Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-01-15
COOLIDGE OPPOSES
SALARY INCREASES
FOR u. S. WORKERS
Continued From First Page.)

authority under the original classical
ton law to review an ALLEGATION on Its
own motion in the absence of request
or recommendation by an administrative
Office or in the absence of an appeal by
an employe.
Agrees With Prior Ruling.
Mr. McCarl further points out in his
letter that the view he expressed last
June as to the finality of the joint &C
ton of the administrative Office and the
Classification Board was in accord with
a ruling by the Attorney General in
February, 1924, prior to the going into
effect of the original classification law.
At that time the Attorney General was
asked the following questions:
Has the board any further authority
over ALLEGATION after it has reviewed and
| revised the ALLEGATIONS made by the
heads Of the departments to the appro-
pirate grades provided in the act?" The
answer was given as follows:
My answer is in the negative, as
section 4 of the act stipulates that the
head of each department shall allocate
all positions to their appropriate grade,
subject to review and possible revision
by the board, and that such ALLEGATIONS
shall become final upon their approval
py the DOdTQ.
Continuing his discussion of the
powers of the Classification Board, Mr..
McCarl went on:
by the alternateS who, from the begin
ming, appeared to have functioned as
the board, that the Interpretation of the
WEIGH act by this Office should have
been SO as to enlarge and increase the
powers and jurisdictions of the board
by empowering the board to act in the
matter of permitting or denying the
placing of employees in the new higher
grades established by the WEIGH act,
but there was nothing in the enact
| ment warranting such an interpreta-
| ton. For some reason of its own the
Congress had specifically indicated its
purpose that the enactment be put into
effect by the heads of the departments
and independent adjustments, and 1t
was the clear duty Of this Office to
give effect to such direction appearing
in the law.
81 may properly suggest, too, that the
officials by law designated to comprise
the personnel classification board, as
distinguished from the alternates, have
not up to this time urged any such
Interpretation of the WEIGH act upon
this Office"
The Controller then points out that
the classification board consists of the
director of the Budget Bureau, men,
Der of the Civil Service Commission and
the chief of the Bureau of Efficiency, or
an alternate from each of those agen-
cies. The Controller General then ex-
| planned that the classification board
was required by the original classical
| ton law to ascertain and record the
duties of positions and the qualifications
required Of incumbents. He said the
law required that all action with respect
to the ALLEGATION or reallocation of posi-
ton be initiated by or through the
administrative Office. He declared that
no provision of the law granted the
board the authority, on its own action
and without some prior action by an
administrative authority, to go into an
Office and allocate or reallocate positions
upward or downward.
THE law stipulated" Mr.. McCarl
continued, that only after the admin
istrative Office had acted and allocated
or reallocated position or approved or
disapproved an appeal should the board
review or revise the action of the adj
ministrative Office. It Is specifically
provided that ALLEGATIONS, when re-
viewed shall become final upon the ap-
proval by the board,
THUS the essential principle Of the
enactment was Njoint action of the ad-
| ministrative Office and the Personnel
Classification Board to provide a check
of the one against the other and to pre-
vent the arbitrary action of either. The
check of the administrative Office on
arbitrary action by the board affecting
| its employees appears utterly essential
| to any retention of administrative re-
sponSibility for the accomplishment OF
official duties, as, otherwise, with all
power for demotion or advancement OF
employees listed exclusively and finally
| in the board, the responsible head OF
an Office would Immediately lose effec-
| tive control over his Subordinates. Their
interests would thereafter be with the
board and not with the head of the
Office in which employed-and where
| must rest the responsibility for then
work.
IF 1t should be seriously contemplated
the enlarge the powers Of the Personnel
| Classification Board by the enactment
| of any of the provisions suggested by
section of H. r. 1929 (the Lehlbach
bilD, as the responsible head of an
Office comprising nearly 1000 confident
and faithful employees would wish to
| file for the consideration of the Senate
| committee on civil service the view OF
this Office thereon. and to such end q
careful study Of H. r. 16029, and the
probable effect Of its provisions If en-
acted Is heinS undertaken" - ~.