Evening star., 1933-05-10
Efficiency and Quota Basis.

propriations Committee have been un-
able to agree on the wording OF the
suggested modification, it appears that
the new provision contained IN the IN
dependent Offices supply bill relating
to discharges under the so-called
quota rule" will remain unchanged.
This provision states that In max
ing reductions of personnel, due regard
shall be given to the apportionment
of appointments as provided IN the
civil service act"
This provision, Of course, Is contrary
to the fundamentals Of the merit sys-
tenn and invites q return to the long
ago repudiated theory that positions
in Federal service are the spois OF
political victory. The provision should
be knocked out Of the bill, unless
it is intended to complicate civil serv-
ice administration and add another
weapon to the hands Of those VINO
would impair efficiency as an aid 10
politics.
The saving clause in the old appor-
tionment of Offices rule was that this
rule should be invoked "as nearly Is
the conditions Of good administration
will warrant" That clause placed nee
essary discretion In the hands OF the
Civil Service Commission. Without
such discretion the apportionment rule
would have been plainly contradic-
tory to the other part Of the civil serv-
ice act, which requires that "onaces.
places and employments - shall be
filled by selections according to grade
from among those graded highest Is
the results of such competitive exani-
nations" It is a practical impossibility
to I'LL positions In the classified civil
service according to State quotas. and
at the same time MI them on the basis
Of competitive examinations, open to
all the people in the country.
It was, moreover, soon discovered
after the civil service laws enactment
that it Is physical impossibility to
maintain the quota basis for the obI-
o,Is reason that In normal times there Is
. scarcity of applicants from States
far distant from Washington. Resi-
dents Of the States, occupied BY inter-
ests In their own vicinity, found no
inducement in taking examinations for
appointment to q low-paid clerkship
in Washington, hundreds or Thousands
Of miles away. But the vacancies had
to be filled and were filled by the most
highly-rated applicants, necessarily re-
gardless OF residence. This naturally
increased the representation Of the
District of Columbia and Of neighboring
States far above the quotas assigned
them on the basis Of population.
When the war came along the Civil
Service Commission was obliged to I'LL
some 10000 new positions In Washing
ton. There was a shortage Of eligibles.
When there is a shortage Of eligibles
apportionment, of course, must 60 by
the board. After the war great num-
bers of employees, who had been ap-
pointed without regard to apportion-
ment, were covered into the civil serv-
ice by executive order, while veterans
were given preference, appointed and,
until 1890, assigned to State quotas.
Naturally, the apportionment-never
practical anyhow-was thrown consider
ably out of gear.
The apportionment provision sp-
plies only to positions In the classdaed
civil service in Washington, of which
there are only some $4,000. about hall
the total number Of Government 1ons
In Washington and eight per cent q
those throughout the country. It k un-
thinkable that because men and women
were offered the opportunity for employ
ment in Washington on the basis OF
merit, qualified themselves IN competi-
tive examination for those positions and
accepted appointment In good faith,
they are now to be threatened with dis
charge because too many Of them may
have come from certain State or the
District Of Columbia. It Is did1cult to
conceive Of such policy being written
into the law.
Efficiency should, Of course. be the
predominating factor in selection Of
civil service eligibles. The proposed
discharge of employees on q quota basis,
affecting many who were never selected
on q quota basis, will. together with
veterans preference, the thirty-year re-
tirement plan and the elements Of de-
pendency, longevity and marital status,
further undermine efficiency In the
classified service.