The Washington times., 1937-02-10


Hearings by the House Civil
Service Committee, assembling spot
for most beneficial Federal clerk
legislation, begin tomorrow in the
Old House Office Building, prob
ably about l030 a. m.
Three bills are certain Of conSid-
Grafton during the hearings, which
are expected to occupy an indef-
mite period of weeks stretching
into the future, the first and most
important being Chairman Robert
Ramspeck's measure to bring
about Civil Service status for emer-
eency agency personnel and those
emergency workers stationed in old
line Federal units.
His bill, marked principally by
its requirement that workers be
given merit status only after pass
ing competitive Civil Service tests,
will be followed in consideration
by documents liberalizing retire
ment and requiring that appll-
cants for Civil Service exams fur
nish signed statements from city,
county or state officials that they
are bona fide residents of the State
which they claim.
The committee also may take
up the Celler bill for repeal of Sec
ton 2l3, but is dubious on the
point at present because similar
measures have been advertised as
being slated for hearings at the
hands of Representative John J.
Cochrane's expenditures commit
tee. What Cochrane, staunch
enemy of marriage clause repeal,
will do with such bills is being
quizzically awaited.
Louis Brownlow, principal au-
thor of the presidents Admins
trative Management" bombShell a
few weeks ago, has been invited as
witness No. for tomorroW'S hear
ing, but it is doubtful if he will at
tend. In the first place, Brown
low is said to be i'll, and in the sec
ond place Capitol Hill insiders
think he will prefer to testify first
before the Joint Committee on
Government Reorganization.
President Harry B. Mitchell and
other Civil Service Commission Of
ficials have also been invited, how
ever, and it is expected their testi-
mony will take up considerable
time and produce bushels Of in
terest. Friday the Civil Service
Committee will hear H. Eliot Kap-
Ian, Of the Civil Service Reform
League, and President Charlie
Stengle and members of the Amer
lean Federation of Government
Employees executive council. Then.
according to present plans. hear
ings will be adjourned until Tues
day.
Carson Hathaway, Civil Serv-
ices chief OF personnel, tells a
funny one on himself.
During vacation not so many
seasons ago Hathaway drove out
to Southern California to enjoy
the climate and a delicacy Of
which he can't get enough-sea
food. And he ran into one of
those odd cafeterias where one
may have "all you can eat" for
SIS cents.
Hungry, after 1000 miles Of ac-
celerator pushing. Hathaway
emerged at the end of the line
with a tray three inches deep, the
two principal morsels being one
half Of a large broiled lobster and
one half of large fried chicken.
After a third of the meal was
gone enthusiasm vanished, but
Hathaway, pride to the fore, kept
going.
Needless to say, he paid heavily
that evening, and has never again
sought bargains in nourishment.
Members Of five unions who
once were affiliated with the
A. F. G. E. are to meet at 8 o'clock
this evening in the Interior De
partment Auditorium to hear three
speakers discuss subjects ranging
from the current legislative out
look to prospects of reaffiliation
with the Federal organization.
ATLANTIC CITY. n. j.
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