Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-03-24
CONGRESS TO GET POINTERS
FROM FOREIGN CIVIL SERVICE
Personnel Board Report Includes Study of
Classification and Other Systems in
Great Britain and Germany.

the attainment Of 65 years OF age. In
special cases the treasury may extend
the term of employment for further
period not exceeding years"
Marriage gratuitieS are payable to
women employees who are required to
resign on marriage, the report states.
The amount Is at rate of one months
pay for each complete year of pension
able service, with limit OF one years
pay.
The report explains there are two re-
tirement plans In effect In England.
The first applies to those who entered
the service prior to 1909, and provides
for an annuitant only. The annuity Is
calculated on the average salary during
the last three years of service and con-
templates an annual pension equal to
one-sixtieth of the base rate for each
year of service subject to a maximum
of two-thirds of the base rate. The
second plan uses the same base rate
for calculating, but permits both a
lump-Sum gratuity and an annuity al
lowance.
Under the present law in this coun-
try, Federal workers pay 312 per cent
of their salaries into the retirement
fund. The age limits here are 70 years
for clerks, 65 years for letter carriers
and postal clerks and 81 years for rail-
way mail clerks and others in hazardous
pursuits. At present the maximum an
nuity Is $1,000.
The new retirement measure, which
Congress is expected to consider again
at the next regular session, would per-
NIT retirement after 80 years OF service
at the ages Of 6S, So and 60 for the
three groups, and would raise the maxi
mum annuity to $1,000.
British Treasury. Duty.
The report shows that in England 1t
is the British treasury which CEN
tralizes, combines and controls all func-
tions of personnel management which
in the United States are scattered
through the separate units OF the Bu-
reau of the Budget, the Civil Service
Commission, the Personnel Classif1ca-
ton Board, the Bureau OF Efhciency
and the Bureau Of Pensions"
A cIassifcation system was adopted
in England in 1920, containing five
groups: Typists and shorthand typists,
writing assistants, clerical executive
and administrative.
.The confusion in classification In
Great Britain in 1920, in so far as 1t
related to. these special services" the
report continues, was not unlike the
confusion in classification in the United
states existing at the same time. The
methods of clearing the confusion, how
ever. have proved to be quite different.
"The Government of the United
States, by the classification act Of 1928.
has determined upon q segregation OF
services into smaller groups or classes
with specifications defining duties,
qualifications and titles. The principal
purpose was to standardize salaries in
order to correct existing injustices.
Less emphasis was placed upon pro-
motion and career aspects.
"In contrast to the American policy,
the British government has insisted
upon broad services defined in rather
general terms in order to permit greater
leeway for assignment. Furthermore
in paying attention to the career as
poets, the British have stressed a. d.
vision of labor which is determined
partially by broad definition OF the
duties in the respective classes and par
TALLY by scheme Of selection de-
signed to secure for each class defl-
mite type of worker who normally VIII
be content to remain in the single
class for a long career. The clasSih-
cation makes promotion from one class
to a higher class dificult but not i'm
possible"
Three German Ranks.
The report shows there are three
ranks in the German civil service
lower, intermediate and higher. Eltgi-
billy to the different ranks is depend
emit upon training, experience and ca
pacity. The three ranks are so sharply
divided and the requirements for adj
mission to each so strict, says the re.
port, that In most instances, 1t Is i'm
possible for a person who enters one
rank to rise into higher one. The