The Washington times., 1937-04-23
MAYOR OF N. Y.
HITS POLITICS IN
GOVERNMENT
BY ]. EARLE MOSER
NEW YORK, April %.

fighter from the pinOchle table
of a political organization"
Mayor Fiorella H. LaGuardia Of
New York drew applause with thai
punch line" here yesterday as he
told the eastern States conference
of the Civil Service assembly of hi!
complete support of the merit sys
tenn in the Federal Government
and his successful efforts on its
behalf in his own city.
The man who huffed Hitler ap
peared suddenly before the assem-
blv as it's first session terminated
He pitched right into his theme:
New York now has govern
ment that is nOn-partisan, and
that means something. And it's
true for the first time in the his
tory of the city. I'm extending
civil service all the way up, from
top to bottom, wherever possible.
And we're getting good men,
principally because We raised the
standards of our tests"
He drew a laugh when he said:
"Why 1 found q policeman
who was lawyer-and / made
a judge of him."
LaGuardia declared that gov
eminent of all types, Federal and
municipal, should stress the prin'
ciple of paying 1.-The job instead
of the man He deplored the
frequent spectacle of the Govern
ment employe who achieves a
$1,260 or $1,440 status and re-
mains there for a life time, unable
to advance. He said Government
employees should have the chance
of promotional examinations year
ly, and that those who can not
pass them should be discharged.
Some of his remarks:
"If a Civil Service Commits
sion is politically minded it is
worthless"
you cannot be a good Demo
crat or good Republican and be
true to the merit system.
That's why I'm glad my own
New York commission won't pay
any attention to me-"
Three meetings marked the first
session of the assembly here yes
terday, about 200 personnel ad.
miniStrators and officials from the
Federal Government and Eastern
municipalities being on hand as
DR.. Leonard D. White, Federal
Civil Service commissioner, LED
discussion OF the proposal of the
Brownlow Reorganization Com
mittee to revamp the Civil Service
committee under a single admin
istration.
DR.. White surprised the gather
ing by advocating such a move
himself, declaring he was willing
to see myself terminated" but
warned that few men could be
found with sufficient stamina to
Withstand the terrific political
pressure of such a position. He
named Clarence Dykstra, former
Cincinnati city manager and Guy
Moffett, former Civil Service com
missioner as suitable possibilities
DR.. Whites stand was upheld
by H. Eliot Kaplan, secretary OF
the National Civil Service Reform
League, but other speakers during
the morning session were unanl
mously in favor of retaining the
commission as it is.
Guest speaker at the MONDAY
luncheon meeting Of the assembly
was Robert L. Johnson, nation
ally known advertising man whose
personal enthusiasm has placed
new verve in the Civil Service Re-
form League since he accepted
the presidency.
johnson told how he used lad
vertising methods" to push Civil
Service reform, reported that
2,400 influential people had been
induced to interest themselves in
the merit system since June, via
the use of chain letters, and out
lined his intentions Of setting up
a Civil Service chapter in each
Of SO colleges. Representatives
of these institutions will attend
a meeting of JohnSon's organiza-
ton here Thursday.
Prior to Mayor LaGuardia's ap-
pearance, the afternoon meeting
of the assembly was devoted
principally to discussion of de-
velopment of classification plans
in Government agencies an
methods of adequate compensa-
ton for technical employees. L. l.
Evans, chief of the Agriculture
Departments division of claSSifi-
cation, acted as chairman.
During this session, Luther
Steward, president of the National
Federation of Federal Employees
told the gathering that morale
in Government offices is severely
impaired by the practice of ad
ministrators IN looking outside
their own stats for talent when
a position above the rank and file
is tc be filled. He said:
There can be no career service
in the Government until there il
established the practice of period
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