Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1923-05-19
Classification Developments
May Hasten Abolition of
Statutory Provisions.
TENDENCY TOWARD PLAN
SEEN IN RECENT YEARS
Success of Reclassifying Board in
Its First Work Will influence
the Proposition, View Held.

Reform accomplished in the budg-
etary system of the government. with
developments in the classification OF
federal employees, will lead within q
few years, according to some adj
ministration thought, to lump sum
appropriations by Congress for the
entire personnel pay, with elimina-
ton of statutory provisions.
This was the attitude today in GER
tain circles here. which have been
giving close thought to the trend of
the past few years. wherein have
been evolved the bureau of the
budget. the general accounting Office,
at both ends of Uncle Sans money
bag. and the personnel classification
board.
Would Relieve Congress.
Could Congress be relieved of the
enormous detail involved in person
mel pay in the various appropriation
bills, 1t would have vastly more time
to devote to large problems of pub
lie interest, it is pointed out, while
the subject of personnel pay can be
given more complete. and extended
consideration through machinery,
which has already been set up, and 10
now under trial.
Vigorous objection Is sure to be
raised on Capitol Hill to any move
to do away with statutory salaries,
and there are those champions OF
the statutory provision, who would
fight for extension of that system
throughout all branches of the fed
eral pay.
First Year to Tell.
In the trend toward lump sum ap-
preparations. it was pointed out today.
Congress will probably impose GER
| tain restrictions, and, in fact, this
coming session in all probability, it
| is said. will hardly go the whole way
| toward the lump sum. Estimates OF
| the departments, as based upon the
| salaries determined by department
heads under the Personnel Classifica-
| ton Board, will no doubt be severely
scanned for the first year they are
| in effect.
year. 1t is expected. will have. heavy
/ influence on the trend toward lump
, sum appropriations. and department
| officers today were giving most serf.
| reclassifying all salaries in the Dis
| trict, which is to be accomplished,
and returns made to the Personnel
| Classification Board by June l.
Might Allow for Emergencies.
! The first step Congress is expected
to make, according to some predic-
! tions here today, will be seriously to
| go over the estimates as presented in
December BY the President and final
| ly decide on q larger number of lump
sum appropriations than at present
| provided, with the restrictions. how
| ever, that certain bureaus be given
| lump sum, conf1ning the maximum
| numbers to be compensated to the
! figures of the estimate, with the pro-
vision that there may be shifts made
| in emergencies with the approval of
high official of the executive depart
| ment-probably the President The
! President. in turn, might delegate the
budget officer to hear such emergency
cases. There might be disposition
| on the part of Congress. 1t was point
| ed out. to set maximum ngure for
/ the first ten high officials of a bureau.
| leaving the estimates to control the
| rest
| The trend away from a mass of
statutory detail. 1t was pointed out.
most specifically began in 1913. when
( frcSlQenC IdIt proposed the DuuScl
! system. Since then the budget and
! accounting act. passed in surprising
speed by Congress- revolutionized
| the executive business of the gov
crnment, while on Capitol Hill the
! consolidation of appropriation COM
| mitteeS into one each for the Sem
! ate and House simpllf1ed the legfs-
! lative branch.
| In fact. II is not beyond the bounds
| of possibilities. according to some
| close students Of the situation. that
| the government may he able 50 to
| simplify It's business through sharp
| estimates az to bring all appropria-
| tions for salaries within one appro-
| priation bill. with nroviso that the
| executives could not go beyond their
estimates. except under certain spec
1 ifed procedure.
I Already lump-sum appropriations
! are provided for some, including the
| Panama canal, the field services, the
| postal services, the Veterans Bureau,
the Interstate Commerce Commission.
| the Federal Trade Commission and
| internal revenue bureau. The system
! of appropriations in the British gov
| eminent. 1t was pointed out, follows
the plan of lump sums contingent on
the estimates.
| This development necessarily de-
pends, It 10 believed. upon the auto
! matte and honest operation of the
| tudgetary and classification ma
chinery of the government.
|