The Washington times., 1936-11-25

for betterment of working condi-
tionS, have been trained on the
Seventy-fifth Congress by the Ma
tional Legislative Council of Fed
eral Employe Organizations.
The council, which is composed
Of virtually all Federal union
groups not affiliated with the
American Federation of Labor,
and which boasts a total member
ship of approximately 10000, met
recently and drafted a new and
modernized program for submis-
sion to the forthcoming congress
Sional session in January.
Following the meeting, the coun-
Gil revealed today, their members
held closed conference with all
three Civil Service Commissioners,
Harry B. Mitchell, Mrs. Lucille
Foster McMillin and Leonard D.
White, to discuss possibilities Of
the program.
Indications are that the council
will work hand-in-glove with the
commission and House Civil Serv-
ice Chairman Ramspeck during
the winter, because Of prior CO.
ordination Of aims.
While extension Of the merit
system continues to occupy first
place on the councils program,
due to enthusiasm of Legislative
Chairman Luther Steward, retire
ment holds the spotlight.
In seeking liberalization Of the
retirement law, the council will
simply ask optional retirement at
the option of the employe only,
leaving when, and after what pc
fiod Of service to the commission,
Mr.. Ramspeck and Congress to
battle over.
It will also ask that annuitieS
be allowed by law to be extended
to cover widows or dependents,
and that workers who retire for
disability and recover should
either get their jobs back or re-
ceive annuity until they receive a
Similar post.
Extension Of classification to
the field service, a civil service
appeals court and better condi-
tionS on heavy rural mail routes
are other items to be sought. All
Members of Congress are to be
mailed a request for support Of
the program in committee and
on the floor.
In addition to the National
Federation Of Federal EMPLOYEES,
the council includes numerous
postal organizations officials,
and is headed by John ]. Bar
rett. president of the United Ma.
tional Association of Post office
Clerks.
Queries regarding the numer-
ology analyses published in this
column for employees continue to
arrive.
The explanation is merely this:
Employed in one of the larger
bureaus is a person well versed
IN numerology who is glad to
analyze the character and future
Of anyone mailing to this column
their original, complete name and
birthday. Birthdays, however, are
not published and a non de plume
may be submitted for publication
use.
Many find such numerical
analyses highly interesting and
some follow numerology closely as
serious science, using it as a
guide for the future. The next
analysis published will be that of
Sydney Swiller, Bureau of Ento-
mology and Plant Quarantine,
Agriculture.
A. F. of L. Convention Notes
Col. Charlie Stengle is on the
legislative committee Frank
Coleman, Central Labor Union Of
the D. c., has introduced resolu-
tions asking a vote for the District
and abolition Of one-man street
cars the convention was told
the Civil Service Commission
agreed not to discriminate against
workers whose qualifications for
service are based on experience
rather than formal academic
training {. the A. F.. of l.. finds it
impossible at this time" to estab-
lish a daily newspaper by
resolution, John Frey of the
Metal Trades Department at
tackled displacement of civil serv.
ice workers by emergency work
erS a similar plea was entered
by the National Federation of
Post Office Clerks, National Asso.
citation of Letter Carriers and the
Railway Mail Association.
The Civil Service Assembly in
Chicago, has issued a comment on
DR.. Ismar Baruch's pamphlet on
necessities of a personnel claSsifi-
cation plan by periodic audits Of
jobs, saying:
"The pamphlet points out that
classification plans need to be
reviewed at specific intervals in
order to bring them up to date.
An illustration may make this
clear. Suppose a young man
starts in as a messenger and is
classified as such, but after q
year passes by his work so
90 changes that he does full time
filing work. Ordinarily such a
change would probably pass un-
noticed, but a periodic check or
audit would reveal this fact and
insure that the young man would
receive the pay Of . filing clerk.
'Tf the q. s. Civil Service Com.