
cal unions of federal employees in
every State called its legislative com
mittee to a meeting in Washington
on May Is. to complete arrangement
of its material for presentation and
to schedule the program of its wit
nesses for the hearing. The Trade
Union Legislative Council, delegate
body composed of representatives Of
every trade and calling in the Gov
ernment Service organized under
the American Federation of Labor.
including the National Federation OF
Federal Employees, has also assem-
bled briefs and witnesses TO set forth
the cases of the skilled trades.
AS a result Of the full and thorough
discussion Of the subject thus pro-
vided for by Chairmen Sterling and
Lehlbach, of the Senate and House
Civil Service Committees, it is ex-
pected that bill satisfactory to all
interests concerned and of great inn
port to the country in the form of
Improved efficiency in the public ser
vice will be reported. Five bills are
now before the committees, having
been introduced by Senators Sterling
and Smoot in the Senate, and by Rep
resentatives Lehlbach. Fairfield and
Wood of Indiana in the House.
Legislation is pending in the pres
ent Congress which, if enacted, will
revolutionize the United States Gov
ernment service. Not one, but half
a dozen bills, designed TO put the
huge Government business on a busi-
ness basis, have been introduced IN
response to the demand for greater
efficiency and better management.
The legislation the National FEEDER
alton Of Federal Employees is asking
for covers the following main points:
/. Redistribution Of all positions
in civil service, everywhere in
the United States.
2. A salary scale which fixes pay
by the skill and training required
for the work, with minimum
rate of not less than the cost Of
living as determined by official
Investigations.
8. Appointments and promotions
on proved qualification, deter
mined and regulated by the u
nited States Civil Service Com.
mission.
4. Removal of inefficient employ
ees In accordance with standards
OF efficiency controlled by the
Civil Service Commission.
5. Opportunity for advancement
of paw within grade, according
10 efficiency.
6. Equal compensation and equal
opportunity for promotion ire
spective Of sex.
7. A uniform efficiency rating sys-
tenn. TO be established by the
Civil Service Commission. with
records accessible TO employees
and provision for appeal TO the
Civil Service Commission.
8. Transfers between departments
at higher rates of pay.
L.. In y