The Washington times., 1921-05-26
To
FIRE UNFIT,
j, 8, LABOR
HEAD SAYS
Would Make Jobs Political
PIums Instead of Civil Serv-
ice Appointments.

ice Appointments.
Secretary of Labor Davis declares
that subordinates in his department
shave fallen into a rut, their minds
following a certain routine" and
that 'he is powerless to make GER
tain changes in the department be-
cause he is powerless to remove
these men,"
LETTER IS READ.
letter from Secretary Davis to
Congressman Will r. Wood was read
| before the joint hearing of The House
and Senate Civil Service Committee
today that is considering the subject
OF reclaSsifyinR the Federal employees.
In this epistle Secretary Davis stat
ed that all the Administrative posi-
tions in his department should be
taken out OF the Civil Service and
made political appointments.
| Il have on my desk letters from
senators and Representatives asking
I why nave not made certain changes
| IN my department. / say to them
| that am unable to enforce changes
because am powerless to put in
eharge individuals in sympathy with
| my policy. i make no direct criti-
clsm or the work OF my department.
Ihey cannot see things in other than
their own way. For years they have
traVeied certain course. their minds
nave faien into a certain routine,
ana they are unable to get out of the
rut." VI 'i'o
COMES As BOMBsHELL.
| Secretary Davis letter came lik. a
oombshell to the Civil Service com
'ee, out no comment was made
Congress man Wood, who wa. the
star witness before the hearing today.
| submitted letters from various mem
oers OF the Cabinet regarding the re-
Classification question.
Secretary of Commerce Hoover
stated that Wood-Smoot bill seemed
workable" in his view, that the SAL
| ary items were fair and that he mar
| ticularly favored the bill because IL
allowed no outside agency to Interfere
win the executives of the various de-
partments in making their ALLEGATIONS.
| Attorney-General Daugherty said
the measure was comprehensive and
sensible" but made no SPECIFIC in
dorsement of the bill. Secretary OF
agriculture Wallace also reserved
judgement.
HUGHES HOLDS ALOOF.
| Secretary OF State Hughes pleaded
lack of practical knowledge" re-
sarding the reclassincation contro-
Versy, but stated that in his view.
any scheme OF reclassincation should
contain minimum number OF classes
and should be fair in it's salary nro-
visions.
Secretary of War Weeks mad.
| criticism OF the wood-Smoot biII "a
| that the titles Of various position.
in the Federal service were nor mad.
| specific features of the bill. ana
| therefore he doubted whether uni
formity of pay would be brourb,
ABOUT He said that he believed the
power to co-ordinate a recla.si6-
dent
One Of the big features of Tn. h..r-
ing today was a posthumos statement
or Dr. T.. Il. Rosa, former physioist
OF the Bureau of Standards. who die.I
recently.
FAVORs wOOD-sMoOT BILL.
Congressman Wood said that tho
statement was found on DR.. Rosa,s
desk after he died and that IL repre
sented his matured convictions on tha
subject of reclassihcation. In this
letter DR.. Rosa made clear that he
preferred the wood-Smoot bill to the
Sterling-Lehlbach bill. He said there
were too many arbitrsry.rules" in
the Sterling bills that Il \artment
heads and executives <riven
uI"oiens Ia,isuue ~ lions IN
tions.
ne also inc, bill gave
700 mucn II Service
sominiss =. the Civil
nssrr I'D have its
Ee holding Of
dcstions for