Evening star., 1925-07-18
LEGION OPENS WAR
ON 3U. S. AGENCIES
Will Push Fight for Merger
of Federal Personnel
Bodies.

Determined to wage a finish fight
on the three government agencies
which II holds to be unnecessary to
the conduct of personnel affairs in the
Government service, the veterans
joint committee Of the department of
the District of Columbia and the
American Legion have joined hands
with the National Federation Of Fed
eral Employees to consolidate the Bu-
reau of Efficiency, the Personnel Clas-
sification Board and the United States
Employees Compensation Commission
with the Civil Service Commission.
Claiming that the latter organiZai :
ton should have complete supervision
over personnel and efficiency ratings
from the time an employe enters the
service until his discharge or retire
ment. the legion is planning to carry
the fight into the annual convention
at Omaha in October, and to bring It
before Congress when that body con
venes next December. A meeting OF
the joint committee viii be held with
in two weeks at the District Build
ing to concentrate the thought OF all
veterans organizations on the pro
posed consolidation and line up the
weight of the several interested or
ganizations behind the consolidation
movement.
See S6ElnS III Manly
Leaders in the campaign to press
for the consolidation believe such
amalgamation will result in actual
money saving to the Government in
personnel administration and more
efficient handling OF personnel mat
ters. From the viewpoint of the war
veteran the administration Of the var
ious veterans preference acts will be
facilitated and the veteran will re-
ceive his just dues under the proposed
consolidation.
Complete authority should be given
the Civil Service Commission under
the program mapped out and by joint
committee to rate employees for eff
cheney, classification and to follow
their Government service up TO the
date Of discharge, even through the
processes of discharge from injury
and the compensation to be paid them
for injury received in line of duty.
The joint committee is headed by VIII
liam H. Carroll. department com
rnander of the Veterans OF Foreign
Wars and a member of the American
Legion.
The fight will be carried into the
Legion convention at Omaha by Har-
Ian Wood. legal adviser to the joint
committee and elected as a delegate
10 lHS IldllODdI convention Oh d pat
form in support of the veterans pref
erence acts. Mr.. Wood holds the opin-
ion that the executive order issued by
President Coolidge on June 4, transfer
ring the right Of jurisdiction over Fed
eral employees from the bureau and
division chiefs to the Personnel Classi-
! fication Board, contravenes the vet
erans' preference acts.
Mr.. Wood takes the view that a
veteran either is or is not entitled to
| the benefits of the veterans prefer
ment acts, and that the longevity pro
visions of the executive order of June
| 4 indirectly keep veterans out of the
benefits accruing TO them as a result
| Of the various acts.
The campaign will be begun when
| Congress convenes. and will be carried
| into the various committees which
have to do with veteran matters.
The National Federation of Federal
Employees. at a meeting earlier in the
year, passed resolutions urging the
consolidation of the various personnel
organizations and recommending that
the Government appoint a personnel
manager.