The Washington times., 1937-05-11
JOB QUOTAS AWARDED STATES
RISE, FALL ON PERCENTAGE
RrL. EARLE MOsER


aboo of the Ramspeck merit sys-
TEN" bill, is seen by some experts
as a distinct danger to Washing
tonians, virginians and Mary
landers holding New Deal appoint
ments because the measure would
have the quota law hold sway in
certifying incumbents by COM
petitive test.
Washingtonians, for instance
would be ineligible for retention
even though they passed a COM
petitive quiz, because Washing
ton is over its quota.
While this is probably true, the
workings of the apportionment
regulations under the Civil Serv'
ice Commission are quite differ
ent from what many people think,
and now that apportionment is
taking the headlines some eX-
PLANTATION may be quite properly
in order.
Contrary to the supposition of
many, the apportionment is not
based on an iron-clad set OF
"ouotas" for each State and Ter
ritory. The quota is not a rigid
figure, but varies according to the
rise and fall of the number OF
apportioned positions that are
filled.
BY law, the Civil Service Com
mission must base the quota OF
each locality on the population as
given by the last preceding census,
which at present is the count made
in 1890, Each State and Territory
has its appropriate percentage OF
the whole based on this rule:
e. appointments to the pub
lie service aforesaid in the de-
partments at Washington shall
be apportioned among the sew
eral states and Territories and
the District of Columbia upon
the basis of population as aScer-
tanned at the last preceding
census"
In finding quotas, Civil Service
takes the total apportioned posi-
ttons, which on April 80 were 49,
$50, and gives each State the num-
ber called for by its percentage.
The Districts percentage is
.O03902, which provides a quota OF
but 159, while Maryland's .013O78
percentage entities it to 532 jobs
and Virginia gets 100 entitled po-
sition via a .019414 per cent rating:
If there were 10000 apportioned
posts, however, the Districts
quota would be 318 or 800, just
twice its present figure. Thus,
according to the gain or loss OF
apportioned jobs, is the monthly
rise and fall of the various quotas
explained.
The D. c., Maryland and Vir-
ginia are we'll in excess OF their
apportionment and'so are 10 other
states by a slight margin. Should
the Ramspedk bill pass, however,
this would change drastically. AS
pointed out by Representative
Ramspeck recently, passage OF his
bill would bring about 10000 New
Deal Jobs under apportionment,
doubling the quotas for all 1ocali-
ties.
ALI States would automatically
gain more allowed posts and the
apportionment tangle would prob
ably become more evenly dis
tributed with less States in excess.
It would have the effect, how
ever, of throwing those from the
District, Maryland and Virginia
out-giving their jobs to inexperi-
enced newcomers from OF er
States. If apportion extended to
the entire Federal service, Incl
dentally, the Districts quota would
be about 3,100 as against its cur
rent 159 or 100. But it would still
be in excess.
ReSettlement'S personnel re-
trenchment, under way for the
last several months, struck again
yesterday when more than 200
notices were distributed to en-
ployes. The notices, as usual, were
for two weeks and will take effect
May q, each person axed receiv-
ing all accrued annual leave. Vet
erans got the ak along with others.
Typical Of the attitude now be-
ing held by administrators were
the words of one official:
eyes, we have been reducing
In line with the economy wave!"
It was reported that the con-
struction division was hit espe.
cially hard in the slash.
PWA Administrator Ickes is to
lay the cornerstone of Langston,
PWA's big low-rent housing prof.
ect on Benning Road. Thursday
at p. m. The project will pro-
vide modern homes with full equip
ment for 274 colored families, and
has drawn 1900 applications for
admission.
Coming events:
Thursday-Buffet supper and
dance, Nineteenth Congressional
unit Of Pennsylvania Democratic
Club, Raleigh Hotel. honor of Rep
resentative Guy j. Swope.
May 19-Dance, Mary Society
Of Washington, Kennedy-W arren,
8 p. m.
May 20-Annual spring lunch.
con and rally, United Democratic
Women's Clubs of Maryland, Ma
sonic Hotel, Hagerstown, Md.
A group Of Federal workers has
found considerable easure