Evening star., 1932-12-25
CIVIL SERVICE BODY.
AWAITS DECREE ON.
WOMEN EQUALITY.
Order by President Amends
Certification Rule in Fed
eraI Jobs.
EXECUTIVE SIGNS BILL
BEFORE GOING ON HOLIDAY
Commissioner Campbell Terms Ac-
ticn One of Longest Steps Taken
by Government.

With the long fghc of women for
equality with men in employment in
Federal service successfully concluded
by issuance Of an Executive order from
President Hoover. the Civil Service
Commission is awaiting now only formal
transmission of the presidential decree
through the State Department, before
putting in motion the machinery that
will make the new plan effective.
President Ho0ver's order, which
amends the certificatior rule, and makes
possible single registers instead OF regis
te-s divided according to sex, was signed
before the Chief Executive departed foT
holiday in the South, and was made
public yesterday,
Formerly the rule read
"Certiications shall be made with
out regard to sex unless sex is specified
agency.
The rule now will rea1:
"Certifications shall be made without
regard to sex unless the nature Of
the duties of the position to be filled
are such, as, in the opinion of the COM
mission tCivil Service can be per-
formed only by men or women, as the
case may be-"
The commission recommended the
change several months ago. although
Commissioner George R. Wales dis
sented from the majority composed of
Thomas Campbell, president of the
commission, and Commissioner Jessie
Dell, who has SteadfaStly pressed for
this equal rights legislation.
Campbell yesterday characterized the
@,, # Sra ra,Nc
ever taken in the administration of the
civil service act"
He said that as soon as the commits
sion receives formal notification of the
order of President Hoover steps Will be
taken to consolidate several hundred
employment registers, with women get
ting the ranking on these to which
their qualifying marks enttle them.
President Campbell pointed out that
there are many Government posts for
which women are not fitted by reason
of the rigorous demands of the work.
On the contrary, though. study showed
him that there were many cases in the
past where men were being selected in
preference to women for no other rea-
son than the sex factor. and this is
condition that nov has been ended
Where an employing agency seeks to
take en- man for work that might be
performed by woman who has a
higher rating it will be necessary for
unqucstionable argument to be present.
ed in support of the move, Campbell
said
The commission also proposes in fu-
ture to state in the advertisements for
examinations if either men or women
will not be accepted for the position to
be filed.
1852 Women Here.
On June 80 last the total number of
women in service was 1852 here and
59.824 outside of the District This
compared with total Government per-
sonnel of 68.793 in the District and
509,438 outside.
The annual report of the Civil Serv-
Ice Commission for the past year shows
that women qualified for a range Of
positions that embraced scientific,
sociological and other labors requiring
q high type Of incumbent.
Acknowledging President Hoovers &C
ton. the Government Workers Council
of the National Wornans Party yester-
day dispatched the following message,
signed by EdWina A. Avery, chairman
The Government Workers Council
OF the National Woman'S Party wishes
to thank you for the executive order
signed by you yesterday creating a
single civil service employment register
for men and women. The council has
had as one of the planks of its platform
for the last 10 years this very thing, and
feels that this executive order is true
milestone in the campaign for equal
rights for women. May we also take
this opportunity to wish YOU and Mrs.
Hoover a very merry Christmas and a
happy New Year"