Evening star., 1925-11-21
SM00T MENTIONED
|. IN PERSONNEL ROW
Senator's Name Linked With
H. D. Browns in Demand
for Inquiry.

The names Of Herbert ID. Brown of
| the Bureau of Efficiency and Senator
| Reed Smoot were linked last night in
| statement by Ellery G. Stowell, pres
| ident of the Civil Service League who
criticized Mr.. Browns opposition to
the proposed consolida ton OF person
mel matters in the Civil Service Com.
mission. Mr.. Stowell also announced
his intention Of investigat ting the need
for such an orga nizatio as the Bu.
reau of Efficiency, and pointed out
! the duplication and waste that arise
from having such a body"
Mr.. Brown also was sharply criti-
cized by the veterans joint commit
tee. representing the Grand Army Of
the Republic. American Legion.
United Spanish War Veterans, Vet
Grams Of Foreign Wars and Disa bled
American Veterans. In statement
by Harlan Wood, chairman OF the
veterans committee Mr.. Brown was
charged with failure TO execute 1Asis-
la tion providing for veterans pref
erence. and with domination of the
Personnel Cla ssification Board.
Answer Brown.
Mr.. Stowell, following a meeting OF
the Civil Service Leagues executive
committee last evening. expressed
serious doubt as TO the proprietv Of
intrusting the personnel work of the
tederal Government 10 the Bureau
| OF Efficiency or any person connected
with that organization 1t was the
second time within two days, said
Mr.. Stoweli. that his committee had
been called together. following the
statement ny Mr.. Herbert D. Brown
OF the Bureau or Efficiency that the
Bureau OF Efficiency ought 10 he con
| flpued as an independent oresniza
tion and given wide powers in ad
ministerinE the cla ssifcati ton act Of
| 1928"
Mr.. Browns recent statement. "in
"hich ne tried TO put una authorized
statements into the mouths OF the
Civil Service commissioners and
thereby misrepresent the Cfvil service
commissions attitude rega riding the
propossi 10 abolish the Bureau OF Ef.
nclencE, leads me to believe that the
| reports with regard TO the close rela
ions between Mr.. Brown and Senator
Smoot are not entirely without
! tounda ton. This is situation which
! many members OF the Civil Service
League view with grave concern
Most elaborate cautions are pro.
| vlded In the Constitution and also by
| law TO keep executive and leeislat tive
/ separate and II Senator Smoo,
through Mr.. Brown and the Rureau
! Of Efficiency. Is able TO make decisions
! for an administrative body and 10
| have the decisions thus made carried
| out, the league wants that fact
| brought out into the open go that all
! may know exactly what is going on. -
| To Probe Bureau Work.
| In declaring he would make an In
vestiga ton OF the Bureau OF Efficiency
| Mr.. Stowell questioned the need of a II
| annual appropriation OF over 500, ,000
/ for that bureau. in view Of the fact
! that the Bureau OF the Budget is
| specifically charged with many Of the
! functions which the Bureau of En-.
| cheney Is performing. and the remain
! ing functions. all pertaining to per-
/ sonnel, could be handled both more
; effectively and more cheaply through
/ the Civil Service Commission Mr.
! Stowell indicated that he would make
a report on this subject to the Civil
! Service League within a few days
/ The veterans joint committee in
I criticiZing Mr.. Brown and his admins
| tration of the law pa rticularly relating
to veterans stated that the America n
Legion. United Spa anish War Veterans
| and Netera MS OF Foreign Wars had all
! passed resolutions calling on Congress
! TO concentrate the work OF the Bureau
of Efficiency. Personnel Classification
| Board and Employees Compensi tion
! Commission in the Civil Service Com
! mission. aholishing the first three.
! Replying to statement by Mr.
! Brown that certain members Of the
| veterans orga MIA tons felt that 'tht
| civil Service Commission would in
| terpret the preference law more
! literally than the Burea u Of Efficiency
! had interpreted it," the veterans
| Joint committee declared no such
! view as this is held by any responsible
| veteran n or veteran organization
! Praising the Civil Service Commits
! sion. The veterans committee said
| Their ability and official integrity. the
! fairness Of their impartial administra
| ton dictate To MS that the Civil Serv
! Ice Commission should be charged
! with the responsibility for all person
| mel functions" Consolidation OF the
! four bureaus into one. the veterans
committee held, would be sound eco
nomic step.