Evening star., 1933-08-11
Question of Patronage Is Not
Intended to Be Taken
Into Consideration.
ACTION is IN ACCORD
WITH merriam SURVEY
Office Will Be Chief Link of Com
mission, With Its Various
Branches.

When a new chief examiner is ap-
pointed in the Civil Service Commits
sion under the contemplated reorgani-
zation plan by which this official be-
comes the principal executive officer Of
the establishment, assuming in addition
to present functions those Of major
nature now vested in the secretary. the
selection is to be made from competi-
tive civil service ranks. it became known
today.
Just when the ppolntment-which
has been held to be a presidential pre-
rogative-is to be made. and who may
be designated, still are to be determined
finally, it is understood, but In a re-
| liable quarter it was emphasized that
the question of patronage is not intend
ed to be taken into consideration. and
that whoever gets the place will have
| a thorough working knowledge of civil
service.
This projected line of action is in ac-
cord with recommendations of Lewis
, Merriam of the Brookings Institution,
who mas been engaged in an extensive
survey of the commission machinery
Principle Important.
The principle is viewed Importantly.
for, while in the past the Offices of sec
retary and chief examiner have not
been affected by administration
! changes, the new arrangement has re-
suited in the transfer to the field of E.
C.. Babcock, former secretary, and it
also has been made known that DR..
Howard A. Edison, chief examiner,
| would be replaced. Both were appoint
ments from Government service. Bah
cock by President Hoover and DR.. Ed
son by President Coolidge. 4
The conclusion I have reached" :"
! Mr.. Merriam told the commission, lis
that the administration of the COM
| If under the three commissioners was a
single executive officer responsible for
/ the administration of all the activities
of the commission, and if the commits
sioners made it standard practice al
ways to deal with the staff through this
one administrative officer. The pur-
pose of this practice would be % to
| secure coordination of the inter-re-
| lated activities of the commission; 90
to centralize responsibility for effective
| operation, and 80 to minimize in
ternal friction and reduce the amount
| of bureau politics"
Plans Court of Appeals.
Meanwhile it was developed today
| that Harry B. Mitchell, president of
the Civil Service Commission, has laid
before President Roosevelt a plan for
court of appeals" for Government
| workers on a basis to which the Chief
Executive IS understood to be favor
| able
The idea came from practice in the
British civil service.
1t provides briefly for sectional con-
ciliation committees on which employees
| and officials would have equal repre-
senation and to which a complainant
in that particular group could take
his case. If settlement failed neutral
parties could be called in. Then, as
| further step the matter would be
| laid before general committee made
up of personnel officers and employees
/ from the whole of the employing
agency Final appeal would be to the
| Civil Service Commission itself.
Just how far this plan could be car
| r1ed through without additional legis-
latlon raises some question 1t is con-
| ceded that it is within the power of
| the President to order set up the con-
clllatlon subcommittee and general
| committees, but the law governing civil
| service procedure conceivably would
stand as barrier to commission re-
view unless amended
Has Sought Legislation.
For the past two years. the Civil
Service Commission has recommended
| legislation to enable it ito hear and
determine finally appeals of employees
In the classified service who have been
reduced in salary rank, or grade, sus-
pended from duty or dismissed from the
service, under regulations to be promul-
gated by the President, the decision of
the commission to be binding upon the
department or Office concerned"
At present, the commission exercises
very little power in cases involving re-
movals or reductions. coming in only
when proof is offered that any action
OF the sort has not followed specified
procedure, or that it resulted from re-
llglouS or political reasons.
Employees have long sought such a
tribunal as proposed. and the demand
has been intensified in the last few
weeks, when charges have been made
that efficiency ratings were juggled to
facilitate some dismissals Such a COM
plant now is under investigation by
Secretary of Interior Ickes.