Evening star., 1933-10-30


ing to the run-of-the-mine employment.
higher levels are maintained for skilled
positions. For example. engineers and
senior engineers still have an age limit
of So
The new age limits were set in con-
nection with new examinations which
the commission is holding, to repler-
ish its registers rather than for I'M
mediate employment. In preparing TO-
these tests. the commission called on
the personnel officers as required by
law and almost universally were told
that 40 was the maximum age at Wh1cn
an applicant would be considered One
or two said as and 48 was all right for
skilled workers. but in number of in
stances employers said they wanted
personnel in the 3Os.
In response to Representative Coch-
ran. President Mitchell summed up the
situation thus:
The commission and the various
heads of its divisions have given a good
deal of thought to this matter. and the
decision to make more drastic age linn
its was arrived at with much regret.
The reasons for making that decision,
and it was particularly made in cutting
down the age limit of stenographerS
and typists from so to 40, were that 1t
is apparently impossible to get the en-
ploylng officers of the departments TO
take the older people.
Added Government Cost.
Including the 10 additional years
would mean an added expense to the
Government of anywhere from $4,000
to $4,000 in that particular examina-
81 If
il. applications. besides very materially
increasing the work of the division OF
the commissions staff engaged in eX-
animation work There would be
further additional expense to the Gov
ernment as a result of the operation
of the retirement fund should any of
these older people be accepted for po-
sitionS.
The experience of the commission
has shown that when three names OF
eligible persons are submitted to the
departments they will generally select
the youngest person on the list. For IN
stance. if the commission should certify
to some department the highest three
eligibleS, one being 80, another 40 and
another so, it is about 10-to-l chance
that the 30-year-old person will get the
job In a varying degree, this applleS
to practically all positions, Undoubtedly
the motive governing these appointing
officers is just the same as the motive
governing the appointing officers in
private industries. They believe that
the younger person will more quickly
learn the details of his or her particular
job and be more efficient in execution
Retirement Serious Question
It was also pointed out in this connec-
ton at the commission that the question
of retirement is serious one as con-
Germs the employment of older persons
in that they must serve Is years before
eligible for retirement pay. Representa-
tive Cochran had suggested that he saw
no reason why able-bodied persons OF
60 might not be eligible for employ
ment. but it was pointed out that TINS
would not be feasible, inaSmuch as the
person would be rs before being eligible
for retirement, while the mandatory re-
tirement age from the Government
service is 70, unless the President rules
otherwise.
Not only has the commission ran into
this age problem in connection with the
new examinations, but 1t is known IL
has also arisen in re-employment OF
those persons dropped in the Govern
ment retrenchment program whom the
commission has certified for employ
ment in the new agencies.
These age limits. incidently, do not
apply where the applicant has veterans
preference, nor in reinstatements or
transfers.
IF the Government rules that men
and women over As cannot enter the
service" Cochran said. private indus
try will follow the Governments ex-
ample and decline to employ men who
have reached their forty-fifth birth
day"
would Mean Pensioning.
'If such a policy is adopted, then
we might as well prepare now to pro-
vide old-age pensions for all over As
years of age" he added. Il say the
man who is mentally and physically
sound even though he has reached his
fifty-fifth birthday should be permitted
to take examinations and in many in
stances I would say you should go as
high as 60 years"
Cochran said he considered the ques-
ton serious and suggested that Mitchell
discuss the matter with President
Roosevelt.
He explained he was "amaSad" over
the announcement of examinations
scheduled by the commission soon to
fill certain Civil Service vacancies,
which he said provided that all appli-
cants must be less than As and in some
cases under 25 years of age.
Il would like to know If this can be
taken as an indication of an established
policy by the Civil Service Commission
to practically bar all men and women
over As years of age from entering the
Government service" Cochran contin-
ued "I cannot conceive that the pres