Evening star., 1921-10-26
PLAN OF OPERATION
|F0R j. s. EFFICIENCY
|RAT|NGSEXP[A|NED
Brown Says Graded En-.
pIoyes Will Be Arranged
in Order of Merit.

1eIpeIl ~. bTO"H, cHlel VI the
United States Bureau of Efficiency, to-
day explained how the efficiency rat
ing system ordered by President
Harding, which will result in re-
classification of all government en-
ployes in the District and the estsb-
lishment of a merit system, is to be
put in operation.
Several months aga the Bureau of
Efficiency obtained job specifica tion
covering the work ct every employ [
IN the federal serNice, ana the Dis
trlct OF Columbia service in Washing
ton. The SrrviceS If oil of the en- :
pioyes nave been appraised und@T
these sob specifications, and ASST ned
to grades. This work of appraising the
job was dore by boa ards of appraiser:
in the Bureau of Efficiency, and their
work WIS reviewed ny the adnl'nSt ID
tive oili,:,Is in Iit- various depart
ments. Where differences OF opinion
arose such differences were Ironed
out in conference.
Will Be Brought Up to Date.
The departments will be requested
to bring those job specifications up 10
date: ca BY eliminating the job spec
ifcations covering employees who nave
left the service: tb) by additional job
specifications for employees who have
entered the service since the jot
specifications were prepared, and tcI
by revising the job specifications
where the work of the employees has
changed since the specifications Were
prepared.
Mr.. Brown figured that this is all
that is necessary for appropriation
purposes, but to establish an efficiency
system third step must be taken.
Must Be Arranged in Orders.
Having assigned all the employees
to their proper grades, the next steI
will be to arrange them in order oil
merit within the grades The details
of the procedure are now being con-
Sldered in conference with the repre-
Sentatives of the various depart
Elents, and as soon as they are agreed
upon that step will be taken. The
neously in all the departments and
services in Washington, and such ac-
ton will be taken in very few days
The benefits that the employees will
receive from the work the Bureau OF
Efficiency is doing, in Mr.. Browns
opinion, Will come in two steps:
% For the first time in the history
of the government all the depart
ments will have a uniform basis for
adjusting salaries as best they can
with appropriations as they exist.
CD 1t will enable the committees
of Congress to appropriate salaries
on a definite scale Tor different kinds
of work that will apply alike to
all departments and at the same time
allow salary increases to those who
by greater efficiency have proved de-
serving OF promotion within the
grades.
Assurances of support.
Assurances that the employees OF
the federal and District services in
Washington will support the new
system of efficiency rating to be put
in force under the executive order
are being received by the bureau.
In return assurances are made by
Herbert d. Brown, chief of the bu-
reau, that he Will endeavor to meet
as far as possible the desires of the
employees and see that they are grant
ed every protection under the new
system.
Mr.. Brown in replying today to a
statement issued yesterday by Lu-
ther c. Steward. president of the
National Federation of Federal En-
ployes, emphasizing a desire that the
employees should not be mislead re-
garding the intention of the bureau
of efficiency toward them. He said:
Denies Controversy Exists.
There has never been any con-
troversy between Mr.. Steward and the
T.
never in my office but once, and that
was a number of years ago. i have
never entered into any controversy
with Mr.. Steward at any time and do
not intend to do so now. l have re-
Trained from indulging in any con-
troversy with him, because his attack
has been so preposterous that l felt
sure sooner or later the employees
would see that their interests were
not being served to the best advan-
tage by Mr.. Stewards methods.
Il was pleased to note in a morning
paper that my confidence in the en-
ployes was justified by the installation
of William J. Hendricks as president
of Union No. 2, and his opening address
as president. Mr. Stewards case
against the bureau of efficiency is eX-
tremely weak. He complains of the
great power that is placed in the bu-
reau by President Harding's executive
order, directing the bureau of efficiency
to establish system of efficiency rat
ing Every one who is familiar with
the bureau of efficiency knows that ii
has never attempted to exercise any
autocratic authority over the depart
ments under the broad powers that
have been conferred upon it by Con-
greSS.
Defends Work Of Bureau.
"On the contrary, it has only eXer-
cised its powers with the fullest CO.
operation of the executive depart
ments. 1t would be stupid for the
bureau to attempt to do otherwise,
for a serious clash between the cabi-
net officers and the bureau of eff
cheney would probably spell disaster
for the bureau. So even If it had no
desire to work in cooperative
spirit. the bureaus own interest for
self-preservation would prompt it to
seek cooperation.
"Mr. Steward complained that the
executive order does not contain. a
provision giving the employees the
right to inspect their own rating or
to appeal from the rating of the su-
peryisory officers. The bureau of
efficiency has never had anything to
do with any efficiency rating where
the employe was not given both of
these privileges. Although the execu-
tive order gives the bureau the power
to prescribe the system of efficiency
rating, nevertheless it shall not at
tempt to do so except in cooperation
with the departments But the en-
pIoyes may be assured We shall do
everything in our power to persuade
the departments to give the employees
these privileges as it always has