Middletown transcript., 1922-12-16
j. S. DROPPED
$4,000 employees
Still $4,000 More Than Were
at Work Before War
SALARY ADVANCES URGED
Civil Service Commission Believes
Reclassifc cation Will Make
For Economy-Retire-
ment Law.

Washington.-While the civil estab-
lishment of the Government was re-
duced by more than $4,000 employs
during the year, according to the an
nual report of the United States Civil
Service Commission, at the end of the
fiscal year the Government service as
a whole had 460,S03 employees, an in
crease of $4,000 since the year pre-
ceding the war.
OF this increase, the report states.
about $4,000 is due to causes growing
out Of the war and the remainder to
new legislation. The increase, it is
stated, is largely in the War, Navy and
Treasury Department and in the Vet
erans' Bureau.
A strong argument in favor of re-
classification of civil employees, the re-
port says, is the increase in efficiency
of the postal service after advances in
salaries in that branch. 1t also states
that a modification of the regulations
governing veterans preference would
| be of benefit to the civil service, par
ticularly in the postal branch, and that
/ lHt IclllC CIilCHl Ia " NC tohi-
pletely successful, owing to the small
annuities allowed and certain ele-
ments of injustice incidental to the
operations of the law.
In discussing the need of reclassif-
cation the report points out that the
annual deficit of the Postoffice was
less by $4,000, 900 in 1922 than it was
in 1921, although the salary list, which
is by far the largest item of expense
has been increased by more than S100,
600, 900 since 1918. 1t is stated that
reclassification would not only bring
about more appropriate and uniform
salary ranges but would bring about
uniform designations for positions
having uniform duties, and in the enc
would bring about a more economical
administration.
A modification of the regulation:
! governing veteran preference in choos
, ing civil employees is advocated on thu
ground that the interests of sount
business administration would best b.
: served by changing them at least t.
accord with those applying to Pres1
5 dental postmaster examinations"
: Under the current practice, it is Ell
: planned, veteran is declared eligibl
+ if he attains only 65 per cent. in tn
4 Civil Service examinations and hi
; name is certified ahead of all MOI
S veteran eligibles, regardless of thei
ratings. In the Presidential postmaste
/. examinations five points are added
, the earned rating of each preferenc
# candidate and his name is then col
g sdered for certfication in its order o
II the basis of this augmented ratin
q provided it is 70 per cent. Veteran
II received 1890 Of the 62,6S3 origins
. appointments to the classified servit
II during the fiscal year.
In reference to the retirement LAY
% it is stated that the law has not bee
&c in effect long enough to warrant dc
70 mite conclusions regarding its inf
= ence, although 1t is believed 1t h;
ri improved the morale of the Civil Ser
4 ice personnel.
= The report, however, says the OPT
- ion of Federal department officials
general is that the annuities should
- increased and graduated according
- the salaries received and contribute
=. made to the retirement fund.