Evening star., 1935-01-13

need only to recognize what has ac-
tually developed in certain depart
ments at various times. and create in
each department the definite position
of permanent Undersecretary and
place this position in the career SER
vice, making place, if necessary, for
additional political appointments.
''In the larger cities and States this
pattern may well be followed, though
with great reduction in the number
of political appointments to cabinet
or sub-cabinet posts, by placing a
of departments or agencies, each of
which would be headed by a career"
In connection with the implanting
of this career service in State govern
ments, the commission makes two sug-
gestions that on their face seem calcu-
lated to stir up opposition.
1t recommends Cd the extension
of the merit system under the super
vision of the United States Civil Ser
vice Commission. wherever practicable,
to the personnel of State and local
government agencies receiving or ex-
pending Federal funds. as a condition
VI IllC SIdllIs Will IllC pOWcI W uIlllLC
existing local civil service agencies
which are able and willing to meet
standards set by the United States
Civil Service Commission: 90 CONSOLE
dating the boundaries and positions
of 'uneconomic and unworkable small
units of local government establishing
joint services. and using central tech
nical assistance particularly in main
tanning personnel" 1t adds: TN order
that there may be careers in local
government service, with promotions
from city to city or county to county,
local residence requirements should
be abolished"
Patronage Closes Door.
In citing the reasons why a greater
number of young men and women
suited to public service do not adopt
it as career, particularly in State
and local governments, the commission
said that the known fact that posi-
tions are distributed as patronage acts
as deterrent
Hitting "the false notion that to
the victor belongs the spoils'" as a
corruption of democracy" it says:
The truth is. as Theodore Roosevelt
once observed, that patronage is the
curse of politics. 1t is the selling -out
price OF democracy, because of itself
it turns the political party into a
Job brokerage machine, creating a
mercenary army of occupation, which,
under the guise of democracy, roos
us OF government"
Tpf, rIv
sion defends the often-criticized policy
of the present Democratic admins
tration in stating the emergency
agencies with patronage rather than
civil service appointees.
In an emergency" it says. men
must be drafted for work rapidly and
in large numbers. During the process
OF organization, men who can organ
ize and drive ahead. who can make
decisions and develop policy. are
needed suddenly and in large num-
bers. The Commission is convinced
it would have been utterly impossible
to meet this need without permit
ting the greatest possible freedom
for which the present powers of the
Civil Service Commission are made
quate"
Another drawback to career serv-
ice, as the commission sees it. is the
'indiscriminate vilification' to which
public servants are subjected
Still another it holds. is a reflec-
ton from the policy under which
positions are given to persons whose
only qualification" is the need for
the work.
BungIes Raise Cost.
"All over the United States men
and women are elected or appointed
to Office or kept on the pay roll be-
cause they need the job," 1t is ampli-
fled. The employees appointed for
these eleemosynary reasons draw the
paw while the others do the work, or
else the work is botched and neg
lected. The cost to the public is not
onlv the salary involved. but also the
much larger cost of poor and bum
gled service and of lowered morale
among the other employees"
The "fallacy" that any one can
handle a Government position also
has its influence on appointments. it
WdS lOullu.
The Commission makes number
of recommendations. primarily apph-
cable to the Federal Government.
1t calls for repeal of the marital
status and neutrality-suspicious.
ment laws, which have drawn the con-
tinuous fire of Government workers,
and adds that any other general
statutes setting up residence require
ments for employment should be
changed, this reference having to do
with those in local jurisdictions.
THE whole idea of apportionment
is inconsistent with the wider view
of career service and should be
done away with" the commission de-
clareS
Further. on this question, 1t says:
"Apportionment has been dying
natural death for a generation. 1t
was recognized in the original Civil
Service act of 1883, which required
the preparation of rules by the Presi-
dent to provide as nearly as the con-
ditions Of good administration will
warrant that appointment to the
departmental classified service in the
District of Columbia shall be appor-
toned among the several States and
Territories and the District Of Co.
lumbia upon the basis of popula-
tion'
specialized capacity in the United
States not being distributed on the
basis of population, various Presi-
dents have found it necessary to ex-
clude one class after another from
the rule of apportionment. The Civil
Service Commission, also, has waived
the requirement in many individual
instances when it was clear that its
application would result in the ap-
pointment of poorly qualified persons.
The Commission of Inquiry on Pub
lie Service Personnel has no quarrel
with the effort to draw persons into
the Government service in WASH
ington from the District of Columbia
exclusively or from the nearby eastern
cities. The commission feels, how
ever, that this. objective is to be
sought, not through mathematical
apportionment, which Is already seen
IN t,o t1o b,,t rofkov fbro,,0t,