Evening star., 1933-11-03
AGE FIGHT AWAITS
M|SSPERK|NS' STEP
Secretary to Study Situation
Caused by |. C. C. Ban.
Mitchell Explains.

The next move in the employment
age limit wrangle stirred by the Civil
Service Commission today rested with
Secretary of Labor Perkins, who has
been delegated By President Roosevelt
to study the situation and make a re-
port on abandonment or continuance
of the new policy, which sets up lower
maximum ages for several classes of
applicants for positions Miss Perkins
opposes the new restriction.
A request from the labor head for
a conference to thresh out the issue was
anticipated at the commission Pend
ing this. the commission was resting its
case. The only comment forthcoming
today was that Of Harry B Mitchell,
the president, who said that the ruling
was decided upon at meeting in which
he sat with Mrs. Lucille Foster McMll-
lin. the other commissioner; Lawson A.
Meyer, chief examiner. who is the exc
cutive officer of the commission. and
James G. Yaden, chief Of the examining
division.
The statement presumably was
prompted by published criticism
that an effort was being made to
shift responsibility.
Views First Requested.
The most important change which
the commission ruling effected was that
which lowered the maximum age for
typist-stenographer applicants from so
to 40, and here, it has previously been
said. the commission acted after So
liciting the views of personnel officers
OF the departments and some independ-
ent establishments
Meanwhile today favor for the COM
missions move was reiterated by the
National Federation of Federal En-
ployes. whose president, Luther c. Stew
ard. previously had voiced like sentt-
ments
The federation made public an edi-
tor1al which tomorrow Will appear in
Its official organ. the Federal News,
which declares that many of the COM
mentS thus far on the matter show
that the intent. in practice and prin-
ciple. of the Civil Service Commission
has been entirely misinterpreted"
Reinstatements Not Affected.
Continuing. it said
In practice. that ruling will have the
effect OF closing the doors of the Fed
eral service to applicants. over 40 for
-''-N'~H ANAN"AN NiNANaA pOolblUllOs IlUN-
ever, 1t does not affect reinstatements
or promotions. This follows principle
which for many years has been part
of the splendid civil service system of
Great Britain, for example. admitted
ly a model. and. as a matter of fact.
it is a principle which has been recog-
nized in our own civil service system.
This principle places the welfare of
the service, it's efficiency, its capacity
for service and its consideration for
both employees and taxpayers above q
simple handing out of jobs. This prin-
ciple further recognizes the manifest
human unfairness of placing. for ex-
ample. a 45year-old man or woman in
precisely the same routine position as
an lSyear-old girl or boy.
Virtually all progressive civil serv-
ice systems have definite age limits set
for various broad claSsifications of po-
sitions, to eliminate exactly the situ-
alton which the United States Civil
Service Commission now is endeavoring
to eliminate, not to discriminate against
persons Of specified ages. but as a fur
ther step in the direction of sound per-
sonnel practice"