The Washington times., 1937-01-04
CIVIL SERVICE
SEEKS ACTION
ON POLITICS

LIE NlNu SERVICE LOIIlIIlloolOA1
has requested mandatory author
ity to enforce the law against
political activity by Government
employees, it revealed today in its
fifty-third annual report to the
President.
Hitting at political activity dur
ing the recent campaign which 1t
was powerless to prevent, the
commission asked a change in
the Civil Service regulations,
recommending:
"The Civil Service rules be
amended so as to require the
head Of q department or inde-
pendent establishment to take
the action recommended by the
Commission in any cases In
which 1t is shown that an en-
plOye has violated the political
activity rule"
At present the Commission has
only the power to recommend"
that action be taken against EN-.
ployes found guilty Of violating
the rule against such activity.
Commission officials said today
such a change would make for
consistency throughout the Serv'
ice," indicating that some Fed
eral agencies have not forbidden
political action as sternly as
others.
Other Proposals
Six other recommendations for
improvement of personnel admins
tration, three of them entirely
new. we're presented in the report.
The Commission urged that it
be allowed to set up a board OF
appeals to settle differences be-
tween officials and employees aris-
ing from dismissals. staff reduc-
tions and suspensions, and also
requested permission to establish
a statistical unit for the purpose
of furnishing data on personnel
questions to the President, Con-
gress and other Government
agencies upon request.
It again recommended establish
ment of a uniform optional re.
tirement age of 60 years after 80
years service, but added to for
mer recommendations that en-
ployes also be allowed to retire at
81 years of age if they have served
is years in the Government. This
would be at the option of either
the Government or the employe.
Compulsory retirement at 10. an
nuitieS for workers retired for dis
ability who recover before reach,
ing the retirement age, and allow.
ing employees to accept reduced
annuity in order to continue pay
ments after death to dependent
were again recommended.
The Commission, however, failed
to repeat a former recommended
tion that employees be allowed to
increase their retirement benefits
in order to receive larger annuitieS.
Merit System Report
On establishment Of the merit
system within the service, the
Commissions report again urged
/. First, second and third
class postmasters be placed
under the Civil Service Act and
Rules.
2. Legislation be enacted
which will give the President
power to bring under he Civil
Service law all positions which
have been excluded by legiSla-
ton or otherwise; and that as
soon as practicable all positions
which are not policy forming
be brought within the claSsi-
fled service.
3. The scope of the Classical
ton Act be extended to include
the approximately 100000 posi-
tions in the field service, the
salaries of which are not fixed
by specific legislative schedule
or wage-board method,
The report declared the fo' W.
ing policy, to be effected during
the next fiscal year:
Improvement of the SeleCtive
quality of nOnasSembled exam
nations, especially in such fields
as law, economics and admins
tratiOn. To bring up to date
the serious arrearage in service
records and to study plans for
more extensive personnel rec
Ords to be kept by a mechanical
system.
"TO encourage, wherever pos
Sible, programs of training for
Government employees. To de-
velOp more adequate facilities
for transfer of employees from
one agency to another.
"TO encourage better place
ment and supervision methods
in Government agencies. To
conduct personnel investigation
in examinations for first and
secOnd-claSs post offices, and in
examinations for other respOn-
Sible administrative positions.
"TO examine the possibility Of
closer contact with professional