Evening star., 1924-03-04
THOUSANDS OPPOSE
CLASSIFYING BOARD
Federal Employees Sign Pc
tition and Win Right to Post
Protest in Buildings.

In spite of having been excluded
from the buildings Of the five de-
uartments and establishments, the
departmental classification protest
committee Is fighting its way with
a petition to abolish the classinca-
ton board; has obtained seVeFai
thousand signatures from govern
ment workers, and will wind up the
petition campaign with hour1sn
Thursday night.
This was announced today by Lor-
en- H. wittner, chairman of the COM
mittee, who said new victory had
been won when Col. c. o. Sheriff.
superintendent OF State. war ana
Navy buildings, granted permission
for the petition to be posted In the
many buildings under his superVl-
sion.
Departments and establishments
which have refused OF permit the
petition to be circulated include Ag-
riculture, Navy, Labor. State and the
Veterans Bureau.
"In spite of the fact that the De-
partment of Labor is supposed to be
interested in the welfare of work.
ers," said Mr.. Wittner. they abso-
lutely refused us the right to circu-
late our petition there"
Petitions for Both Sides.
Col. Sheriff., in granting permis-
sion, cited for his authority "37 stat
ute, $685." providing that employees OF
the government have such a right.
Under this statute. Col. Sheriff. wrote.
this office gladly grants you the per-
mission you request"
In addition, however. Col Sheriff.
required the committee to post not
only the petition asking for abolition
of the classification board. but an
other Of opposite tenor. Consequent.
ly, the protest committee has had
printed new petitions bearing the fol-
lowing words: We. the undersigned
government employees. do hereby pub
licly petition that personnel claSSifi-
cation and efficiency ratings and all
other government personnel matters
be continued under the agencies now
charged with these duties by Con-
gress."
The new petition has been printed
on yellow paper. to distinguish IT
from the other Of somewhat similar
reading. but opposite meaning. Both
petitions were being placed in po-
sition today in the many buildings
under supervisor of Col. Sheriff..
Concerning the second petition, Col.
THE placing of this petition beside
the one which you propose Will make
1t possible for the President and
Congress to get true expression OF
the wishes of the government en-
ployes. as such employees Will
he either
the petitions that they desire.
Therefore, in any case where the pc
tition which you propose Is erected
upon a bulletin board It will be In
ed Immediately above, be posted be-
side it,
Orders Conflict.
Whether there will be conflict OF
authority in placing the petitions In
the Navy buildings, over which Col.
Sheriff. has control, after Assistant
Secretary of the Navy Roosevelt had
previously turned down the request
of the committee, had not developed
early today. -
The petitions have been placed in
conspicuous places in the various
permitted places. In some buildings
they are on the bulletin boards. In
others they are in charge OF the
captain of the watch. or on a table
conveniently near the doors.
When the petition is complete
Thursday night 1t will be presented
by the protest committee to Chair
man Lehlbach OF the House COM
mittee on civil service. who Is author
Of the bill now before that COM
rnittee providing for abolition Of the
Personal Classification Board.
uyr nv pAR AssocrArroN