The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1923-02-21
PRESIDENT
IS ASKED
To END
row
Senators Smoot and Sterling
Arrange for White House
Conference.

Legislation reclassifying the
Federal employees is as much up
in the air as ever.
So far from an agreement hay
ing been reached between the
warning forces supporting the
Sterling-Lehlbach bill and the
Wood Smoot measure, it seems
now that differences are more
sharply accentuated than ever.
Appeal Made to Harding.
President Harding has been called
in as an arbiter. He win meet
Senators Smoot and Sterling at 3
o'clock tonight and endeayor to
straighten out their difficulties.
The task appears to be a hopeless
one inasmucn as the two Senator'S
are deadlocked on vital features OF
the bill, such as the reclassification
schedules. It is understood that
Senator Smoot IS trying to subHt1-
Smoot bill for the schedules written
into the Sterling-Lehlbac bill,
which has the support OF the Fed
Grafton Of Federal Employees.
Wants Efficiency Ratings.
Senator, Smoot is also making
sharp fight for the recognition Of
the efficiency ratings made by the
Bureau of Efficiency under its di-
rector. Herbert D. Brown. Senator
Sterling is certain that these eff
cheney ratings will destroy reclassi-
fication provided for in his bill.
Senators Smoot and Sterling con-
ferred with President Harding this
morning and the deadlock became
apparent. The conference was
postponed until tonight when a final
effort will be made to reach a COM
promise.
It is believed that IL Senator
Smoot wins out in his eleventh
hour attempt to substitute his owl.
plan of Redistribution for that of
the one passed by the House and
agreed to by the Senate Civil
Service Committee, it will result in
the loss Of all reclassification legis-
lation at the present session OF
Congress. There is no prospect Of
Senator Sterling or the supporters
Of Redistribution agreeing to such
procedure.
May Await New Congress,
Unless there is a rapid turn for
the better, it is probable that re-
classification will go over until next
December, and the Federal workers
will have to be content with the
present order Of things until new
Congress is organized.
No provision has ;. as yet been
made for the enactment Of the $40
bonus in the event Of the failure Of
Redistribution. and in view Of the
ship subsidy filibuster in the Senate
some difficulty may be encountered
in passing it in the few remaining
legislative days Of the session. There
will be a definite break in the sit.
uation after the White House con.
ference tonight.
Sterling VIII Urge Bin.
ct would not say that we have
reached a complete deadlock on re-
classification said Senator Sterl-
ing today, "but we are far apart
on certain, vital features Of the bin.
will make a forceable presentation
Of my side of the case with re-
gard to the Brown efficiency ratings
to President Harding tonight. I hope
that he will agree with me-"
Senator Sterling explains that he
was willing to ACCEPT the Brown eff
ficiency rating as far as practicable
under the terms Of his bill. He said
he could not go further than that,
and that 1t was recognized that the
Bureau of Efficiency ratings were
haphaZard and unscientific, and
would not be Of must value to the
ALLEGATION committee in classifying
the employees under the terms Of
the Sterling-Lehlbach measure.