Evening star., 1933-11-24
Merit system in D. c. Government

In ''Lne interest Ol BOOu doliluiioIi" q"
ton" the Civil Service Commission and
the District Commissioners agreed on a
plan In 1880 to make appointments to
certain classes of positions under the
Municipal Government through COM
pet,tive tests of qualification" and, as
far as possible, to apply the principle
of the civil service law and rules to
such appointments. In November OF
1880 the necessary executive order was
issued by former President Hoover. The
regulations carrying out the terms OF
the executive order became effective last
December.
These regulations, in short, provide
that certain employees of the municipal
service be selected from the Civil Serv-
ice Commissions list of eligibles, the
selections being made upon the rela-
tive fitness of the eligibles, having due
regard to the preference granted those
on the basis of military or naval serv-
ice" and giving q preference to those
eligibles living in the District, or, If
these are lacking, to those living within
committing distance. When local eligi-
bles are not available the selection is
to be made from the top of the list of
eligible regiStrantS.
This plan was adopted to increase
the efficiency of municipal employees.
It did not apply to all Of them. The
Police and Fire Departments had. by
statute, been brought under the civil
service previously and had been given
full civil service status. The schools
and the Public Library service for years
have maintained strict merit systems OF
their own, meeting the needs peculiar
to these services. For various reasons
positions under the recorder Of deeds
register of wills. the Police, Juvenile
and Municipal Courts, together with
certain classes of special and unskilled
labor, we're not affected by the execu-
tive order.
The extension of the merit system to
municipal employees was regarded as
benefting the public service and to a
degree preserving the field of Municipal
Government service to local taxpayers.
The Executive order, however, repre-
sented only step in this direction. The
hope was that it would be followed by
statutory "blanketing" into the civil
service of the municipal employees. The
Hoover executive order did not give
those whom 1t affected a civil service
status. While in theory the municipal
employees are protected by the classifica-
ton act, and in theory are removable
only for cause, they are In fact remov-
able at the pleasure of the Commission
ers.
The report in yesterdays Star that q
movement was under way, directed from
sources outside the District Building, to
seek an executive order from President
Roosevelt revoking the executive order
Of President Hoover, was the first inti-
nation that spoilsman's raid on the
District Building was contemplated. 1t
10 to be hoped that the movement will
Oc 1ruSCTdCcQ even DclOTS IL IedCIlcS Llle
President, and shopld it get to him, that
1t will meet instant death. Encouraging
In this respect are the reports from
Postmaster General Farley that he
knows nothing Of the proposal and from
Warm Springs that the proposal has not
been made to Mr.. Roosevelt.
The Hoover executive order was not
dictated by politics and it should not
be killed for politics. The merit system
has received more than one blow in
recent months-partially because of the
peculiar emergencies existing. 1t would
be unfortunate indeed to have the small
gains Of the merit system at the District
Building placed in jeopardy for the sake
Of the meager spoils there to be found.
The effort should be to extend the merit
system and to strengthen those Of its
features which protect the. taxpayer
against the wasteful expense Of spoils
system, maintained in the interest OF
the spoilsmen.