Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-02-16
Personnel Board Program
Provides Revised Ratings
on Basis of Merit.
RAISES RECOMMENDED
WITH NO REDUCTIONS
Report Advising Sweeping Changes
in Classification Act Would End
Average Provision.

Sweeping revision of the classification
act with abolition of the much disputed
average provision" and ESTABLISHING mt
Of new promotion system for Govern
ment workers was recommended to
Congress today by the Personnel CLASH
fication Board.
In 400-page report submitted to the
Vice President, as presiding officer of
the Senate, and to the Speaker of the
House the board presented the text of
proposed bill which would entirely
take the place of the old classification
act and all its amendments.
Many increases in salary and no de-
creases are recommended. The in
creases would go principally to lex
perienccd employees" in the lower grades
and TO executives in the higher grades
above $4,000 annual pay, who were
found by the survey to be underpaid
according to the salaries paid in similar
non Government establishments.
Commended by Employees.
The report was generally commended
by the National Federation of Federal
Employees, whose officers, after careful
study, said they could find little fault
with the whole program. They reserved
the right to make a few constructive
suggestions.
Congress requested this report in the
WEIGH act of 1928, which asked the
Classification Board to review the field
service of the Government and report
recommendations. The work was done
under direction of William H. Mercy
nolds, who then held title of director
of survey" and who last July became
director of classification. Under the old
system, Mr.. McReynolds represented the
Bureau of Efficiency as one of the three
members of the former Classification
Board.
The new promotion system included as
part of the recommendations was
characterized by McReynolds as the one
thing which would do more to bolster
morale in Government ranks than any
thing can think Of" Briefly explained
this promotion system is outlined in a
summary of the report as follows:
THE board recommends semi-auto-
matte increases in salary.
Revision Of Ratings Proposed.
"It is proposed that revised system
of efficiency ratings be adopted that will
permit department heads to rate their
employees as being good fair or 'un-
satisfactory An employe who is rated
good will be automatically advanced
once each year to the next higher sal
airy rate within the range for the class
and grade of position he occupies, pro-
yided Congress has appropriated funds
for such increases, until he reaches the
maximum rate for such class and grade
as specified in the salary schedule"
At the present time, McReynolds ex-
solutely no definite system for promo
ton in the Government service. This
has proved to be, he said, one of the
main causes for dificulty and disSatis-
faction. Under the new system the
law would authorize one step year ii
funds are available, but not more than
one step. In order to make this pos
sible vitality important and closely
related recommendation is abolition of
the much-criticized average provision. "
The boards report points out that
the average provision, (which is in
Guided IN appropriation acts as means
of regulating salary advancements by
keeping the average of the salaries of
all employees in any one grade in each
Government organization at or below
the average rate specified in the sched-
ule for that grade, has resulted in
unfairness to certain groups of en-
ployes and that unless it is abandoned
the semi-automatic salary increases
will be impossible
System Target of Attacks.
In this connection McReynolds ex-
planned informally the boards recon-
mendation would allow department
heads to do away entirely with the
efficiency rating system now in effect
This system has been the cause Ct a
great amount of criticism and charges
of favoritism. The means OF ratire
employees under the new system of good
fair or unsatisfactory, would be left to
the discretion of Government heads and
perhaps the assistance of the Bureau OF
Efficiency.
The abolition of the average pro-
Continued on Page 2, Column -