The Washington times., 1935-04-11
CIVIL SERVICE
EXTENSIONS
FORESEEN
BY LOUIS E. WHITE

High hopes for legislation
eventually to bring all Govern.
ment employees in the permanent
executive agencies under civil
service were voiced today by
Representative Robert Ramspeck
Cd, of Georgia, chairman of
the House Civil Service Com
mittee.
He said the President favors
such legislation and Congress
likely will approve it at the pres
tent session.
The Georgian pointed out
that under a proposal which he
has pending before his committee
the President would be author
lied to order when he thinks it
advisable that all the non-civil
service employees in any agency
be required to take competitive
civil service examinations. Those
ranking highest would be given
the jobs.
0CAdkUE Oh has Anh
He said he does not know
whether the President would pre-
fer this method of expanding the
civil service or the method pro-
posed in a bill which Senator M.
M. Logan 3D., Of Kentucky, has
before the Senate committee.
The Logan proposal contemplates
that, upon recommendation of
the head of any agency, the non
civil service employees of the
agency would be blanketed into
the civil service upon passage OF
o noncompetitive examination.
In the opinion of Representa-
tive Ramspeck, the competitive
examination method would have
the best chance of receiving con-
gressional approval. He argues:
Many members of Congress
seem to resent the methods
which this Administration has
used in giving out jobs. Those
who feel that way contend that
the distribution has not been
proper and that too many Re-
publicanS have been appointed.
"Of course, we all have long
lists Of eur constituents who
want jobs.
"Tf this nOncOmpetitive plan
were to be put in effect, some
members Of Congress would
feel that those who have the
SnIAN UHyn111l R~AArA $hAONA 0RNM
their constituents who want the
jobs would be barred.
CHANCE FOR CANDIDATES
eff we would adopt the COM
petitive examination plan, then
those seeking the jobs would
have just as good a chance as
those who now have them, ana
our constituents who have been
= after us to get them jobs could
not say we barred them.
"AnOther argument that some
make against the competitive
examination plan is that If q
number Of those now in the jobs
were to lose out the work would
be disrupted while the new peO-
pie were being brought in to
learn the work.
However, my answer to that
Is that the President, under my
bin, is given authority to order
the examinations for the various
places when he desires, and he
could order them for one group
A~A%RAM~. ~
different time, so as to bring
about as little disorder as pos
sible."
A step in this direction was sug-
gested vainly several days ago by
the Civil Service Commission,
which addressed a letter to the
Senate Finance Committee point
ing out that in the original MIRA
act the President was authorized,
at his discretion, to place the per-
sonnet of that agency under civil
Service while under the proposed
MIRA revision act it authorizes
and directs" the President to place
these employees under civil Serv-
ice.
RESTORATION FlanQeu
Senator Pat Harrison CD, of
Mississippi, chairman of the COM
mittee, said today, however, that
he intends to write the original
language on this question back
in the revision proposal. He
added:
"The Civil Service Commits
sion made no recommendation
to our committee. 1t merely
pointed out the difference in
the old and new bills. I don't
want to get into any fight
with these civil service people
ON this bill. I already have
trouble enough with the inn
pOrtant features Of the new bill.
81 intend to change the new
language so that it is just like
the original act-merely to au-
thOrize the President to put
these people under civil service,
in his discretion"