Evening star., 1932-08-04
.RAPS CIVIL SERVICE
EXEMPTION GIVEN
TO EXPERT GROUP
Miss Jessie Dell Attacks Con-
gressionaI Policy on Making
Appointments.
CRITICISM is DIRECTED
AT HOUSE MEMBERS
Personal Favoritism Charged in
Employment of Messengers
and Clerks.

The congressional policy OF authoriz-
ing appointment CT experts" in vari-
Gus lines who are exempted from civil
service requirements is caustically at
tackled by Miss Jessie, Dell. member Of
the Civil Service Commission. in a let
ter to members Of both Senate and
House, made public at the commission
today.
Her criticism is directed particularly
at Representative Reed, Republican, of
New York, and Patterson. Democrat of
Alabama, for statements made on the
floor during consideration of a bill
later enacted-to permit the director Of
public buildings and public parks to 90
outside of civil service for landscape
architects, architects, engineers, artists
and the like.
Not Aimed at Col Grant.
She emphasizes in this connection,
however, that her remarks are not to
be construed as rejecting in any man
ner upon Lieut.. Col U. S. Grant, 3rd,
the director.
Her letter went out today to Repre-
sentative Jeffers, Democrat, of Alabama,
| chairman OF the House Civil Service
Committee: Senator Dale, Republican,
chairman Senate
ClVl Service Committee, and all mem
bers of these committees, and those of
the Senate and House Appropriations
Committees,
In 1t she declares Congress has con-
strued experts to exempt messengers,
clerks and typists from civil service, and
inferentlally sets up the charge that
| personal favoritism'' and political in
fluence" have been responsible for the
employment Of experts" without regard
to scheduled pay rates in Government
service.
Authorizes Exemptions.
The measure to which she refers au-
! thorlzes the director of Public Buildings
| and Public Parks ito employ in his
| discretion, by contract or otherwise.
landscape architects, architects, engi-
neerS, artists, or other expert consult
ants, or firms. partnerships, or asso-
Citations thereof including the facilities.
service, travel and other expenses Of
| their respective organizations so far
! as employed upon work for the said
director, in accordance with the usual
customs Of the several professions and
at the prevailing rates for such serv-
| ices, without reference to the civil
service requirements or to the CLASH
! hcatton act of 1923. as amended. and
/
law governing the employment or SAL
aries Of regular employees of the United
! States, which said employment shall in
! no instance be for a longer period than
| one year; and that expenditures for
such employment shall be construed to
be included In any appropriation here
tofore or hereafter authorized or ap-
! propriated for any work of the director
! OF Public Buildings and Public Parks
! OF the National CAPITAL" 4"
The discussion while the measure was
under consideration. he says, leads me
| to believe that members of Congress
do not take the trouble to inform
themselves Of either the purpose of the
| civil service laws or the procedure
hereunder. Little or no understand
ing OF what could or what could not be
done under civil service rules was evi-
denced by statements made at that
| time"
Miss Dell then quotes from the Con-
| greSslonal Record, of July IA, the COLO
| guy between Representatives Reed and
Patterson, to which exception is taken.
Charged Extravaganza.
Reed, talking on the bill said that
under prevailing conditions, if the
Director wants to get an expert, it is
necessary to conduct examination
| through the Civil Service Commission.
and then the expert is put on the per-
| ma1ent roll. That means an extra
! vagance and an expense to the Govern
ment to perform work that perhaps
would require only a week or two
| weeks"
Patterson interjected that "the only
difference from the present law is that
this bill permits him to employ an ex-
pert without civil service rating"
Representative Reed agreed. then con-
tinued: Exactly, and If professional
plsnner is put on the regular roll, under
the law he has to be kept there.
i know the gentleman will agree with
me on this, that If the gentleman were
selecting an expert to do a real piece
OF work in his own business, he would
ice selection. He would not
want to go to the Civil Service Commits
sion OH thing as important as the de-
Velopment of a city like Washington"
Answers Criticism.
Hitting back, Miss Dell declares 1.-The
civil Service Commission, of course, Is
more or less accustomed TO criticism
both from high and low quarters and is
never disposed to question the right of
any individual to his personal opinion.
such opinion, however, would be of
more value if based on full and accurate
knowledge OF the subject matter under
criticism.
The reasons advanced for the pas
sage or the bill mentioned appeared to
be that If the personnel specified there
IN were to be taken from the civil serv-
Ice registers 1t would be necessary to
put them on the permanent roll of the
Government and keep them there re-
gardless of the need for their services.
and that if a real expert is wanted a
civil service list is not the place to
find him.
There Is perhaps no more fallacious
idea prevalent than that once an en-
ploye is appointed under civil service
he cannot be dislodged"
She says in this connection that a
worker may be removed for cause, and
also that the rules permit EMPLOYMENT
for temporary periods.
Continuing. she says that for such
temporary posts the commission insists
upon the employment CT a person with
civil service status, II 1t has some one
qualified.
The commission has no objection to
the appointment of consulting experts
II there could be any assistance that
the authority so granted would not be
abused" she says, but adcs that when
Congress has authorized the appoint
ment outside OF the civil service rules Of
experts without defining the term. ex-
perience has shown that such general
authorization has been much abused"
She declares further that the civil
service register contains the names of
men qualified for such work as was
under discussion.