Evening star., 1936-06-23
MERIT |NDORSERS
TO GET HEARING
N. F. r. {. Head and League
of Women Voters Are
Given Encouragement.
BY q Stan Correspondent OF The Star.

by btdu CotIeopOuoeHt Oi Inc otdf.
PHILADELPHIA, June 23.-Two
agencies working at the convention for
preservation and improvement Of the
merit system in Government person.
mel were assured last night that they
would have an opportunity to pre-
sent their statements for q strong
civil service plank In the Democratic
platform.
Luther C. Steward, president Of the
National Federation Of Federal En-
ployes, has been discussing the merit
system in Government personnel with
prospective members of the Platform
Committee. The National League of
Women Voters has been making an
aggressive campaign, with booth set
up directly in front of National Chair
man Farley's headquarters and close
to the national committee suite.
Their campaign is an insistance upon
trained personnel in public service and
Find the man for the job, not the
job for the man" is their slogan. One
Of their most conspicuous posters says:
I'VE petition the political parties to
pledge themselves to abolish the spoils
system and to establish the merit
system of appointment"
Steward Prepares Statement.
Steward drew up the following state
ment for the Resolutions Committee:
"On behalf Of the National Fedora
tion of Federal Employees, which in
cludes in its membership $1,000 Fed
eral employees in all branches of the
service except the Post Office De-
partment, 1 desire to urge strongly
the inclusion of a PLANK in the plat
form of the Democratic party pledging
support of legislation to strengthen
and extend the civil service system.
The merit system is essential to
good government, and it is indis-
pensable to democratic government.
Long and costly experience has proved
| that there is no substitute for the
merit system in Federal personnel
| administration. OWL service is the
only assurance to the taxpayer Of full
value for every dollar expended.
Insures Against Failures.
"By providing trained personnel, the
! civil service system in a definite sense
may be considered as insurance
against failures of agencies and eStab-
lishments due to the incompetence of
unframed personnel. The danger of
entrusting Of unframed personnel
duties which tax even those who have
| had the benefit of background, expert
ence and specialized instruction, long
has been apparent.
THE National Federation Of Federal
Employees urges specifically that this
convention adopt a platform plank
which will pledge the party to the
support of legislation designed to
extend the civil service to all Federal
positions which are not directly Of a
policy making nature.
There is every sound reason why
such a course should be followed.
Indeed. the welfare of the country as
| a whole demands it."
Bostonian TO Speak.
Mrs. La Rue Brown Of Boston.
director of the National League of
Women Voters, is to present the
leagues plank to the Platform Com
mittee, urging trained personnel in
public service by substitution of the
merit principle instead of the spoils
system.
Mrs. Harris T. Baldwin of Wash
ington, D. c., first vice president OF
the national league, and Mrs. Henry
Goddard Leach, former New York
State league president and member Of
the New York State delegation to the
convention, are two of the merit plank
spokesmen.
Mrs. Baldwin takes the view that
good measures frequently are adopted
by legislative bodies only to be null
flied by inadequate personnel in ad-
ministering them.