Evening star., 1934-08-19
Rate by Mail-Payable In Advance.
MARYLAND and virginia,
The Evidence Awaited.

It is encouraging to note the Presi-
dents expressions Of determination
to upheld the merit system in gov
ernment and to divorce politics from
Federal service. 1t would be more
encouraging still to be able to dis
cover more tangible evidence Of the
Presidents determination. That may
come later.
But through some unfortunate mis-
understanding either on the part Of
the President or Of the usually reli-
able Associated Press, which repre-
sented his views to the country, con-
ditions as they are have not been
accurately described.
The President is represented as
favoring competitive civil service
examinations for those employees who
were, under previous administrations,
''blanketed' into the civil service by
executive order without being re-
quired to take examinations. The
johnson City Soldiers Home case and
the case of employees Of the Bureau
Of Foreign and Domestic Commerce
were mentioned as examples.
They are excellent examples-of
deplorable failure by the administra-
ton to protect the merit system.
They certainly exemplify no deter
mination by anybody to build up the
merit system. If represented cor
rectly by the Associated Press, the
President was evidently of the opinion
that in both the johnson City case
and the case Of the Bureau of For
eign and Domestic Commerce, en-
ployes who were "blanketed" out of
the civil service by his executive
order had been compelled to take
competitive examinations. That, un-
fortunately, is not the case. Had it
been the case the administration
would have escaped much Of the CEN
sure that it has suffered already
from friends OF the merit system.
The merit system has developed
and has been extended largely
through executive orders which cover
into the civil service the employees
OF some branch or agency Of the
Government. 1t Is true that the
employees Immediately affected are not
In such cases required to take ex-
aminations. But their successors are
required to take competitive civil
service examinations, and in the
course of few short years Of turn
over In personnel the employees Of an
agency originally "blanketed" into the
civil service under executive order have
all been selected through competitive
examination. That is how the merit
system is extended.
But the spokesman demands that
employees "blanketed" into the civil
service by executive order of pre-
vious administration be removed, as
they are partisans. He is not sin
cerely demanding q betterment of
Government service. All he wants is
spoils, and once removed from classified
civil service the jobs become spoils. His
sincerity would be demonstrated by
demanding competitive examinations
for all those who succeed the dis
charged partisans. But in the case
Of the johnson City Soldiers Home
and the Bureau Of Foreign and Do
mestic Commerce no such demand
has been made.
If the President intends to fill posi-
tions in these agencies by competitive
civil service, well and good. But nc
such orders have been issued. When
they are issued it will be welcome evil
dence that the President is sincerely de-
termined to build up and to strengthen
the merit system. Such evidence i:
anxiously awaited.