The Washington times., 1937-01-12
u. 5. CAREERS
UNDER MERIT
CONTINUED from Page 81

Continued from Page 81
every time the Administration
changes.
The extension Of the Civil Serv.
ice upward to these higher admin
istrative posts is a necessary and
important step in the development
of a career service which will at
tract and retain persons of high
competence in the Government.
Many promising employees leave
the service because Of its promo
tional limitations or remain at a
heavy sacrifice. An increase in
the number of higher posts in
cluded in the Civil Service will lift
its entire morale and will give an
incentive for the recruitment Of
the best talent in the lower posi-
tionS.
BIanketing Opposed
Incumbents in positions af-
fected by the extension of the
merit system should not be
blanketed into the classified Civil
Service without a review of their
qualifications. Such action would
violate the basic principle of the
merit system and would weaken
and discredit the Civil Service. On
the other hand, to require these
employees to obtain Civil Service
status through open, competitive
examinations might result in loss
of the services Of many individuals
who have developed in their work
experience and competence of dis
tinct value to the Government. A
solution at once satisfactory to
the Government and fair to the
incumbents would be to permit
them to obtain classified Civil
Service status by passing noncom-
petitive tests of fitness prescribed
by the head of the central person
mel agency. In every case the head
of the responsible department
should certify that the employe
has served with merit.
The continued requirement that
the personal attention of the
President be given to the filling
of numerous positions adds to the
burden of the Chief Executive and
does not advance in any way the
efficiency Of the service. OF the
10000 positions in the Executive
branch subject to direct appoint
ment by the President there are
about $4,000 which are of a mill
tary or foreign service type hav-
ing merit systems of their own
and excluded from consideration
here. The remaining $4,000 civil
ian positions are mostly in the
field and are subordinate in i'm
portance to appointments long
made by department heads. They
include almost $4,000 postmaSters
and 400 other field positions, such
as United States marshals, collec-
tors of internal revenue, and GUS
toms collectors.
Fewer Direct Appointments
The multiplicity of presidential
appointments defeats the power
of the Chief Executive to control
A11o CoCbD41oAA4AACA4b. 44IoGCdO VI All
creasing his control over person
mel, it operates to weaken and dis
sipate his authority. It places
him in position of direct RESPONSE
b:lity for many appointments
which he has little time to con-
slider and robS him of time ur-
gently needed for attention to i'm
portant executive duties. It in
terfereS with the authority that
should be vested in the heads of
the several departments for the
proper discharge of their response
bilities. It is difficult for them to
m a n tain appropriate relation
ships, discipline, and morale when
their SubordinateS feel that they
have direct and immediate re-
sponsibility to the President who
appointed them. Conflicts Of IN
terest and Jurisdiction within de-
partments frequently result.