Evening star., 1937-11-27
REFEREE SYSTEM
FOR j. S. WORKERS.
COMPLAINTS SEEN
Expected to Be Written in
Reorganization Bill to
Speed Action.
FIvE.DAY WEEK PLAN
MAY BE HELD OVER
Public Hearings on Second of
Senator Logan's Measures
Is Proposed.
BY ]. A. O'LEARY.

The referee system of hearing and
determining complaints of Federal and
District employees on personnel mat
ters, or some other form of appeal, may
be written into the general Govern
ment reorganization bill, due to be
taken up in the Senate following dis
position of the farm and anti-lynching
measures.
The bill to establish the five-day
week in the Government service prob
ably will have to await the holding of
public hearings before the Senate
Civil Service Committee, however, it
was indicated today.
Shortly after Senator Logan, Demo-
crat, of Kentucky had introduced both
the referee and flve-day-week bills
yesterday afternoon, several Senators,
including Chairman Bulow of the Civil
Service Committee, put forth the sug-
gestion that the referee plan be con-
sidered when the reorganization bill is
taken up instead OF being handled as
separate legislation.
Hearings Suggested.
AS to the shorter week proposal,
there was a disposition to proceed
more slowly. Chairman Bulow said he
thought hearings would be necessary
on that and Senator Logan said he
also wanted hearings to get more in
formation concerning it.
Senator Ellender, Democrat, of LOU
isiana, who is seeking Senate investi-
cation of alleged favoritism and dis
elimination in promotions. transfers
and appointments, said his purpose in
proposing the inquiry was to show the
need for some change in the law SINH
lar to the Logan referee bill He is
not particular about the form Of the
change, he said, as long as it gives
employees the opportunity to have
grievances heard by an impartial
agency or individual.
The Louisiana Senator revealed he
had already been planning to offer an
amendment to the reorganization bill
to establish some method of appeal in
personnel disputes.
Suggests Periodical Tests.
Mr.. Ellender added that he might
90 further and try also to write into
the reorganization bill change in the
system of making promotions by pro-
viding for periodic examinations of
employees to arrive at their ratings for
promotion.
His purpose in proposing this
change, he indicated, would be to
place less weight on the efficiency rat
tngs given to employees by their bureau
chiefs or other supervisors.
Under the plan of promotion he is
considering, employees would be moved
up in rank following the periodic ex-
aminationS, even though funds might
not be sufficient in the current appro-
priation acts to give the employees the
additional compensation following the
examination
If in some future year it became
possible to appropriate sufficient money
in the supply bills, the advanced
status of the employees as determined
by the earlier examinations, would
have been established and retained"
MIR. Ellender contended.
Would Bring Quicker Action.
Since the reorganization bill is al
ready on the Senate calendar as part
Of the program for the special or regu-
lar session, the movement to add civil
service appeal machinery to it would
bring quicker action than considera-
tion Of the appeal question as sep
arate measure.
The Logan appeal plan, similar to
the bill offered in the House by Rep
resentative Bigelow of Ohio, would
enable employees to submit complaints,
with accompanying proof, to the Civil
Service Commission, which would ap-
point referee to hear testimony and
submit a decision to the department.
AS to the five-day week proposal,
Chairman Bulow said: Il do not know
that I would oppose it, but I am not
as enthusiastic for that as for the
other bill" He said he would favor
the proposed appeal plan for handling
complaints.
Senator Copeland, Democrat, of New
York also expressed approval of the
general principle of establishing a
method of appeal for employees.