The Washington times., 1936-12-08

members of organizations and others
should contact the writer In the editorial
room by 5:15 p. m. Also, news OF office
happenings may win q weekly prize II
phoned to DI. 1000, branch 21O, before
Sp. m.
According to the most accurate
Information available, field Gov
ernment employees are to be treated
just as literally as those within
the District of Columbia on the
subject of the forthcoming Christ
mas holidays.
While the Presidents recent ex-
ecutive order stipulated that field
workers would be included in the
Saturday work-reSpites after
Christmas and New Year Day, and
the half day December "a, fear had
been felt that the order contained
loop holes that would operate to
the disadvantage of those outside
Washington.
The order, as is usual, provided
for time off only for those who
can be spared from duty" This
phrase, many feared, would mean
duty, particularly for attendants
in Government hospitals.
However, Veterans AdminSitra-
tion is reported to have declared
hospital administrators will be as
liberal as possible, and that COM
pensatory time will be given to folk
who cannot be spared. In addition,
it was reported today, 5000 Navy
Yard per diem workers under ju-
risdiction of the Navy Department
are to receive the prescribed time
off with no pay loss.
Refutation Of a Syndicated ar.
ticle by Jay Franklin, well known
writer, which allegedly attacked the
civil service system, has been is
sued by Charles I. Stengle, presl'
dent of the A. F. G. E. Stengle
declared:
Gay Franklin characterizes
the civil service as bureau
cratic Straitjacket' and asserts
that emergency employees did a
better job than the 'rank-and-
file bureaucratS,' as he deSig.
mates the civil service ap-
pointeeS. He continues that the
emergency employees worked
hard and late, that they used
imagination and initiative,
and he intimateS that civil serv-
ice standards lead to extrava-
gance and inefficiency. Finally,
he attacks former Comptroller
General McCarl."
"But not even Mr., Franklin
would deny, I think, that some
extraordinary specimens came
into the emergency agencies
through political influence, or
that there was in most Of those
agencies an approximation, at
least, of the merit system, and
that the closer this apprOXima-
tiOn was, the better the agencies
functiOned."
Serious students of Government
personnel problems would do well
to acquire "The Civil Service in
Modern Government" a pamphlet
Just issued by the National Civil
Service Reform League.
The league, which took the spot
light last week when its president,
Robert L. Johnson, and it's secre-
tary, H. Elliot Kaplan, gave pep
talks" to local personnel officers,
has covered its subject thoroughly.
It's booklet is somewhat akin in
treatment and technique to the
book, Merit Versus SpoilS," writ
ten early in the summer by Herb
ert S. Hollander, and forms a
handy compendium of information
for the person wishing to keep
apace with Federal conditions.
It can be obtained for a NOM
1nal fee by writing the league at
521 Fifth Ave-, New York city.
The third issue of "Work, A
Journal of Progress, magazine
published by the D. c. WPA, has
also been issued. Compact and
well edited and illustrated, the
journal includes a number Of in
teresting articles, including de-
Scription Of the rehabilitation Of
Pierce Mill in Rock Creek Park, a
description of Social Security by
Frank Bane and two pages devoted
to the National Archives.
The third biennial general as
sembly of the Council of State
Government has been scheduled
to convene in a four-day session
at the Mayflower Hotel, beginning
January 81, just after President
Roosevelt has been inaugurated.
Among questions expected to
cause special meetings at the re-
quest of State delegations will be
civil service. Each State has three
votes during the assembly, cast by
representatives of the Governor,
State Senate or its House of Rep
TeSentativeS.
In the morning mail:
"That Government folk know
their groceries when it comes to
knowing the department stores
was demonstrated. recently in a
conversation at a party at which
I was present, at which sundry
from Sundry offices were on
hand"
believe it or not. they can
tell exactly which Of the local
stores is easy for credit, which
will be lenient if payment is