The Washington times., 1922-04-07
union HEADS To
.F|GHTHARD|NG'S )
CUSTER RULING
Predicate Contest on Implied
Threat Against All Employees
| in Civil Service.

The right of the President to
violate the law and scrap the
Civil Service Act" of 1888 will be
| contested by union officials in an
effort to determine the rights OF
approximately $1,000 Government
| civil service employees in Washing
ton and more than 100000 outside
of Washington.
This action, It was learned today.
is predicated on President Harding 8
executive order last week dismissing
2S civil service employees.
Union officials make II plain that
there Is no animosity on their part.
nor any attempt to pick a quarrel
with the Administration for firing
the employees let out. but that a
principle is involved"
Cite Laws Provisions.
The civil service law, section 6
OF the act of August "a, 1912, spe-
officially provides that mo person
under civil service shall be removed
except for reasons given in writing.
and that the persons removed from
the service shall have notice Of
same and be furnished with copies
Of the charges"
The act further provides that
persons dismissed, even where
charges are preferred against them
in writing. shall be allowed a rea.
sonable time to answer them"
None of these provisions Of the
law, union officials declared, was
complied with. the employees being
dismissed without notice. without
copies OF the charges against them
and without being given an oppor-
tunity to answer the charges. as
specifically provided by law
Should the Presidents order be
permitted to stand. without charges
being filed against them. officials
declare that, the same thing could
happen to any one of the 81 900 EN-
ployes in Washington.
THE primary purpose of the
Civil Service act was to give as
surance to employees that they would
not be dismissed without reason.
Prior to the Civil Service act. each
new Administration brought with
it their crowd" said union heads.
There was recipient for every
plum, and the act was passed sole
ly in the interest OF efficiency, and
TO assure faithful employees that
their jobs would be permanent and
safe. so long as their work was
satisfactory.
II the Presidents action In sum
marily ousting the employees of the
Bureau OF Engraving and Printing
is accepted as a criterion, II will be
entirely possible for any Government
head to discharge, in similar manner.
any employe in his department. is
the contention of union officials. who
are now preparing data to contest
the authority Of the Administrations
act in ignoring" the act.
Compare Other Cases.
The right of a department head
to dismiss an employe under civil
service has already been contested,
1t is pointed out.
In the case Of Woods VS.. Gary,
Postmaster General in 1897, the
court of appeals held that a depart
ment head. dismissing civil service
employees, could not have the effect
of repeating or modifying an act of
Congress, and in that instance
Woods, the >mploye: was reinstated,
although later dismissed. after
charges had been preferred against
him.
In the case of the dismissed Of
ficials OF the Bureau Of Engraving
and Printing. union officials be.
lieve. the case OF Woods VS.. Gary
will apply and that the Admins
tration violated the law in dismiss
ing the employees without first filing
against them" the union officials