Evening star., 1923-11-21
COOLIDGE ASSURES
! j. s. EMPLOYEES OF
PAY RATINGS PROBE
Delegation Charges Person
mel Classification Board
Violates Law.
McCARL FILES PROTEST
FOR 116 IN HIS OFFICE
Every Member of Congress to Get
Copies of Letter Alleging
Unjust Decisions.

Copies of Letter Alleging
Unjust Decisions.
PRESIDENT Coolidge today assured the
executive council, National Federation
OF Federal Employees, that he would
look into their charges against the per-
sonnel classification board. and if sufB-
cient supporting evidence were found
he would institute a. formal investiga-
ton.
Such an investigation was requested
by the federation's officers in a call Of
protest on the President today, when
they formally laid before him their
charge that the classification board
was not following the law
The President assured the council II
was understood, of his deep interest in
all federal employees and of his desire
to obtain for them proper reclassihca-
ton. II fills were discovered, the Pres
ident said, proper corrective measures
would be taken
Controller Files Protest.
While the deputation was at the
White House, Controller General Nc
Carl filed with the board a protest
signed by 116 employees of the general
accounting office against the tenta-
tive ALLEGATIONS given them under the
classification act.
The conference with the President
today was the outgrowth of meet
ings held by the board during the
a of fer
employees last night at which the
methods of the personnel classifca-
ton board were denounced: The
Gu3her 5Sday sdGara was SHADED BY
those who accompanied him were:
John Fitzgerald of Brooklyn; Miss
Gertrude NJ. McNally Washington: W.
J; Hines Leavenworth, kans.: $.
Tyson kinsell of Philadelphia; w T.
Scully st: Louis, Mo-: l.. ]. Tierney.
st. Paul, Mimi: Lee r. Whitney. Mil
waukee, Wis: Grace Z. Talbot Port
land, Ore; John p. Green, Boston,
and James +. Mckeon of Washington.
Reads Letter to Coolidge.
Mr.. Steward read to the President
the following letter of protest:
"On behalf of the many thousand
members of the National Federation
of Federal Employees located in every
state of the Union, we desire to enter
formal protest to you, the Chief
Executive of the nation. against the
action of the personnel classification
board in attempting. to impose Il
scheme for rating salaries of federal
employees contrary to the letter as
well as the spirit of the reclassifica-
tion act of 1928.
"On behalf of this army cf civilian
employees, we ask that you have this
matter investigated, in the confident
belief that when the facts are before
you you will take action to insure
that the terms of the law shall be
followed and not be ignored by any
executive agency"
This letter was signed by the above
named members of the council.
Copies to Legislators.
Copies of this protest are being
mailed to every member of Congress
by Loren II. Wittner, chairman of
the committee representing the audit
ing clerks, calling attention to "a
great injustice being perpetrated by
the personnel classification board"
In the letter to representatives ac-
companying the protest Chairman
Wittner says:
THE classification act of 1923 is
of the bill is being frustrated by the
agency established to carry out its
provisions. That the work is not be-
ing classified is very apparent. We
have filed a protest, copy or Whlch
is inclosed. that states quite fully our
position. We feel you will support
our protest when the appropriation
for the coming year is presented, win
such fairness as the law itSel1 pro
vides."
Auditing Clerks Protest.
The protest is, in part. as follows:
The final audit of disbursing Off
GERS accounts is the work under
taken. The nature of the work per
formed is clearly defined ana quali-
fed, if the descriptive language
means anything, in grade 3, section T.
of the classification schedule made ell
fective by executive order. October
"a 1921, making examination of MS
ough knowledge of regulations, con
troilers' decisions and minor points
of law are involved.
"The high-grade auditing work IS
fully described in the schedule, yet
placed the employees doing exactly
the same kind of work in three
grades, I, s and under the sched-
ule. thus tacitly admitting that grade
covers the duties involved in the
Anal audit of fiscal officers accounts.
The work is not covered in any man
nor by the language of grade s.
auditing freight claims and bills not
Involving land grants, and grade
refers only to routine performance of
duties which would not comprehen-
siyely cover the work performed
Injustice Is Charged.
"The gross injustice of the alloca-
ton is apparent when the law is
cited. Section Of the classification
act of 1928 provides: In determining
the rate of compensation which an
empIoye shall receive, the principle of
equal compensation for equal work,
irrespective of sex, shall be followed.
Section 3 of the act further provides:
The board shall follow as nearly as
practicable the classification made
pursuant to the executive order of
2. provides: If the employe is receiv
ing compensation less than the mini
mum rate of the grade or class there
of in which his duties fall. the COM
pensation shall be increased TO that
minimum rate.
"The influence of the personnel
classification board and those respon-
sible for the ALLEGATION is plainly felt
as their action in many cases when
making ALLEGATIONS has been dictator
lily arbitrary, practically ignoring
the kind Of work entailed, but rather
considering clerks on some precon-
ceived basis. The clerks have been
classified. The work performed has
not been considered else one grade
would have covered Identical work