The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1924-03-01
Of
BOARDS
Guy Moffett Claims Employees
Were Not Heard on
ALLEGATIONS.

fast at today's hearing on reelassi-
fication of Government employees
and the actions of the Personnel
Classification Board, before the
House Civil Service Committee.
Employees Not Heard, Is Charge.
The first came when Guy Moffett,
civil Service Commission member of
the classification board, testified
that the board made ALLEGATIONS
without giving employees any OPP
portun1ty to examine them or to be
heard regarding their grading.
Moffett declared that his con.
science would not permit him to ap.
prove such a course Of action. He
gave the committee the impression
that Government employees were
given no more consideration than IL
they had been so many tin soldiers.
The tentative ALLEGATIONS made
by the board" Moffett said, were
never known to the employees. The
administrators in the various Gov.
eminent departments filled out the
missionaries without consulting
the employees and none Of the EN-.
ployes was given an opportunity to
examine the missionaries.
personally examined some
5000 OF the ALLEGATIONS and in cases
too numerous to mention I found
ALLEGATIONS which were not at all
consistent. I simply could not ap-
prove such work"
Cites Secret Conference.
Moffett testified regarding the
secret conference held last April
between members of the board and
Senator Reed Smoot, Of Utah:
Chairman Martin B. Madden of the
House Appropriations Committee;
Herbert D. Brown, chief Of the
Sureau OF Efficiency; Budget Direc-
TOR Lord and Presiding Deming, of
the Civil Service Commission.
AT this meeting, Moffett said.
General Lord reported that he had
heard on Capitol Hill that the classi-
tication board was planning to set
up an per cent salary increase
In the District of Columbia. Moffett
declared that the board had no
such plan and could not make such
an increase.
The allegations that Senator
Smott had been instrumental in
shaping the policies of the board,
In opposition to the terms of the
classification act, were again re-
ferred to. Moffett declared that
Smoot had agreed, as far back az
last April, with the policies set up
by II. N. Graves, representative Of
the Bureau Of the Budget, on the
board.
Graves Under Fire.
Graves was under fire at yes.
terday's hearing before the commit
tee and admitted that he furnished
the information upon which Sena-
tor Smoot prepared the famous
statement of November IL outlining
policies for the board, which are al
legged to be in direct violation Of the
classification law.
senator Smoot uneQuivocally sup
ported Graves program" Congress-.
man Frederick r. Lowbach, chair.
man or the committee shot at Moi.
felt.
Yes, SIR" Moffett replied.
Another sensation was caused by
the testimony of w. w. Warwick.
former Comptroller Of the Treasury.
ana former chairman of the board.
| warwick testified that at q meet.
inly only four days after the April
conference, he was required to vote
unoer instruction, and that as a
result the board adopted policies
which have since been under fire.
Among these policies were: That
ALLEGATIONS to grade could be made
without any reference to classes:
that the Bureau of Efficiency
schedules might be used by the
board, and that estimates for salary
appropriations might be placed on
ALLEGATIONS to grades.
Moffett created a stir by his
dramatic recital of occurrences at
the Famous meeting of November
~, at which the boards policies.
which are alleged to Qverturn the
classitication act, were adopted.
me chairman sent around a
written notice on November II.
that there would be very import.
ant meeting the following day."
Moftett explained. when the
meeting was called to order the
chairman presented the document
ana distributed copies to each of
the members.
Authorship In Doubt.
AFTER the secretary had read
the document I remarked that IT
seems to be a very important state.
ment, and / asked the chairman
whether he had written it. He de.
clined to make definite statement,
but indicated that he had not, or
at least that was the impression
gathered.
II then asked Graves IL he had
written 1t. He indicated that he
didn't write it."