Evening star., 1922-04-10
COMBINE TO FIGHT
PROPOSED CHANGE
! IN CIVIL SERVICE
Employees and Other 0rganI-
cations Meet to Consider
Recent Developments.
INTEGRITY OF THE LAW :
: BELIEVED Threatened
Senator Sterling Voices Opposition
2 to Plan to Make Higher Posi-
! tions Appointive.

Believing the integrity of the civil
service is threatened, representatives
of various organizations met today
in room 4O4, at 1923 New York ave-
nue., to consider recent Developments,
including the dismissals at the bu-
reau of engraving and printing and
the attitude of the administration
toward higher officers OF the gov
ernment.
Representatives Of the National
Federation Of Federal Employees, the
Civil Service Reform League, 1nstl-
tute for Government Research and
others attended the meeting, at
which civil service laws and govern
ment statutes in regard to- the civil
service were considered. The meet
ing was secret.
Secretary Marsh of the National
Civil Service Reform League is ex-
pected in Washington tonight and
perhaps will take part In the delib-
erations, If anything comes Of them.
1t is known that bodies which have to
do with civil service employees are
anxiously watching proposals for re-
vising civil service laws, reported TO
be- under consideration by the ad-
ministration officials.
Senator Voices Opposition
At the same time strong opposition
to the proposal of First Assistant
Postmaster General Bartlett to take
the higher and better paid govern
ment positions out of the civil serv-
ice system was expressed by Sena-
tor Sterling of South Dakota, chair
man of the Senate committee on
civil service.
Senator Sterling has for many
years been a believer in and a friend
of the civil service system. In his
opinion it would be great mistake
to follow the suggestions now being
made in some republican circles to
abandon some of the ground gained
for civil service system and return
to the old spoils system.
II cannot agree with any such prop
osition," said Senator Sterling fatty
today. -. SIX r,y-----
Senator Sterling was chairman Of
the civil service committee and had
bill. now a law. He has interested
himself in the proposed reclassifica-
tion legislation and in the bill which
has been reported to the Senate, by
his committee, and which still has to
be considered by the Senate appro-
priations committee.
Disruption Seen.
Senator Sterling said that il the
plan advanced to take out Of the civil
service any of the positions now un-
der the system were followed. 1t
would result in disruption of the
legislation which has
been promised by Congress.
He indicated today that he would
call his committee together soon to
consider the Caraway resolution
seeking light on the recent dismissal
ployes of the bureau of engraving
and printing. He said that one of
the executive officials of the govern
ment undoubtedly would be asked to
make some statement to his COM
mittee in regard to the matter.
1t is felt that the attitude of ad-
ministration leaders is one which will
ultimately take all initiative out of
government employees. The disposi-
tion of the administration. it is point
ed out. as outlined in the statement
in which he made a plea for executive
control of all the higher positions, is
held to be inimical to initiate in gov
ernment service.
Slap at ReclassihcatiOn.
This attitude also Is felt to be a
slap in the face of reclsIssification,
all plans for which have held out
the bait of proper means for ad-
vancement in government service, so
that employees entering in humble
capacities may be able to work their
way up through the ranks and get
to be bureau heads and hold other
administrative positions.
If the plans of the administration
are to take all these higher positions
out from under the protection of the
more or less ironclad civil service
laws and regulations and make them
susceptible to the will of every
changing administration, 1t is held,
no clerk would have any incentive
for endeavoring to work himself
higher.
"Better be safe at $4,000 than ac-
cept a $4,000 job and get your head
chopped off," was the feeling express
ed by some of those who held this
view today.
EXPLAINS THE POLICY.