Evening star., 1933-11-23
Move Begun Here Would
Take Away Civil Service
Qualifications.
NEW OFFICIALS PLEDGED
TO F0RESTALL EFFORT
Hazen and Alien Deny Official
knowledge of Move-Hoover
Order Stands.

A movement designed to have Presi-
dent Roosevelt do away with civil serv-
ice examinations for regular employees
OF the District government has been
started in certain political quarters, it
was learned today.
The purpose would be to open the
gates to positions in the District sery.
Ice to persons not on the eligible reg
ister of the Civil Service Commission.
from which new District employees now
are drawn.
Commissioners Melvin C. Hazen and
George E. Allen, app-ised of the move.
said the subject as yet has not been
placed before them in an official way.
When, and II that Is done, IL was said.
they will consider what steps they
should take.
Protection Is Promised.
Both Of the new Commissioners have
declared there would be no carpet
bagglng" in the District establishment.
Commissioner Hazen, who was elevated
to the post of president of the Board of
Commissioners, after 40 years in the
District service, said he believed in the
civil service system.
There will be opportunity for a mum.
ber of new District employees as a result
of retirenents and other vacancies in
the near future, Hazen indicated. This
would in itself provide openings for
deserving Democrats without upsettine
the civil service requirements, it was
pointed out.
Only two District departments now
have the full protection of civil service
regulations. These are the Police and
Fire Departments, which are under
civil service rules by statute.
Other regular District employees were
required to be drawn from civil service
registers by an executive order of Presi-
dent Hoover on November 1S, 1880.
Eligible List Drawn Upon.
Under the present system, when posi-
tions in the District other than those in
the Police and Fire Departments are
to be filled, the list of eligibles is re.
quested from the Civil Service Commits
sion and appointments are made frcm
these lists.
The status of employees already on the
District rolls was unchanged by the
Hoover order, which does not have the
effect Of putting workers under the
classified civil service
The regular District employees are
protected against arbitrary removal by
provisions OF the classification act.
Under this law the District employees
are given efficiency ratings, similar to
those in the Federal establishment. If
their rating falls below the minimum
OF IS in the rating schedule, they may
be discharged. They also may be re-
moved Tor other causes, such as con-
viction of having committed a crime.
The members of the Police and Fire
Departments, who have full-hedged
Civil Service status, under an act of
Congress, have additional protection.
While they may be dropped for eff
cheney ratings below par, in other cases
tney are subject to trial before the
Police and Fire Boards.
The executive order of President
Hoover was adopted at the request of
DR.. Luther H. Reichelderfer, former
president Of the Board of Comnis-
sioners. The move had the indorse-
ment Of Thomas E. Campbell. former
president of the Civil Service Commits
sion.
The order was suggested by the for
mer Commissioner to remove District
officials from the pressure of political
leaders for the appointment Of their
friends to District jobs. The order of
President Hoover reads:
The Commissioners of the District
OF Columbia and the United States
Civil Service Commission, have agreed
that 1t would be in the interest of GOOD
administration to make appointments
to positions under the government of
the District of Columbia after tests OF
qualifications.
Expense a Consideration.
"The United States Civil Service
Commission is. therefore, authorized to
apply the principles of the Civil Service
act and rule, as far as may be done,
without fncurring additional expense, by
certifying to the Board of Commits
sioners the names of eligibles from ap-
propriate registers, established for the
Federal service, such certifications and
appointments to be made under regula-
tlons agreed upon by the Board of
Commissioners and the United States
Civil Service Commission. Appoint
ments and promotions to the Metropoli-
tan Police and Fire Departments are
already made in accordance with Civil
Service act and rule. as provided by
statute"