Evening star., 1924-07-21
BOARD
WORK IS SCORED
Steward. Calls RecIassifica.
tion "Hodge-P Podge" and
Urges Workers to Fight.

Attacking the methods used by
the personnel classification board,
but not the classification law itself.
Luther Steward, president of the
National Federation of Federal En-
ployes, today issued a statement in
which he branded the present recIas-
sification as "hodge-podge" and
declared, To-day the need is as great
as ever for a real classification of the
national civil service. based upon
appropriate standarssa and tests. UNI
formly applied"
MIR. Steward charged that the pres
ent classification had left the impress
sion that about all the scaling down
of salaries was visited upon the rank
and file" He called upon all gov
eminent employees to join the move
ment to abolish the personnel cias-
sifcation board, as provided by leg
islation now pending before the
Senate.
Text of Statement.
Mr.. Stewards statement was issued
as a partial reply to food Of indi-
vIdual and group protests which has
been pouring into headquarters of
the National Federation of Federal
Employees. The statement follows:
ITO the thousands of Federal en-
ployes whose reasonable expectations
Of a fair intelligent standardizing of
salaries, based upon the duties they
perform, have been rudely dashed to
the ground by the adoption of a
veritable caricature of the classified
ton act the National Federation of
Federal Employees extends it's pro-
found sympathy. 1t hopes. however.
that this further experience will sup
ply the thousands who feel that they
have been wronged an incentive to
ally themselves with the great move
ment which is backing the Lehlbach
resolution Oh. r. $3.50 to abolish the
Personnel Cha ssification Board and
place the classification of the Gov
eminent personnel in the hands of
the Civil Service Commission, which
has shown itself earnestly desirous
Of effecting a true classified ton.
This resolution has passed the House
and is now before the Senate awaiting
action. Every Federal employe who be-
lieves in fair compensation standards
impartially and intelligently applied
should do something to assist the pas
sage Of this measure The most effective
work in this behalf can be done through
orga nization.
Quotes Lehlbach,
Representative Lehlbach, joint author
of the SterfMg-Lehlbach classification
act, has his to say regarding the work
accomplia had by the Personnel Classi-
fication Boakd:
"By a vote of 2 to l, the board
ordered the departments to allocate
positions in the District of Columbia
to the Is grades of the repu-
dated Brown schedule instead of to
the services and grades carried in the
act of Congress 1t established no
classes, and consequently furnished
no specifications of duties and quail
fcations for such classes by which
uniformity throughout the depart
ments was intended to be promoted
1t established no titles by which any
one in the Government or in Congress
could definitely recognize the char
acter and quality Of work performed
by a person holding such title. With
amazing effrontery the Classification
Board turned upon the law which
created it and proceeded to destroy
every provision of it except that
bring itself into being. Any
one acquainted with the circumstances
surrounding the progress of this per-
formance can have no doubt as to the
moving spirit behind the scenes. From
the very beginning, the representa-
tive from the Bureau of Efficiency
consistently opposed carrying into
effect the provisions of the law. The
repreeentative of the Civil Service
Commission, on the other hand, con-
sistently strove to have the plain let
tor and the clear intent Of the Law
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