Evening star., 1925-01-17
House Challenged to Stop
Funds of Classifying Body

! on the civil service, and now II lies
without action on the Senate calendar.
What is required is clear and
simple. The first and most necessary
step is to get honest, straight
forward. law abiding enforcement OF
the act we already have.
The second is FOR the classifying
agency and the Budget Bureau gent
ly. but firmly to control the admin
istrative officers on the basis of as
certained facts in accordance with
principles and standards laid down
by Congress
The central classifying agency
must constantly be on the alert to
prevent administrators from getting
a position in one grade raised in clas
sihcation 10 Il higher grade upon a
colored restatement of the duties Of
the position. There should be first
hand investigation by representatives.
of the classifying agency in every
case where any doubt exists as to
the accuracy or completeness of the
facts upon which the action is to be
taken.
The United States Civil Service
Commission must go further than It
has to prevent administrators from
selecting for promotion employees not
possessed of the qualifications re-
quired for the higher jobs. The tax
payers must be prepared to pay the
salaries necessary to secure for the
essential positions in their Govern
ment properly qualified employees.
Congress Is not relieved of its re-
sponsibility when it appropriates suf-
ticient funds to pay the necessary
salaries.
Holds Steps Vital.
The steps just enumerated are nee
essary to prevent administrators from
abusing lump-sum appropriations by
having the positions of favorites
raised in classification to a higher
grade. getting the funds for this
course by abolishing w-grade posi-
tions or by holding down the salaries
of subordinate employees deserving Of
increases TO the higher salary rates
within their grade because of their
efficiency.
The classifying agency must exert
far greater control over advancement
from rate to rate within the grade
than the Personnel Classification
Board has done. Administrators
should not be free. uncontrolled, TO
jump a favorite from rate TO rate
within the grade, one step at time
as the classification act provides, but
with only a constructive interval be
tween jumps.
eff the administrators abuse this
| feature of the classification act, II
NAV be necessary for Congress TO
restore a provision which was in the
act as it originally passed the House
and as IL was approved by the Senate
COMMITTEES on Civil Service. Accord
ing 70 this provision salary advance
ments within the grade were limited
TO one a year and that one 10 the
next higher rate. This provision
limiting advancements to one year
went out of the bill in the Senate
| committee on appropriations. Some
thing may be said in favor of its
elimination, provided the classifying
agency and the Budget Bureau
exert proper control over administra-
tors Experience demonstrates, how
| ever, that administrators cannot be
! left free and uncontrolled with a
power to advance favorites as rapid
ly as they will from bottom to top
of the grade.
The primary responsibility rests
on the agency administering the
classification act. 1t must develop
effective control. IL it fails in its
obligation to the public then Con-
gress will have legi islatively to de-
prive the administrators and the
classifying agency of the freedoH
permitted them under this act.
Course Held Obvious.
What the course of the agency
administering the classification act
should do is obvious.
Under the powers conferred upon
it by Section 9 of the act, it should
make rules governing the advance
ment of employees from rate to rate
within the grade. For many classes
the rules should provide that admin
istrators cannot advance employees TO
the higher rates of the grade without
the expressed consent. of the central
agency after an affirmative showing
OF the exceptional efficiency of the en-
ploye
For each class set up within a
grade the salary rates must be ap-
propriate for that class. If the high
est rates for a grade are too high to
be appropriate for given class of
positions within that grade, the clas-
sifying agency should advise admin
istrators that these higher rates can
not be used for that class. If the
lowest rates in the grade are too low
to get the type of employees required,
the classifying agency should not use
them for that class of positions, but