The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1933-04-25
ROOSEVELT HAS
MUCH POWER in
CIVIL SERVICE
ADMINISTRATION LEANS TO-
WARD CONTINUATION OF
EXISTING METHODS IN
FILLING POSITIONS
BY BYRON PRICE
(Chief OF Bureau, The Associated
Droec Worb;n<r4orY

(Chief Of Bureau, The Associated
Press, Washington
The question whether President
Roosevelt favors unimpaired main
tenance of the civil service sys-
tenn, under which many thousands
of government jobs are kept out
of politics, appears to have been
answered, partially at least, in the
affirmative.
In so far as it has disclosed its
intentions, the administration
leans toward continuation of ex-
listing methods of making up the
government payroll, rather than
large-scale reversion to the Jack
sonian policy of awarding all the
governmental spoils to the political
victors.
This inclination disappoints
many of the politicians. A govern
tment berth is SO alluring a haven
in these days of unemployment
that various members of congress
and others have succumbed to the
urge of their satellites and would
like to see Mr.. Roosevelt go the
|. limit in providing jobs for the
politically deserving.
Agitation Seen
Recent weeks have seen an agi-
tation for doing away with those
regulations which require appli-
cants for postmasterships to pass
examinations. Postmaster Gener-
al Farley says no such change is
contemplated.
Pending in congress are several
bills to repeal law known as the
classification act, which lists all
government employees in various
grades and pays them according
ly. One of the purposes of this
act was to eliminate favoritism
and politics. The repealists are
getting no support from the adj
ministration.
Mr.. Farley says also that no at
tempt will be made, until the end
of their terms, to replace those re-
publican postmasters who are Civ
ing faithful service. This is per-
haps the biggest blow of all to
patronage-minded democrats.
Presidential Discretion
The power of the president over
civil service is far greater than is
popularity supposed.
When the civil service commits
sion was created. congress appar-
emily regarded the plan as some
thing of an experiment. The law
included only a limited number of
government employees under the
civil service regulations, but it en-
powered the president to transfer
other groups there as he saw fit.
A succession of presidents, both
republican and democratic, have
issued executive orders putting I'M
der civil service many new classes
of government employees. And,
presumably, what one president
can do by executive order, another
president can undo if he desires.
Mr.. Roosevelt has been told he
would have NOnly to sign his name
to one more document to take
away the status of comparative
immunity from politics emf yed-
and greatly cherished--by thou
sands now in office,
Hope Higher Up
The unlikelihood of any such a
step does not mean, of course,
that the administration viii be des-
titute of awardable jobs.
With all its expansion, the civil
service comprises, in the main,
only the rank and file. The thou
sands of places higher up are re-
served for political appointees on
the theory that the president
should have in key positions, where
questions of policy are decided, Of
ficials of his own political faith.
With that limited field Of pat
ronage, it seems the politicians
will have to be content, however
a&n