Evening star., 1926-06-16
The Apportionment of Dismissals.

y T2Nofd ole report mas 'Nt'
ordered hr the Senate committee on
civil Service on resolution TO re-
ruire that all separations from the
Government departments occa stoned
nv reductions of force shall he made
IN the ha sis OF app"rtionment among
the States. Under this resolution, IL
eracted into law. whenever it Is
necessary 10 reduce the force those
IN he let out will he selected from
'he States having more than their
quotas. and in no case Will an en-
rloye I've dropped II his state has
less than its quota OF positions.
This is an entirely logical deduc-
tion from the decidedly Illogical ap-
pcrtionment statute. il ii is right
and husineSslike 10 or2anIHe The
Government force on the seosraph :
should he ma aintained on that same
basis. True. the civil Service Com
mission points "ut that TO maintain
il in depletion Upon the apporlion-
To = low erina oi etticlency standards.
cu, 50 CorS the apportlonment la"
tend ,o lower efficiency stands f'is in
the Go, Arnment service.
The appointment of Offices pro-
vision Na> written into the ttNIi
Servire law - a concession 10 the
;..l, =! Anu
!, driven tn surrender by the nation
" iGe demand lnr the ador 100 OF The
,aAri, pI'incipia in filling pubhc Of
hres. II n.,S - !eiit Of the old method
cf ma kino appointments according to
political considerations. II lessened
the effect iVeness OF the merit prin-
c:rle. II este blsheG forty nine
standards of efficiency instead OF
one II put q premium upon p"pn'a :
ton and a handicap upon ihe Statea
with small numbers. reea riless Of
other considerations.
This present pro esi against the
ignoring of the apportionmeni law
closure of the point os view from
which Government positions are re-
rsrGed as "spoils of offi"" IS p"-
lhical praroSatives. The ms! con-
liberation which animates ;his pro
test 's that no State shall b" de-
rri, ad of its share" Of the ri"cAs
moi thai The sta ndard OF efficiency IN
the Government service he main
tained. The me thema tical rule must
he applied regardless OF all "ther
factors. rhe civil Service commis-
sion pointS out that when the time
comes To reduce forces there NAV
be highly qualified workers In the
points Of surplus who might. 10 the
Government advantage. he trans
ferred to I'll vacancies in other Of
hces. regardless oi their states of
origin. But, according to the Senate
rommitteeS action, these excess
workers. however puAiified. must he
dropred if their Siate~' quotas are
eyraeded. The Gov ernmenl mast
lose the benefit Of their experience,
their superior qualifications. Tine
only way in which they could be
kent would re 10 dismiss from those
Offices CLERKS who are less qualified
hu, who come from safes whose
quotas are not exceeded. 40 bust
nsss orsa MIA tion proceeds along
these lines in crea ting ami ma inta ih-
ing q working force. 1t selects The
host availa bic people without regard
for their places Of residence. When
the time comes 10 reduce the force
IL retains the most efficient and let's
out the least efficient. That is the
only sound rule of procedure. and il
is the rule that should he followed
by the Government. which. after all.
is merely a big business organiza-
ton.