Evening star., 1937-07-22
BROOK|NCS URGES
MERIT EXTENSION
Report to Byrd Group Rec
ommends Covering Bulk
of u. S. Workers.
BY WILL P. KENNEDY.

cover the bulk of Government en-
ployes not now under it. with a COM
petent personnel officer for each de-
parment or bureau, is recommended
by the Brookings Institution in a re-
port made public today by Chairman
Byrd OF the Senate Reorganization
Committee
Three other recommendations are:
That administration of the COM
pensation act for Federal and District
employees be left with the Employees
Compensation Comm ission and not be
transferred to the Civil Service Com
mission.
That the Federal Personnel Coun-
Gil be given statutory recognition and
q small research staff.
That the Civil Service Commission
enlist the cooperation of the scien-
tif1c, technical and professional bu-
reau in giving and grading exami-
nations IN their respective fields. at
least until it can greatly strengthen
its examining corps.
Meanwhile, Secretary Ickes TODAY
went on record as favoring placing of
full power in the hands of the Presi-
dent to reorganize the executive
branch Of the Government. subject
| to the veto power of Congress
Ickes said he thought the suggestion
to alter the status Of the controller
general was one of the best made. He
declared that this official should be
made an auditor and should not be
| permitted to become "a little extra
| Congress or perhaps a Supreme Court "
| He added that he did not see why the
controller general should interpret the
laws and block project already passed
upon by Congress.
1ckes reiterated his belief that there
should be new Department of Public
Works. He was quick to add that
there should also be change in the
name Of the Department of Interior,
over which he presides, and 1t should
be called what 1t has been in effect
for years-a Department of Conserva-
| ton.
The Brookings recommended ations
are in sharp conflict with the Presi-
dents Advisory Committee report and
| the provisions of the omnibus reor-
ganization bill presented by the late
Senate Majority Leader Robinson,
which called for abolition OF the Civil
Service Commission and substitution
Of single "administrat tor"
Part of Report.
| This report is the tenth chapter In
the survey being made by the Brook
ings Institution under contract with
the committee Of which Senator Byrd
OF Virginia is chairman 1t is con-
fined to consideration Of overlapping,
duplication and simplification in the
existing personnel system OF the Gov
ernment.
The report discusses: (a) Agencies
under the civil service act OF 1888; (b)
old civilian agencies having, in part
at least, distinctive personnel systems
and (c) new temporary and emer-
gency agencies not under the civil
service act. 1t explains that an ex-
tended discussion Of integration of
so-called personnel control agencies
is not presented because that problem
lies in the field Of the Presidents Com
mittee on Administration Manage
ment. No recommendations, therefore.
are made regarding possibilities of
simplif1cation and coordination
through radical change in overhead
organization.
The recommendations made in this
report are said to be based on the as
sumption that the central personnel
agencies are to be left essentially as
at present.
Recruit Duplication.
1t emphasizes that some OF the
newer organizations are not subject
to civil service, and do their own re-
cruiting. This system leads to over
tapping and duplication, as candidates
naturally apply wherever there is a
chance, even If that means applying at
five or six different agencies. The re-
port urges that AL should apply at
one central agency"
It Is pointed out that under pressure
an administrative officer may create
an unnecessary position to take care Of
= particular individual who has the
requisite influence. Most of the pres
sure is removed if position, when
created, must be filled from a civil
service register"
No effort is made in the report to
repeat the familiar arguments in
favor of the merit system and the
career service as opposed to the spoils
system and rotation in Office It is
stated, however, that at present many
valuable employees have no protective
civil service status and are regarded
as political appointees. In . change
Of administration many Of these would
be removed, although they could have
sAtsned civil service requirements.