Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1922-04-01

be removed therefrom except for such
cause as will promote the efficiency
Of said service and for reasons given
in writing. and the person whose re-
moval is sought shall have notice of
the same and of any charges pre-
ferred against him, and be furnished
with q copy thereof and also be al
lowed a reasonable time for personal
ly answering the same in writing, and
affldavits in support thereof, but no
examination of witnesses nor any
trial or hearing shall be required ex-
cept in the discretion Of the officer
making the removal"
The low also provides that copies
of charges, notice of hearing, answer,
reasons for removal and of the order
of removal shall be made a part of
or office, as shall also the reasons
for reduction in rank or compensa-
ton: and copies of the same shall
be furnished to the person affected
upon request and the Civil Service
Commission also shall. upon request.
be furnished copies of the same.
These are the provisions called to
the attention of President Harding
by the Civil Service Commission, with
the idea of bringing to the attention
of the White House the necessity for
compiling with the provisions in the
Secretary John Doyle of the COM
mission declared that cabinet officers
Diminishing men in the classified serv-
ice were under no compulsion Of
bringing the cases to the attention Of
the commission, and that all the COM
mission could do in the matter was to
call attention to the law after dis
missals
Secretary Doyle refused to offer an
opinion on whether the law has been
violated in the present instance. He
said that the first the officials of the
engraving dismissals was what they
saw in the newspapers He empha-
sized, however. the necessity for strict
compliance with the law on the sub
ject.
It is understood by officials of the
Civil Service Commission that the
fact that Mr.. Wilmeth and some of
the other dismissed men had commits
sions from the President would in no
way affect their status as classified
employees. These commissions con-
tain the clause cat the pleasure of
the President,V but it is held in some
quarters that this is in no sense a
permit for the executive to discharge
such men at will, for any cause
whatever, without going through the
regular procedure.
It was recalled today that the pro-
cedure as outlined in the law was fol-
lowed last year, when a clerk in the
War Department had charges pre-
ferred against him for writing and
publishing serially a story said to re-
feet upon a high army official. The
accused clerk replied at great length,
but this did not save him, as the Sec
rotary of War dismissed him.
May Hace Comeback.
III the case Of the bureau officials
discharged, charges must necessarily
have been preferred against them in
writing, to comply with the law, and
then they must have been given time
to reply in writing.
The whole matter would then, &C.
cording to the strict and proper pro-
cedure, have been placed before the
Secretary of the Treasury for deci-
sion. IN such cases, the Secretary OF
the department is the anal arbiter.
If no such charges were preferred
and no opportunity given for reply.
it was generally held today, the dis
missed bureau Of engraving and
printing officials would have the right
to go to the courts later to recover
salary Of which they were deprived.
It is declared that one dismissed off,
Gals at one time In government serv-
ice did this very thing. and Eas sue
cessful in collecting salary due him.