The Washington times., 1936-05-19
CIVIL SERVICE
NEWDEALERS'
AMBITION
BY J. EARLE MOSER

by j. EARLE MOSEh
Government officials are begin
ming to take an avid interest in the
plight of hundreds of emergency
agency employees who have found
themselves without job and with
out any chance of gaining future
work because of Administration
policies, through which number
of offices have Slashed personnel
drastically.
Representatives of nine separate
Government agencies recently at
tended conference, on invitation,
held by the So-called COMMITTEE
on Job Security" the group Of Or
ganized emergency workers who
are seeking to set up legal provi-
Sfons whereby such folk will re-
ceive preference, due to their eX-
perience, for future Federal vacan-
cieS.
Prominent among official repre-
sentatives who attended the con-
ference, held at the Washington
Hotel, was Samuel Gompers, chief
clerk of the Department of Labor,
son of the founder of the American
Federation of Labor and well
known as an exponent of equitable
labor conditions. During the course
of the confab, Mr. Gompers ad-
mitted that Secretary Perkins had
told him to attend the employe
meeting and to report to her "ev-
erythins of interest"
Among other we'll known per-
sonnet officials who a t t n e d
were James E. Jones, of AAA;
Ward Parrot, of Securities and
Exchange Commission: DR.. George
S, Mitchell. of Resettlement; Al
bert AaronSon, of the Social Sc
curity Board; Murray Latimer, OF
Railroad Retirement Board; Elisa
beth Wiecke Il and Mrs.
Frances Kelley, of PWA; Arthur
Goldschmidt, of the LoWenthal
Committee, and Milton Diehl,
from the office of the Federal Co.
ordinator of Railroads.
1t remained for Mr.. Aaronson,
Social Security emisSary, to pro-
duce the most potent idea during
the conference. Questioned by
Chairman Arthur Stein, of WPA,
and John L. Donovan, OF MIRA
fame, as to the best method by
which dischar ged emergency
agency workers might make them
selves eligible, Mr.. AaronSo n
floored the committee by introduc-
ing a proposal that for logic ana
practically outmodes anything 1t
has thus far proposed, 1ncIudlng
the non-competitive civil service
tests which it advocates but hasn't
a chance of securing.
His proposal, in briet, Is tnaO
emergency agency workers VINO
wish to continue to work should
he allowed, by the Civil Service
Commission in a special series CT
tests, to take the examination 1or
which they are fitted, such as sue,
nographer, file clerk, statlstlcaI
clerk. etc. He suggests that the
Commission be petitioned to place
the names of successful competl-
tors on the regular registers &C
cording to their rank WIN Pc
haps a per cent preference raV
ing such as veterans receive pe-
cause of their experience IN tne
This would mean that compe-
tent former Government WORKERS
would be in line, according 10
their ability, for any permanent
posts which are found vacant IN
the near future, particularly to5
the thousands of berths expected
nnder Social Security, and at the
same time they would not com
rose a "preferred class" that
would be under fire from other
groups of job seekers.
The Job Security Committee
agreed that the idea is potenV..
and is now in the process OF
drafting a letter to the PresloenI
to see what can be done ABOUT It,
New Tests
Three new tests have been an
nounced by the Civil Service Com
mission. An assembled exam Tor
i11nior tobacco inspector, $4,000,
with the Bureau of Agricultural
Economics, will close on June T.
as will tests for associate and as
sistant tobacco inspector $3'2OO
and $4,000.
June II will be the deadline for
a test to be given for junior. as
sistant, Ordinary" and senior pro
curement inspectors, from 81 500
to $4,000, who are needed for the
War Department air corps ma
terial division.
Odds and Ends
The General Accounting Office