The Washington times., 1936-05-22
BABC0CK HITS
NEW DEALS
METHODS
BY ]. EARLE MOSER

Scathing denunciationS Of the
Democratic Administration, based
for the most part on alleged NAL
treatment of the merit system
have been released on behalf OF
the Republican national commit
tee by E. Claude Babcock, presi
dent Of the American Federation
of Government Employees.
A bulletin, released b. the up.
and-coming force of publicity ex'
pertS subsidized by those who
think the New Deal is odorouS, is
now making the rounds. It's con.
tent is devoted entirely to an ar
ticle by Mr.. Babcock, who is a
Republican by belief and who
writes, not particularly as an en-
ploye leader, but rather as the
former secretary Of the Civil Serv.
ice Commission. And the article
would be termed in the vernacu.
lar as hot stuff" It's quite
venomous.
It's outstanding fact Is that
workers appinted in the Govern.
ment service during the current
regime are but 81 per cent under
the merit system, the remainder
having achieved positions by Gin.
fluence," and it adds that under
the Hoover administration the
merit percentage was more than
80 per cent, under Woodrow Viii.
son it was 81 per cent and under
Calvin Coolidge it was almost IS
per cent. Theodore Roosevelt is
given a 51.2 rating for merit ap-
pointments.
Mr.. Babcock goes much farther,
however. He caStigateS Post
master General Farley for spoilS
appointments and includes a
graph entitled "Are You From the
Wrong State?" which points out
how AAA, Resettlement and Soil
Conservation Service have used
apportionment as the basis from
which to direct personnel reduc.
tions. The graph, incidentally, Is
official-one put out at AAA-but
leaves out FILA, which also has
fired folk on apportionment
rather than efficiency.
Here are some statements which
are presented:
"Never before in the history
Of the nation has an admins
tratiOn, even before the passage
Of the civil service act, hand.
ed out jobs to political cohorts
in payment for political services
on such grand scale.
"The defenders of this prac-
tice make much of the tiny
group of appOinteeS in emer-
gercy agencies obtained from
civil service registers, but when
you look at these appointees you
find that they are getting the
lowest salaries; salaries which
are too low to pay the support
ers of the Sacrew Cow.
Much has been said by the
Administration of the efficiency
of this politically appointed per-
sonnet. Let's look at that
was NRA efficient? Were offers
Of these sO-called emergency
agencies efficient? That an
swer is simply NO. Anyone
familiar with the practices in
many of the emergency agen.
cies knows Of occasions when
literally hundreds of employees
were without work because no
competent administrative off.
Ger even knew what his own
job was or what he was trying
to do"
And the employee leader
charges that the Democratic Ad-
ministration has:
Created a legion of political
pension jobs.
"Filled them with the faith
full
"Taken many civil service
Jobs out of civil service.
"PIaced a few new jobs under
Civil Service because of vote
fear.
''Placed all civil service en-
pIOyes under the ak of Job fear
by large reductions, followed
by immediate enormous expan-
sions in noncivil service agen.
cies. Even the Accounting
Office Of the Government had
to take q great group Of pat
ronage employees in its work of
checking up On the Govern.