Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-08-14
PERSONNEL BOARD
GAINS ON DOCKET
No Appeals More Than Three
Months Old Remain-Fed-
Grafton Plans Fight.

While the Personnel Classification
Board is beginning to catch up on its
docket, with appeals from employees
on file now not more than three
months old. the specter of an impend-
irg and long-drawn-out fight with the
National Federation of Federal EN-
ployes has again been raised.
Several problems of serious inn
portance are pending at the board,
v Inch has succeeded in developing &
process by which the number of ap.
peals has at Least been reduced, and
employees are enabled to get either an
approval denial or cancellation Of
their appeal within a shorter time
than formerly.
Gains Are Shown.
When the procedure now in force
was established in January. 1926,
some of the appeals dated back a year.
With the new process of personal
hearings and speedier machinery
there are now no appeals more than
three months old.
The National Federation of Federal
Employees, which is on the warpath
since the board turned it down as
official representative of the women
employees of the Bureau of Engraving
and Printing, has again outlined its
position, and gives warning in the cur
rent issue of The Federal Employe,
its official organ. that the fight will be
carried Ito the halls of Congress dur
ing the next session"
The official language of the boards
letter to the federation was also dis
closed for the first time. The letter
was in response to an appeal from
The employees union and the fedora
ton for reallocaton of positions which
hroliUht hiphpr
women employees. The board in reply
ing to Luther c. Steward, president of
the National Federation, was quoted
as saying:
In view of ten fact that it is the
policy of the board to deal directly
with individual employees or officials
, of the Government, it is the opinion
of the board that if these employees
feel that there are facts pertinent to
The proper ALLEGATION of heir posi-
lions which were not brought to the
attention of the board at the hearing
granted them, they should follow the
orderly procedure prescribed by the
board and open to employees desiring
TO appeal from any action taken by
this board"
s' Action Held Arbitrary.
This letter from the board. says The
Il Is VI
the actions Of the Personal Classified
1ion Board. BY means of the raising
of a network of red tape, the board
is attempting TO protect itself and to
keep from doing justice to Federal
employees not only in, this particular
instance, but in many others which
might be mentioned. Denial of the
right of collective presentation of facts
and the right of counsel is new pro-
cedeure in Government matters, and
it is one which never can be tole-
rated.
1.-THE board must realize that it is
virtually impossible for every en-
ploye of the wetting division to APP
pear before it, and it must realize |
further that often pertinent facts |
may be overlooked by the employees, |!
whereas a person skilled in the pres |
entation of facts would be able to |
bring forth an array of information |
which the board, If it prided itself |
upon it's business and fairness. would
not be able to overlook
Officials of the board who had read
the charges Of the federation said
they apparently were based on a mis-
apprehension of the position of the
board.
Already the federation has taken |
the matter direct to President Cool |
idge, who in turn referred it back |
10 the classification board.