Evening star., 1923-12-06
PATRONAGE strain
RELIEF IS SOUGHT
President Urged to Extend
Merit System to ProIong
Health and Life.

Elimination OF patronage burdens
by providing for an extension of the
| merit system of appointments
throughout the entire government
! service was asked Of President Cool
idge and Congress today in the re-
port OF the council Of the National
Civil Service Reform League, which
opened Its forty-third annual conven-
tion at the Washington Hotel.
The enormous pressure of office
seekers" was said by the report to
nave contributed to shortening the
lives OF half dozen Presidents, in
Guiding President Harding. No single
,, measure, 1t was declared. could more
effectively tighten the. labors Of the
Chief Executive than one which
would give relief from these importu-
mites by providing other means for
the selection OF those in the service
OF the government"
Lost Ground Under Wilson.
The report said that the progress
OF the competitive system during pre-
vious administrations was followed
by "a period of comparative retro
gression under President Wilson" and
that the retrograde movement was
not fully arrested when President
Harding assumed Office" The prac-
tice Of the Post Office Department,
under both administrations, of sub
hitting eligible lists established by
postmasters ito members OF Congress
and local politicians for rec
concentrations as to who among the
hrst three should be selected for ap-
pointment" was severely condemned.
Under the provisions of statute
passed by the Congress during the
previous administration" the report
continued. Wholesale appointments
| nave oeen made on a strictly spoils
basis In various departments and bu-
Teaus. In the internal revenue serv-
Ice and certain branches of the GUS
toms service. in the Veterans Bureau,
IN the Shipping Board and especially
IN the prohibition enforcement bu-
reau politics has played an impor-
tant and injurious part
Opening for Coolidge.
president Coolidge has a rare op-
portunity to eradicate once and for
all the vicious and degrading influ-
ence of partisan politics from the ad-
rninistration Of all the bureaus and
departments under his control, ex-
cepting where statutory exemptions
are In force. He has told Us that he
is In thorough sympathy with our
aims and Objects: that he finds the
existence of our organization most
encouraging and that he regards us
as the police Of the civil service sys-
tenn. We trust that he will take ade-
Quate steps to correct many of the
a "a II
wholehearted support IN the under
taking"
The report renewed the leagues
Criticisms of the bureau of engraving
ana aI printing dismissals under the
Harding administration and its de-
mands for explanations. Secretary
Work was condemned for removal Of
A. +. Davis as director of reclama-
s,a,.d s,on; which H the report said demon
OF the merit system and the letter and
spirit OF the civil service law"
Gets Slow Classification.
The federal personnel ciassifca-
tion board. after six months OF ex-
istence has made little progress. the
report asserted. toward a correction
OF chaotic conditions existing in the
'ederal personnel. Discussing reclas-
sification, the report said:
congress In its last session pro-
vtded for a reclassification board to
recIassify on duties basis the fed
eral service in the District OF Co
lumbia, and to recommend to Con-
gress a reclassification of the entire
neId service. This act. while its rur-
pose is most desirable, and in &C.
cordance with certain recommends
tions repeatedly made by the league
only attempts to cover a part Of a
personnel system for the federal gov
ernment Proper administra ton of
the act, in spite of its defects, would
go far however. to correct some of
the abuses In the service.
Essential Basis Stated.
But It is essential that the re-
classification be on the basis Of actual
duties performed and qualifications
required Of the various classes Of
federal employees with appropriate
salary ranges applicable to the same
kind OF work throughout the service.
1t Is matter of deep concern. there
fore. that the classification of the
service OF the District Of Columbia
has so far proceeded on the basis of
scheme devised by the bureau of
emcfency which Is hardly s. pretense
at genuine duties classifcations.
I'm addition the classification board
after having prepared. at great ex,
pense. a tentative classification Of
field service. actually on a duties
basis, has now suddenly discarded all
that has been done In this Erection
and ordered that the work be done sll
over again. this time on the basis of
, the undesirable scheme of the efi-
cheney bureau.
"It is to the credit Of the Civil serv
ice Commission that it's represent
alive voted AGAINST this hackuo ~
step. This situation. however. amply
demonstrates that not even a classi-
F., fcation of the service. to say nothing
of an up-to-date scientific scheme tf
personnel management in the federal
| service can be made until the respon-
sibility is centralized in the hands of
the United States Civil Service Com
| mission. The personnel functions
now placed in the bureau of eff
yfSee snHcd Pc sS e S the
Congress"
Meeting Called Tonight.
Reclassiication will be the subject
of a public meeting to be held to-
night by the Reform League in the
! hall Of nations at the Washington
Hotel. Speakers will include Will
Civil Service Commission; Miss Julia
c. Lathrop, former chief OF the chill
| dren's bureau; william Dudley
/ Fouike, president. and Richard Henry
/ Dana formre president of the Ma
| tional Civil Service Reform League.
| At tomorrow mornings session an
| exhaustive report dealing solely with
! decentralization will be received from
! the council of the league.
BELLOWS is AWARDED