The Washington times., 1935-10-24
RATINGS
BEL|EVED0.K.
BY EXPERT
BY ]. EARLE MOSER


Service Commission, who has on'
of the most interesting and i'm
portant assignments in the old
line Government set-up, is optimiS
tic in regard to the new system
of efficiency rating for person
mel, but will not go so far as X
admit it hasn't any defects.
Placed in effect in May, aftel
the Commissions idea man" hac
worked on replacing the anti
quated graphic rating scale in con
junction with more than a score
of advisors from each department
and office, the, ratings thus fal
have received little comment
whatever, either from Official
sources or from personnel.
DR.. O'Rourke regards the 81
lence as a good sign, inasmuch as
efficiency ratings were a steady
source of complaint for years
prior to the revision. He said
recently:
"The situation has been rather
quiet 50 far, and we haven't
had q sufficiently detailed re-
port to really draw conclusions.
The new system Is now in op-
Grafton at the hands Of the
various departments, its second
stage; the first being when per-
sonneI officers and their aides
had to learn all aspects and de-
tails.
81 could say they're working
fine, judging from the lack Of
complaints, but that wouldn't
be correct because the cOmmis-
sion will not really know until
more time has passed and q
more definite opinion has fill
tered through to u.s."
Regardless Of the improvement
it is. certain clerks in general
would prefer some other rating
scheme if it could be devised SO
as to eliminate petty favoritism
This, however, has baffled the
best. of Federal minds, and Dr.
O'Rourke's p1aiseworthy revision
must remain in force. Action, or
pressure for the $100-per-year au'
tomato promotion idea in Con.
gress next session is considered
unlikely if economy" assaults on
Government service arise again,
in view Of the alleged increased
costs Of automatic promotion.
On the desk of Marvin II. Nc
Intyre at the White House today
rests the drafted recommends
tions, or "set Of principles, u
which the committee of Federal
chiefs, led by Frank Bergfeld, OF
Treasury, considered yesterday in
a conference with Commissioner
George E. Allen and E. Barrett
Prettyman, D. c. corporation
counsel. The principles, which
are to create a uniform method
of handling bad debts incurred
by employees, at least should re
move the condition of chaos that
now prevails. Although not re-
vealed at yesterdays conference,
it is expected they will aid a
controversy that now has two
definite sides, both Of them
worthy Of argument.
While Philadelphia white collar
unemployed picketed Comptroller
General McCarls office yesterday,
demanding that he hurry up his
WPA warrants, they actually
held up work of pushing the war
rants through-numerous GAO.
workers rushing to windows and
: doors to view the parade. In the
meantime, G.AO.'s black and
white office cat was elected from
the office twice, but returned
three times when unaware visitors
opened the front door and allowed
him Cor herr to skip inside through
their legs. The third time the
feline was allowed to remain.
With e. Claude Babcock back
in washington from his visit to
the A. F. L. convention at At.
lantic City, the AFGE has issued
the following statement in regard
to its Forthcoming acceptance OF
State and city employe-unitS as
affiliates:
"A tentative plan has been
outlined for the organization Of
these employees which will pro-
tect the autonomy and wishes
Of national, State and munich
pal employees it would make
possible realization of several
important Objectives, including
protection Of all present rights
of members and lodges of the
AFGE, and mutual integration
for mutual protection and CO.
ordination of efforts. While
State and city employees would
operate under a charter of the
AFGE, they would be permitted
to settle their own problems, as
would the present AFGE mem
berS."
It was revealed that one State
organization and 81 of city and
county employees are eligible fol
the affiliation.
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