Evening star., 1932-11-30
.5,816 j. S. WORKERS
HOLD Jobs UNDER
EXECUTIVE ORDER
EAdmitted to Service Under
Past Four Administrations,
Check Shows.
|MCLINTIC HAD CHARGED
10000 WERE ON ROLLS
Oklahoma Representative Will
Press Legislation to Have All EN-
ployes Qualify by Examinations.

Government employees to the number
of 5,8I6 have been brought under civil
service by executive order in the past
four nistrations-Wilson, Harding,
Coolidge and Hoover-it was ascer-
tanned in a check today at the Civil
Service Commission.
The compilation was made in con-
nection with the announcement yes
terday by Representative McClintic,
Democrat. of Oklahoma, that there
were 10000 workers who had been
brought into civil service after enter
ing Federal employ without under
going competitive tests and that he
nations to qualify for the places they
hold.
The commission now is understood
to be scanning similar cases prior to
the time of President Wilson to de-
termine exactly the number of en-
ployes now in the service who obtained
their positions without meeting civil
service requirements.
Declared Protective Move.
The legislation sought by Representa-
tive McClintic, who is chairman OF the
Democratic Patronage Committee, was
defended today by its sponsor, who de-
clared we're not seeking to weed Re
publicans out of civil service jobs SO as
to load up the Federal service with de-
serving Democrats but we will protect
the service against wholesale raid by
lame ducks and other Republicans in
the closing days of this repudiated ad-
ministration"
McClintic'S move had been character
lied last night by Senator Bingham, Re-
publican, of Connecticut. as "the most
amazing exhibition of intense hunger on
the part of Democratic spoilsmen that
has been seen since the C1vN War"
Figures obtained at the Civil Service
Commission show President Wilson
Harding, 10: President Coolidge. l.744.
and President Hoover, am. In this
total there we're 851 appointments to
classified positions in which the Presi-
dents exempted the appointees from
civil service requirements
The division here was as follows:
Wilson, 467; Harding, 79; Coolidge, 207,
and Hoover. 98.
Excluding the Wilson "covetages," /"
three Republican Presidents have made
total of 4540.
Many From Soldiers Homes.
LII lllCSe IflauG ny TIGSlueIlI 11OONcI
1885 were from soldiers HON es. who
were brought in under legislation which
authorized consolidation of air veteran
activities. Others made by Mr.. Hoover
we're IA shipping commissioners ad-
visers in Indian service. 174 in Philip
pine service, 1913 attorneys in Weter-
ans administration, 13 officers in Ma
tional Park Service (Interior Depart
ment, SO miners in the Bureau of
Mines Commerce Department., G1 in
various categories of the Justice De-
partment, lat in Bureau Of Foreign and
Domestic Commerce Commerce Depart
ment) and ITO mounted inspectors, Gus
toms service Treasury Department.. In
the last named action is pending while
character Investigations are being made.
These go back as far as October 4,
1880, and cover the period from July
/, $780,
Assailed by Harrison.
The change in the Justice Depart
ment and Bureau of Foreign and De-
mestic Commerce was assailed somel
time ago by Senator Harrison, Demo-
crat. of Mississippi, who charged it was
an effort to protect jobholders. This
met prompt denial by Thomas E.
Campbell, president of the Civil Service
Commission, who said 1t was in con-
formity with continued efforts to extend
the scope of the merit system.
One adverse feature Of the McClintic
plan, it was pointed out today, lay in
the fact that many employees had been
brought under civil service after work
ing many years in the Government. II
was said also that to require the work
ers to take examination now would tend
to hurt morale and impair efficiency.
McClintic said today he had word
regarding lawyers in the Veterans Bu-
reau who have been advanced from
$4,000 to $4,000, who never had any
experience in the practice OF law"
Il have also had cases brought to
my attention, where old persons who
have almost reached the retirement age
we're put into the civil service lists by
Executive order so that they might be
made eligible for pensions the rest OF
their lives" he added.
Bingham's Statement
In his statement last night Senator
Bingham said
1T is well known that during the
last Democratic administration thou
sands of clerks were appointed in the
Treasury Department to carry out the
revenue laws who wers later transferred
to the civil service. That no Repub-
lican ever thought of making these
clerks take an examination in order
to hold their jobs under the Republican
administration must seem to Mr.. Nc
Clintic a positive political stupidity.
Mr.. McClintic is chairman of the
Democratic Patronage Committee in
the House 1t will be remembered that
committee fired all the efficient tele-
phone girls in the Capitol, when the
Democrats got control and replaced
them with Democratic appointees to
the utter confusion of the Capitol tel
ephone system. Now he says that
these civil service employees aren't as
much involved by change in admin
istration' as they ought to be. In other
words, we are now back in the days
where positions must be found for de-
serving Democrats even though clerks
on civil service status against whom no
charges Of ineficiency have been filed
must lose. their jobs to make way for
hungry Democrats.
Nothing In our lifetimes has ex-