Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-09-12
PERSONNEL BOARD
CHANGES METHOD
New Procedure Will Accom-.
pIish Work Five Times
Faster.

sweeping change in the procedure
of hearing appeals has been inaugu-
rated by the Personnel Classification
Board to speed up the work and bring
It up to Gate. it was learned today.
The change. which virtually will af-
feet every Government employe under
classification, substitutes several eX-
aminers for the single Personnel CLASH
fication Board in the matter of hold-
ing hearings. Five such examiners
have started work. thus increasing the
volume of hearings by the ratio of five
to one, ard more may be added later.
Change Is Important.
The change in procedure is of great
importance to Government workers, as
the board is the fixer of salaries in the
Government service under classical
tions, having authority to place all en-
ployes in the grades to which the board
decides they belong, Grades carry SAL
aries of various ranges and depart
mental executives decide into which
step of grade each employe shall go.
But it is the Personnel Classification
Board which virtually fixes salaries for
thousands of workers in the public
service. The hearings are held on ap-
peals by the employees from claSsltlca-
ton which they consider incorrect.
In a formal statement made public
this morning. the board explained 1t
would continue the present practice
ST disposing of all cases which can prop
erly be acted upon without oral hearing
and in which the appeal itself or in
vcStigation at the employees place OF
employment by q member of the boards
staff clearly brings out the facts"
Where the merits of the case. how
ever. are not definite and clear" said
the boards statement, land oral hear
ing Is necessary, such oral hearings in
the future will be had before examiners
instead of being conducted by the board
itself
"A stenographic record will be made
of all material evidence introduced and
this record with the other information
pertaining to the case will then be
presented to the several members of
the board for their consideration and
decision.
Through this division of the work
with competent examiners performing
the task of finding the facts. leaving
10 the board the decisions upon the
facts found. the action upon appeal
cases will be greatly expedited. and the
board will be able to devote more time
10 other phases of its work which are
equally pressing and important
There are now being conducted four
or FIVE sets of hearings daily before in
dividual examiners as compared with
one set, when hearings were conducted
by the board itself, and 1t is expected
that the number of examiners will be
Increased as soon as the boards staff
can be expanded TO assimilste the adj
aitional work"
Docket Piled Up.
The old system, which now has been
supplanted, was inaugurated January l,
1925, and consisted of hearings by the
board personally on cases. The business
piled up so fast. however. that by the
last of August the board found that
1t had total of about 1900 appeals
on file.
The examiners who have been charged
with the hearing Of the employees COM
plants were said by the board 10 he
experienced men. Those who were hold
Ing hearings to-day were John Harvey,