Evening star., 1934-01-13
TO FILL BIC
OFFICES IS SOUGHT
BY COMMISSIONERS
Study Planned to Determine
if Civil Service Rule Ap.
plies to Major Jobs.
CLAIM RANK AND FILE
WILL NOT BE AFFECTED
Despite Rumors of Changes, No
Wholesale shake-Up Declared
in Store.

The District Commissioners will study
the question Of whether the present
rule, that appointees to District Gov
eminent posts must be drawn from Civil
Service eligible lists, applies to depart
ment heads and first assistants. it was
stated authoritatively today at the Dis
trict Building
The question has arisen in connec-
ton with discussion as to what changes
may be made in District Jobs as a re-
suit of the change of administration
The Commissioners had no statement
on the patronage question but they have
let it be known they should have a free
hand in appointment of heads of de-
partmentS and principal assistants
They have declared. however, they had
no intention of seeking to set aside the
rule as applied to the rank and file of
the District personnel.
No Shake-Up Announced.
Both Commissioners Hazen and Allen
have insisted there would be no whole
sale shakeup and that any changes
which might be made would result
primarily from designations, retire
ments. deaths and creation Of new
positions. RumOrs were current at the
District Building today that one or
more present executives might go and
that good Democrats would be ap-
pointed to fill such vacancies. The
Commissioners neither denied nor con-
firmed the report.
Former President Hoover issued an
executive order, after an agreement be-
tween the District Commissioners and
the Civil Service Commission. under
which civil service examinations were
applied to new appointees to the Dis
trict service.
1t is expected that if it is ruled
that this system must be applied N
the case of appointments Of depart
ment heads the Commissioners will give
consideration to a plan to modify 1t.
Text of Rule.
The civil service examination rule
reads:
The Commissioners Of the District
Of Columbia and the United States
Civil Service Commission have agreed
that it would be IL the interest of
good administration to make appoint
ments to positions under the govern
ment of the District OF Columbia after
tests OF qualifications.
The United States Civil Service
Commission is. therefore, authorized TO
! apply the principles OF the civil service
| act and rules, as far as may be cone
! without mourning additional expense,
| by certifying to the Board Of Commis-
/ sioners the names of eliglbles from ap-
| propriate registers established for the
| Federal service such certiflcations and
| appointments. to BE- made under regu-
| lations agreed upon by the Board OF
| Commissioners and the United States
| Civil Service Commission"
The Commissioners have been del
| uged with requests for appointment to
| positions In the District service. There
| have been determined campaigns for
appointments 70 a long list of Jobs in
! cluoing those of the corporation cOun-
| sci. the superintendent Of insurance,
! the director of the playground depart
ment the head of the city refuse de-
partment. the director of traffic, and
| even for minor positions. Also, it IS
| reported. a hundred-odd names have
| been advanced for consideration for
1 appointments to the staff Of the Liquor
| Control Board.
| There are indications today that Will
| liam A. Van Duz9r might be replaced
as director of traffic. Reports are that
there are complaints he has a Repub-
lican background with Government
service in Pennsylvania prior to his
present appointment. It was also ru-
| mored today that Miss Sibyl Baker
might not be continued as head of the
| playground department.
Campaign Against Bride.
There has been a determined cam
paign to have w w Bride relieved Of
his job of corporation counsel. and sew
eral persons are campaigning for the
| position of superintendent Of insurance,
now held by Herbert L. Davis.
| There are other campaigns for the
! Job of head of the city Refuse Depart
ment. now held by. Morris Hacker, in
anticipation of his retirement.
There is a fight on also over the post
| of general superintendent of penal in
Stitutions because Of the fact that Capt.
/ M. M. Barnard now is serving under
an extension beyond retirement age.
! Barnard. however, is highly regarded as
! an administrator of penal institutions,
both in and out of Government service,
Prominent among the names which
have been suggested for appointment
/ as members of the proposed liquor
! control board are Charles w. Ray,
president of the BrightWood Citizens
/ Association. a brother of J. Enos Ray.
Maryland Office holder; George
Keneipp. former official of the Ameri-
can Automobile Association; George
! w Offutt. banker and attorney ana
former president of the Washington
Board of Trade; Martin j. Mcnamara,
| lawyer: Ernest c. Walker, former
| newspaper man and real estate oper-
! ator; Rufus S. Lusk. former legisla-
tive officer of the Crusaders; Joseph
B. McReynoldS, real estate investor and
formerly of the automobile business,
| and Mrs j. Borden Hartman.
| The best information today was that
| the Commissioners had not definitely
| decided on any member of the liquor
board but it was expected decision
would be made very shortly after final
action by Congress.