Evening star., 1936-12-14
WHITE SAYS AID
Of AGENCIES VITAL
TO MERIT SYSTEM
Civil Service Commissioner
Speaks at Public Wei.
fare Conference.
PROTEST PARLEYS
WITH CHIEFS CITED
National Association Hears Fed.
eral Pressure on States Decried
as Complicating Problems.

90 SOM p1lSdtAhS AAOoAChS'
Discussing the question Of Putting
Leonard D. White, commissioner of
the United States Civil Service Com
mission, yesterday told the American
Public Welfare Association that while
the Civil Service Commission should
be a central recruiting authority, "ef-
fective operating requires close CO.
operation with Government depart
ments."
THE best work can be DONE" he
declared, "only if the central per-
sonnel agency confers closely with
those whom it is serving"
DR.. White was one of many speak
ers before the two-day conference of
the association at the Wardman Park
Hotel, which closed yesterday after
noon. He appeared at a panel dis
cussing the merit system, where other
speakers included Albert H. Aronson,
director of personnel, Social Security
Board; G. Lyle Belsley, executive d.
rector, Civil Service Assembly, Chi
cago; DR.. Ellen c. Potter, director Of
medicine, Department of Institutions
and Agencies, Trenton. N. j., and
Lewis Merriam of the Brookings In
stitution. The chairman of the panel
was Karl De Schweinitz, director
State Emergency Relief Board, Harris
burg, Pa, and the secretary was Ell
wood Street, director of public welfare,
District of Columbia.
Hold Pre-Test Conference.
DR.. White explained that when the
commission is invited to hold an ex-
animation, I'VE send a man to confer
with the department on its require
ments and the questions to be included
IN the examination. In most cases
agreement is reached at this point.
After the examination is held, we &C
cept the services of persons in the
department in rating papers.
In the classification field" he said
"the department makes recommended
tions indicating what it believes to be
the proper classification. II its rec
ommendation is not satisfactory. the
board and the department confer.
This kind of cooperation is es-
sential in preparing for examinations
and In classification in which the COM
mission has the final responsibility.
The finer points and the constructive
work must be done by the personnel
departments.
Belsley Urges "Leeway..
Belsley declared the merit system
should not be so detailed as to make
the system inflexible and difficult for
departments to meet their needs, Lee
way should be left for future rule
making after thorough discussion of
rules"
The panel for discussion of "rela-
tionship Of Federal, State and local
governments in the social security pro-
gram" yesterday morning was headed
by William Hodson, commissioner of
the Department of Public Welfare,
New York City, as chairman. Fire
quently," he declared, I'VE become
slaves to system. If We try to make
1t flexible, it becomes a nightmare to
administer. But we must not be
frightened out Of making changes in
the mechanics of operation as we
change our attitude toward our prob
lens"
Miss Jane Hoey, director of the
Bureau Of Public Assistance. Social
Security Board, declared that when
we use pressure of the Federal Gov
eminent on the State and the State
government on the locality. we have
run out of ideas. We must keep in
mind that the one reason for our
existence is the people we are irving
to help. That, not administrative
problems. Is the end. The solution of
our administrative problems is to be
found. not in applying pressures but
IN consultations with each other such
rs this meeting represents.
Miss Abbott Speaks.
Miss Grace Abbott, professor of
public welfare administration, Univer-
slty OF Chicago and former chief of
the Children's Bureau, Department of
Labor, declared the greatest problem
IN administering the social security
program was lone in human rela-
tionships."
If State government is recalci-
trant In its attitude toward co-opera-
ton with Federal officials, we know
from experience that pressure from
the Federal administration is likely to
make matters worse.
In the social security program. a
state cannot be so pressed without
affecting the people for whom the
program operates Experience has
shown that enormous progress can
be made through conferences. Here
the State and local representatives re-
port to each other on both good and
poor work. Instead of the Federal
Government telling them how to do
the Job, they tell each other. And
there are just as able people in the
States as In the Federal Government.
Others participating in the social
security panel included Robert Beas-
ley. Bureau of Public Assistance. So
cial Security Board. and Joseph L.
Moss, director of the Cook County
Bureau Of Public Welfare, Chicago.
Attendance at the conference was
announced by officials to be 500. in
cluding public welfare officials from
a States in this country and three