Evening star., 1933-07-07
Takes Exception to
Letter of Mrs. Yerkes
To the Editor OF The Star:

Please permit me to note few ex-
ceptions to the letter by Mrs. Yerkes,
June 80, and also your editorial Black
Saturday" July !. True, it probably
was black Saturday for many Fed
eral workers, but in the name Of hu-
manity, how many not only BLACK
Saturdays" but other days in between,
have the poor unfortunate souls of the
army Of unemployed been through?
What is being done should be looked at
in the light of the most good to the
greatest number" If it is the Govern
ments duty to protect the welfare Of
its employed, it is no less that Govern
ment's duty to protect the welfare Of
its 10000, 900 idle And the population
generally is pleased to note that partly
mined efforts to spend not cent more
than it takes in, over 1900 900 persons
have recently found jobs. And these
figures are hard to dispute because they
come from the A. F. of L. For over
three years practically every newspaper
In the Nation has been editorially
"harping" upon the absolute necessity
of a balanced budget, and now after
balanced budget is really in sight our
local dailies seem to say, I'VE didn't
know 1t would hurt that much" Well,
the answer to that is balance the
budget without pain If possible, but
balance the budget"
Now as to this terrible" thing Of
firing married workers and retiring
those eligible to retire, the only fault
I find with that is that 1t should have
been done long time ago.
Mrs. Yerkes says some OF these
fired" married persons have invalid
relatives. In such cases it is highly
regrettable, but at least one member OF
such family is earning money.
wonder how many cases OF invalidism
there are among the Nations idle, and
many Of those taking care Of those in
valids haven't seen q dollar for many
months.
Mrs. Yerkes says all these married
workers were given their jobs by civil
service ratings and not by political
pull" I hope that is true, but there
is lot Of room there for an argument.
For example, let us look at paragraph
S on the back of report OF ratings
sent to each person eligible for ap-
pointment by civil service. She says
one who rated higher would have been
given the Job. Paragraph says: Upon
the establishment of registers for a
post office, copies are furnished the
postmaster from which he is required
to make selections for filling the first
vacancy from not more than the high
est three names on the appropriate
register, and for the next. and any ad-
ditional vacancies, from not more than
the highest three remaining which
have not been within his reach for
three separate vacancies" 1t is not
mandatory that the highest name be
selected. The commission cannot in
terfere with the proper exercise OF the
discretion vested in the appointing
officers by rules which permit them to
select for appointment any one OF the
three names certified.
Since this Is the day Of closing "loop-
holes" submit that in fairness to all
this one should be closed. Because
1t Is an open invitation, since human
nature Is what it Is, for those in charge
of appointments to take advantage OF
what this "loophole" has to offer. Much
has been written of late about the merit
system but fail to see its merit when
a person with a lower rating can be
appointed ahead of the person with
the highest rating Is it not reasonable
to assume that the one making the
highest rating is not only more efficient
and more intelligent but the one best
qualified for the job? Much has been
written about the "spoils system" II
this isn't a case Of the "spoils system"
it has at least the symptoms OF a case
of "spoilitis."
So the moral Of this is. Let's live and
let live" j. j. CRAWFORD.