Evening star., 1937-09-13
A. e. f. SESSION
HEARS RAMSPECK
ASSA|L M'KELLAR
Georgian ReneWS Attack on
Tennessean for Tying Up
Postmaster Bill.
ALSO FIRES BLAST
AT TRIO IN HOUSE
Fuller, Nichol and Faddis Round
ly Criticized-Delegates Weigh
Changes in Set-Up.
BY ]. A. FOX,
Staff Correspondent of The Star.


Renewing his attack on Senator Nc
Kellar, Democrat, of Tennessee, for
tying up the bill to put postmasters
under civil service, Representative
Ramspeck, Democrat, of Georgia,
chairman of the House Civil Service
Committee, today told the American
Federation of Government Employees
he regarded McKellar as "the greatest
single menace to good government that
exists in the country today"
Ramspeck, who spoke at the OPEN
Ing session of the federations annual
convention in the Benjamin Franklin
Hotel. linked with his castigation of
the Tennessee Senator three members
OF the House-Fuller of Arkansas and
Nichol of Oklahoma, Democrats. and
Faddis of Pennsylvania, Republican,
describing them as "the four horse
men leading the fight on civil service" {"
The Georgian digressed, however, to
say that Nichols opposition to civil
service was outspoken.
Ramspeck also paid his respects
to President Roosevelt's Government
reorganization program, particularly
as it involves the replacement of
the Civil Service Commission with
a single-headed administration, en-
phasizing that he could not get
peppedup" over this feature.
Commissioner McMillen Talks.
Having been preceded on the speak
ers' platform by Civil Service Com
missioner Lucille Foster McMillen,
Ramspeck praised her and the other
commissioners and added, "if Con-
gress will just give the Civil Service
Commission we've got some help we
won't have any trouble with civil
service
IN again turning his guns on Nc
Kellar, who heads the Senate sub
committee which is holding up the
postmasters' bill that has passed the
House, Ramspeck repeated the asser-
ton he made last week before the
National Federation of Federal En-
ployes-that he proposed to go into
Tennessee shortly and acquaint Nc
Kellar's constituents with the situa-
ton.
THE President Of the United States.
In my presence, requested Senator
Mcclellan to get this bill up in the
Senate" he said.
Ramspeck charged also that Nc
Kellar, in his capacity as chairman
of the Post Office Committee and
ranking member of the Civil Service
and Appropriations Committees. die
tate to departments of the govern
ment in other ways which are not
to the interests of the government. 4"
Attitude on Reorganization.
Ramspeck said he could not get
excited" over reorganization gener-
ally, adding that efficient workers
would make an efficient machine
and that correspondingly inefficient
workers would produce poor results.
Commissioner McMillen argued for
extension of the merit system, declar-
ing it provides administrative machin-
cry that serves as restriction on
political racketeers."
Possession skirmishes over internal
affairs enlivened proceedings as the
federation convention opened today.
Issues at stake involved proposed
changes in the administrative set-up
though how far they would get was
problematical
The political aspect of the conven.
tion came into the open last night
when New York delegates, arriving
announced intention to push for 6
change in the method Of electing vice
presidents, and sought to enlist sup.
port from other field lodges Tht
administration, headed by Presiden
Charles I. Stengle. opposes the change
and was backed at night caucus O.
the District of Columbia delegation.
Seek District Jurisdiction.
The vice presidents now are chosel
from civil service districts, but by tn
vote of the convention as a whole
Advocates of change want the elec
ton by the delegates from each dis
trict.
There also is difference of opinion
over the administration plan to adj
fourteenth vice president, the addi
tional officer to come from the fourtl
district, but from outside of the Dis
trict OF Columbia, part of the fourtl
which now has three representative,
The last convention voted to replac
one Of the district men with a fiel
representative. The three there ar
G. Carroll Dimond. Michael [
Schaefer and Ira Y. Balm.
The District caucus lined up wit
the administration on this and ais
voted to oppose move TO consolidat
the Offices of secretary treasurer
now held by Mrs. Bernice B. Heffne
and Cecil E. Custer. The consolda
ton proposal reputedly originated i
the District Department being Anne
At the elimination of Custer
Despite the maneuvering, howevel
leaders we're predicting a harmoniou
convention, and this need for unit
also was emphasized in Presider
Stengle's report. distributed to lk
delegates last night.
Reviews Liberal Dissent.
Stengle went at length into the 70
which stirred in the federation, a
American Federation of Labor affiliat
this past Sumer. when several 'lit
eraf lodges broke of and formed tt
nucleus of the United Federal Worker
OF America under the aegis of tt
committee for Industrial Organixx
ton.
Explaining that the trouble orig
mated in the refusal of the nation
omcers to sponsor . militant dri,
against prospective Government ccor
omy legislation, Stengle told the dell
gates that their organization "mu
work comparatively and tactfully, wi,
zeal but without violence. with ente
prise and courage but without reel
lessness."