Evening star., 1937-08-01

Since the President started pushing
the postmaster legislation, he has
changed, by executive order. the selec-
ice examination through which they
now qualify, this regulation requiring
that the applicant at the top of the
list prepared by the Civil Service
Commission be appointed. Prior to
| that, one of the first three could be
named, thus virtually making certain
that the candidate most acceptable
politically to his respective Senators
and House members would get the
post.
Although the field has thus been
narrowed it is said at the commission
that there are fewer reflections than
under the old plan, although, if the
Senate refuses to confirm, the COM
mission has no alternative but to
certify another applicant.
Postmaster General Farley is re-
ported to have objected to the form of
the House bill. which permits open
examination for postmastership,
only If the incumbent is not reap
pointed and the Post Office Depart
ment certifies that there is no employe
OF the vacancy Office qualified for
advancement. Farley, it is said, wants
the option OF promotion or open
examination without any strings.
Representative Ramspeck, Democrat
OF Georgia. chairman of the House
Civil Service Committee. sponsored
emphasized his belief that its passage
will do more toward breaking up the
spoils system everywhere than any
other single factor.
In comparison to the patronage set
up as who. something like 300 900
jobs now are outside OF civil service
the number and emoluments of these
postmasterships are inconsequential
More than 10000 of them are in third
class offices. where the pay ranges from
81 $50 to $4,000 with graduated allow
ances for clerk hire and the top is
10000 for two offices-New York and
Chicago. But their political potency
is something else again.
The plan to build career service
throughout the Government structure
has received little attention since it
was proposed in the report OF the
special committee headed by Louis
BroWnloW, which embodied a vast re-
organization scheme and called for the
extension of civil service upward - =
outward downward"
The joint committee headed by the
late Senator Robinson. Democrat of
Arkansas held 13 hearings on the
program over period of two and one
half months. but devoted most of this
time to considering the section OF the
report proposing to do away with the
General Accounting Office as at pres
ent constituted, and setting up a new
auditing system.
The tentative draft of legislation
offered by the BroWnloW group to
carry out the provisions Of the report
was sidetracked by the joint COM
mittee, and its own measure, which
finally appeared in the Senate and now
is to have hearings. carries a complex
series of personnel provisions that are
to state the case mildly-a little less
than understandable.
Extent Of Bill Unknown.
Those who have tried to interpret
the Senate measure are entirely in the
dark as to how far it would extend
civil service through the rank and
file Of the Government, but they are
agreed that it has one angle that goes
FAR afleld from career principles. A
provision that would remove several
hundred positions from civil service
by making Presidential appointment
and Senate confirmation a requisite for
all chiefs of bureaus and divisions
directly responsible to the head Of an
executive department. This section
has drawn the fire of the American
Federation of Government Employees,
the National Federation of Federal
Employees, the Civil Service Reform
League and the National League of
Women Voters, but study of the
hearings indicates plainly that it was
written in specifically to meet objec-
tions of Joint Committee members to
under officials who hold over from one
administration to another.
The Brownlow civil service plan is
a wheels within wheels idea. It pro-
vides first for single administrator to
replace the three member bipartisan
Civil Service Commission. Then there
would be seven-member board
chosen by the President, to "act as
watchdog for the merit system" This
board would meet four times year or
more and get $50 day per member
while in session. The administrator
would be chosen through a competitive
examination devised by a special ex-
amining board named in turn by the
seven "watchdogs.' but nomination by
the President and confirmation by the
Senate would be necessary. A salary
of $4,000 was proposed.
The joint committee bill saved the
salary figure, but junked the examin-
ing procedure, providing only for
Presidential appointment and Sena-
torial confirmation. 1t also knocked
out the "watchdogs"
The appointive plan for the admin
istrator drew running fire of criti-
cism from the Joint Committee men,
bers as they quizzed Brownlow on it..
Said Senator Barkley. of Kentucky,
now the Democratic leader:
do you believe. for an important
position like this, which is almost as
important as that of a cabinet officer,
where the President ought to be able
to survey the qualified men Of the
whole country for this administrator,
you can get the best man for it out of
a list of three who are sifted up
through a civil service examination? ?"
Brownlow did.
Representative Vinson, Democrat Of
Kentucky, then took over.
Don't you think the fact that you
would hold competitive examination
would automatically exclude some of
the best men In the country for this
position, who might be available If
such competitive examination was not
held?"