The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1934-12-08
NORRIS SLAMS
SPOILS SYSTEM
AT WASHINGTON
Civil Service Attitude Is Blot
on New Deal, Says Noted
Liberal.

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WASHINGTON, Dec. 8.-Criti-
cism of the spoils system as a blot
on the New Deal was renewed today
BY Senator George Norris (R., Neb9.
He pledged his support for any
move in Congress to widen the use
of Civil Service or merit systems.
Figures of the Civil Service Com
mission revealed. at the same time,
that less than 10 per cent of en-
ployes in the executive branches are
under Civil Service today. When
Mr.. Roosevelt was inaugurated, the
proportion exceeded so per cent.
On Inauguration day 100000 en-
ployes in the civil branches of the
executive departments had Civil
Service status, and 100000 did not.
Latest figures for 1884 showed that
the number under Civil Service had
risen to 1853 900, but the number out
side had jumped to 214,000-nearly
double the earlier figure.
Most of the small gain in Civil
Service ranks was due to a presi-
dental order placing some 5000 en-
ployes of the Farm Credit Admin
istration under such regulation. The
huge rise in the number Of jobs I'M
protected by Civil Service was due
to the creation of recovery agencies
without provision for such regula-
ton.
Sees System Endangered
Senator Norris charged that ex-
cept in the Tennessee Valley Au-
thority, where Congress prescribed
the merit system. politics has played
far too great a part in stating the
alphabetical units.
Luther G. Steward, president of
the National Federation of Federal
Employees, said today that the en-
tire Civil Service system is endan-
gered by the growth of the Spoils
system.
The President has power to issue
executive orders placing any Gov
eminent agency outside Civil Serv-
ice regulations. Mr.. Roosevelt has
issued two such orders.
One removed 81 of the Bureau Of
Foreign Commerce from Civil Serv-
ice. The other, issued at the urging
Of Senator Kenneth D. Mcclellan
d., TENN, took out of Civil Service
1T positions in a Tennessee veterans
hospital.
Harvard Address Recalled
In 1920, when Mr.. Roosevelt was
Assistant Secretary of the Navy, he
said at the Harvard Union: Il think
that everybody who has studied the
question is in favor of Civil Service"
While the presidential power to
divorce entire Government units
from Civil Service requirements is
considered by Civil Service reform
ers a grave potential danger, their
immediate concern is the undeniable
fact that political Endorsements,
rather than merit, have dominated
the filling of thousands of New Deal
jobs.
Henry Morgenthau, Secretary of
the Treasury, no friend of the
spo1lsmen, several months ago or
dered all treasury officials to di-
vorce themselves from party Offices
or get out of the treasury.
Farley Has Free Rein
But Postmaster General James
A. Farley is still Democratic Ma
tional chairman, and he was re-
Gently reelected New York State
Chairman to boot-although at Mr..
Roosevelt's demand a number of
lesser fry on the National Com
mittee had quit either their party
jobs or Government posts.
The machine for reWarding po-
litical loyalty reached high gear
months ago when Emil j. Hurja,
special assistant to Mr.. Farley. was
placed in the public works admin
istration to pass on the political
credentials Of job hunters. Such
criticism developed that Mr.. Hurja
was recalled and put to work at
Democratic headquarters.
The Home Owners Loan Corn,
was another rich hunting ground
for the spoilsmen. The re-
cent decision of HOLC to accent
no further applications has as yet
resulted in no reduction of it's per-