Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-09-05
M'CARL RESTRICTS
PERSONNEL BOARD
Hold Administrative Office
Must Determine Number of
Employees Needed.

Jurisdiction Of the Personnel CLASH
fication Board was restricted today by
Controller General McCarl, Who in q
decision expected to be far-reaching,
held that the board could allocate the
duties of only one position in Gov
eminent Office where there were several
persons doing identical work under this
position, and that the number of per-
sons necessary in such position to en-
able the administrative office to per-
form the work required of 1t by law was
not for the determination of the board,
but of the administrative office.
The question turns on case coming
out of the Treasury Department. 1t in
wolves an employee Harold H. Spang of
salary had been cut STAT by Control
Ter General McCarl in a previous de-
cision, in view Of the fact that the
Classification Boards ALLEGATION notice
of his case, in which he had been pro-
noted had been received late IL the
administrative office at the Treasury.
Spang Protests.
Spang protested the disalowance Of
the Controller General, contending he
had been assigned to duty In the higher
grade prior to November /. 1928. The
disallowance was on his salary for the
month of November.
McCarl reversed his previous decision
and removed the diSallowanCe. He
went further, and laid down the gen.
eral principal raised by the Srang case
the Personnel Classification Board,
should control in the number of en-
ployes needed to perform certain work
which had previously been allocated.
McCarl warned that the decision was
effective as of its present date, but
could not be made retroactive for
changing the pay status of employees
heretofore paid in accordance with the
practice heretofore obtaining"
McCarl said that when the Personnel
Classification Board issued It's regula-
tons for the guidance IF administrative
officers and finally allocated one or
more positions with identical duties
and responsibilities, in certain grade
and class, and under the same bureau,
Office. or other appropriation unit. pur-
suant to its rules and regulations thus
prescribed, the submission by the ad-
ministrative Office cf job classification
sheets covering additional positions
with identical duties and responsible
ties in the same grade and class, under
the same bureau. Office or appropriation
unit is clearly for record purposes and
presents to the board nothing necessi-
tating or requiring its action.'
Decision Is Important.
This phase of the decision is con-
sidered by personnel experts in the
Government departments as of the ut
most importance, as heretofore, they
say, the board has claimed the re-
sponsibility for fixing the salaries of
each individual. In some of the de-
partments at the present time, it was
pointed out there are several persons
doing identical work, assigned to the
same classification grade and still re-
ceiving widely different salaries by or
der of the board. In the future, 1t is
pointed out the departments, under
McCarl's ruling, will be able to equaliZe
pay with more equity and without the
action of the Classification Board in
such cases.
Explaining the general principle in
volved, the McCarl decision said THE
matter of how large a personnel shall
be employed in bureau office or ap-
preparation unit is for the consideration
of the administrative once concerned,
the Bureau Of the Budget, in connection
with its recommendation to the Presi-
dent respecting estimates for appro-
priations, and the Congress in supplying
funds for such administrative uses.
The function of the Personnel Classifi-
cation Board has been completed. so
far as identical positions are concerned,
when 1t has finally allocated the duties
Of one Of such identical positions. and