Evening star., 1922-04-19
blair CENTRAL|zES
RIGHT TO APPOINT
Directs Filling Of Internal
Revenue Jobs by Appoint
ment Division.

| heads of divisions of the internal
revenue bureau requiring all inqui-
ries or applications for appointment
! in the bureau to be made through
the appointment division were made
public today by Commissioner Blair.
The orders, Mr.. Blair explained,
have been in force for several years
and were reissued to facilitate a
more orderly consideration of ap-
pointments. recent application for
an appointment as bookkeeper by
a man whose qualifications were
those of an automobile mechanic, Mr.
Blair said, had been the occasion for
| the reissuance of the order, in order
to make possible more efficient Sc
lection of appointees.
Some bureau officials, however. con-
strued the order as forbldding them
to confer with members of Congress
or others on the matter sof appoint
ment without first obtaining the ap-
proval of Commissioner Blair or the
appointment division 1t was sug-
gested today that an appeal must be
made to Secretary Mellon Tor d
| revocation of the order.
Conferences Not Barred.
Mr.. Blair declared that the order
| did not prevent deputy commissioners
or division heads from comforting
with members of Congress regarding
| appointments, nor did it have any
application to Assistant Secretary of
the Treasury Dover, who has reor-
saniZed the customs service and is
understood to have under considera-
tion number of changes in the
internal revenue bureau. Mr.. Blair
said his order was issued without
the approval of Mr.. Mellon or Mr..
Dover. because it was such routine
| matter. affecting only the internal
! procedure of the bureau. that it did
not appear to require higher of1lclal
| authorization.
Deputy commissioners were in a
quandary today over the order
| of Commissioner Blair. Conferences
have been held concerning the appli-
| cation and meaning of the surprise
Treasury who took sharp issue with
| Commissioner Blair, who claimed
| that the order he issued was only "a
| repetition of an old one of long
standing.
The order makes no mention of Mr..
Blair's chief. Assistant Secretary
Dover. who has authority over the
internal revenue bureau directly
under the Secretary of the Treasury,
| and whose privilege ii is under regu-
lations of the Department of the
Treasury to make appointments.
| Interpreted as "slight."
| The order has been interpreted in
some quarters as being direct
| slight of Mr.. Dover as il mentions as
| responsible for the appointments
! within the bureau. only the appoint
ment clerk and the commissioner of
internal revenue. Heads of units in
| which appointments are to be made.
VI nd l..
bic for the selections from such lists
! or applications"
/! Mr.. Blair protested that the intent
, of the order was simply to render
more efficient the application of the
civil service law. All employees OF
, the bureau. Mr.. Blair said. are under
| the civil service. with the exception
OF the collectors, and deputy collec-
tors OF internal revenue, the state
prohibition directors and prohibition
| enforcement officers.
| Mr.. Blair's order reads as follows:
| In order to eliminate cause for
embarrassment which may result
from indiscriminate and unauthorized
preliminary negotiations with persons
seeking appointment or transfer to
| the bureau of internal revenue, and
to concentrate the bureaus point OF
contact with the Civil Service Com
mission in the shandling of all ap-
pointment matters. it is directed that
hereafter all applications. whether
| written or personal. for appointment
or transfer to any position in the
! bureau will be referred to the ap-
pointment division, and no officer or
employe outside of the appointment
division will be authorized to con-
slider any application for appointment
or transfer in the bureau except as
hereinafter provided.
VIII Furnish Eligible List.
Upon receipt of requisition in
| writing, on prescribed forms, the ap-
pointment division will procure and
furnish to the heads of the several
units of the bureau eligible lists OF
the written applications of persons
eligible for any Of the technical po-
sitions to be filed. and the head of the
unit will be held responsible for the
selections from such lists or appli-
cations. If the head of the unit can
not personally make these selections
and conduct such preliminary negotia-
tions as may be essential to intelli-
gent selection he will furnish the ap-
pointment division, in writing, q
statement of such points as he may
wish to have particularly considered
in connection with each applicant and
the appointment division will make
the necessary selections. Unit heads
may conduct negotiations with eligi.
bles only after certified lists have
been furnished for the following tech.
nical positions:
Auditors, valuation and Appraisal
engineers (all grades), attorney s
chemists and estate tax examiners
Heads of units may also conduct
preliminary negotiations when spe.
cia1ly authorised by the conrmi ssioneI
in connection with the filing of any
executive position.
THE appointment division will be
responsible for the selection and as.
signment of all non-technical en-
ployes. in accordance with the writ.
ten acquisitions of heads of units"