Evening star., 1924-05-09
From Yesterdays S 30 Edition Of Tn. Star
HOUSE VOTES TO END
CLASSIFYING BOARD
ehlbach Bill Transferring Duties
to Civil Service Passed,
172 to 90.
MEETS STIFF OPPOSITION
Proposal to Create New Govern
ment Agency Is Defeated.

BY a vote of 172 to rs the House
yesterday afternoon passed the Lehl-
bach bill abolishing the personnel cIas
sification board and transferring its
duties to the Civil Service Commits
sion. The measure now goes to the
Senate.
This action was taken after two
attempts had been made by Represen-
tative Tom D. McKeown, Democrat,
Oklahoma and Representative Martin
B. Madden. Republican, Illinois, chair
man of the House appropriations com
naittee, to amend the bill by substi-
tuting for the personnel classifica
tion board board OF three members
not now in the government service
and not now residents OF the District
of Columbia, to be appointed by the
President The McKeown amendment
would authorize the President to TX
the salary and the Madden ameud
ment would have fixed the salary of
the three board members at $500.
Both were defeated.
Up Under Special Rule.
The legislation was brought ~
under a special rule, which was
adopted by a vote of 327 to IL.
Representative Bianton had pro
viousIy protested that Congress ought
not to entertain legislation to abolish
the board, which was already func-
tioning.
Chairman Lehlbach OF the civil
service committee explained that pre-
vious to the passage OF the reclSss-
ification act there was no co-ord;-
nation or cooperation and no elemen.
Of Justice In the fixing OF salaries.
He pointed out that Congress for
some time was cognizant of the fact
that the salary and wage rate for
positions involving like duties ard
responsibilities and calling for the
same qualifications showed wide
variations and marked inequalities
He told the House that the salary
and wage rate for positions of the
same class were different for differ
ent departments and In independent
establishments, and that for many
classes the salaries were inadequste
the classification act was passed au
thorizing and directing the orsani-
zation OF a personnel classihcat.oH
board.
Representative Lehlbach said this
DOaTQ FGIuCru 10 C4&0o1AS -
out the provisions OF the law.
Cites beard Testtneny.
He insisted that the board did not
subdivide the grades into classes and
furnished no titles and definitions,
published no statements as required
by the act for the guidance OF de-
partmental heads, and, in fact, made
no classification at all.
"As a result weShave employees do
ing like work receiving different sal
aries" Representative Lehlbach SAID.
defeated by the refusal of the board
to perform its work. The question
is whether the expressed mandates
of Congress are to be carried out or
and deliberately set aside the pro-
vision of the law.
Each member of the personnel clas
sification board testified at the hear
ing held by your committee that the
board is not functioning properly and
urged that it should be abolished,
said Representative Lehlbach. in con-
Others, in addition to Mr.. Blanton.
who spoke in opposition were Repre-
sentative Cotton, Republican. Utah;
Representative Mekeown. Democrat,
Byrns, Democrat, Tennessee, ranking
majority member on the House appro-
priations committee, and Representative
Martin B. Madden, Republican, Illinois,
chairman of the appropriations com
mittee; Representative Black, Demo
crat, Texas; Representative Wood, Re
publican, Indiana, and Representative
Chindblom, Republican. Illinois
Others who spoke in favor of the
Lehlbach bill were Representative
Lamar Jeffers, Democrat, Alabama
and Representative Sellers, Democrat,
New York.