Evening star., 1924-02-11
CLASSIFYING BOARD
SCORED BY EXPERT;
ABOLITION IS URGED
Merriam of Research Institute
Would Give Work to
Civil Service Body.

Abolition Of the personal classifi-
cation board and transfer of it's
duties to the Civil Service Commits
sion are recommended to Repre-
sentative Lehlbach Of New Jersey
chairman of the House committee on
reform in the civil service, by Lewis
Merriam of the Institute for Govern
ment Research in special report
upon survey of the minutes and
tion board.
Summarizing his recommendations,
Mr.. Merriam stated: The personal
classification board should be abol-
ished and its duties transferred to
some other agency that has the public
confidence and respect. The agency
recommended is the United States
Civil Service Commission.
I'm the interest of harmony, econ
omy and efficiency the summary
continued. ''all central personal ad-
ministration including the esta blish-
ment and maintenance of systems of
efficiency ratings should be placed
under one agency, the Civil Service
Commission"
Sees Two Remedies.
Mr.. Merriam states that as far as
he can see only two legislative rem
edies for the situation are available
and states them as follows:
4. \ resolution directing the
board to make a new ALLEGATION for
the District of Columbia to classes.
established and defined under the
grades, and to submit report for
the field services containing compen-
sation schedules consisting of defini-
tions of services and grades to be
accompanied by class specifications
in the form prescribed by section
of the act.
80. An amendment to the act abol-
ishing the personnel classification
board and transferring all its pow
ers and duties to the Civil Service
Commission OF some other one agency
possessed of public confidence and
respect and competent to handle mat
ters relating to personnel. If such
4 transfer is made all jurisdiction
over efficiency ratings should be
given to the Civil Service Commits
sion"
Attacks Boards Record.
Speaking of the personnel clasSiti-
cation board, Mr.. Merriam states: Its
record to date is such that no one can
hold it in high regard 1t would even
seem preferable to have the whole
classification job frankly assigned to
the bureau of efficiency than 10 con-
tinue the present farce of d board
that is scarcely functioninE at all.
MIR. Moffett and the Civil Service Com
mission should either be entirely re-
lieved of all responsibility for a job
or else the commission should be
given full undivided responsibility
with respect at least to classified ton
proper.
some other arrangement, conceiv-
ably. might be arrived at with re-
Spect to fixing the salaries for the
several classes of positions after the
classification is complete. The Civil
Service Commission is the onl" agency
on the board which has shown any
vision, any real conception of the re-
quirementS of the situation.
1.-The Civil Service Commission as at
present constituted is realizing its
great opportunities for constructive
service and it can safely be trusted
with the whole classification job. In
my opinion nothing in its long record
reflects greater credit upon it than
the record of its representative on
this otherwise hopeless personnel
classification board.
Calls Bonrd Failure.
In his letter transmitting his find
ings, made at the request of Repre-
sentative Lehlbach. Mr.. Merriam
stated: I'm making recommendations
/ may have gone somewhat further
than you expected. but l do not think
any one who has given time and eff
fort to securing a good system of
personnel administration can examine
these records in detail without arriv-
ing at the conviction that the person.
mel classification board is d failure
and that the administration of the
classification act should he given TO
some competent agency qualified to
deal with personnel administration
and possessed of public confidence
and respect. I recommend the Civil
Service Commission as the agency
fulfilling the requirements
Summarizing the situation with re-
spect to classification in the District
of Columbia, Mr.. Merriam reported
that the minutes and records regard
ing the classification of the positions
in the District reveal the following:
81. BY two-to-one vote the rep
resentative of the bureau of the bud
get voting with the representative
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