Evening star., 1937-02-26
SIMPLE APPEALS
COURT IS URGED
Federal Workers on Notice
to Seek Economy if
Move Succeeds.

Government employees working for
q "court Of appeals" to which their
grievances could be brought were on
notice today to get together on some
plan that would be both simple and
economical if they hoped to be sue
eessfrll.
This course was recommended last
night by Chairman Ramspeck OF the
House Civil Service Committee at .
mass meeting held at Central High
School under the auspices Of the Fed
Grafton of Architects, Engineers.
Chemists and Technicians to boost
the appears body movement.
Ramspeck promised to go along"
II such q course were followed, but
be served notice that Congress would
not spend any money to set up an
independent agency.
It was his idea that the inter-
agency conciliation system that Pres
ident Harry B. Mitchell of the Civil
Service Commission long has advo-
Gated afforded a desirable basis on
which to work.
Durand Case Is Cited.
s The federation, which was instru-
mental in getting reinstatement for
Robert Durand. dismissed Federal
Power Commission employe, through
the offices Of q voluntary conciliation
board, has argued that this case dem
onstrated the need for . permanent
agency.
Frank r. .McNinch, Power Com
mission chairman, another speaker
last night, told his audience he IA
vored establishment Of some board
OF review to which employees may ap-
peal if it is believed an injustice has
been done, either intended or other
wise"
McNinch also announced he had
yesterday afternoon referred the
Durand case to the Civil Service Com
mission. At the time Durand was
dropped he was working in division
OF the commission that was not under
civil service. In the interim, this
group has been blanketed in, and the
question the Civil Service Commission
now must decide is how Durand, lack
ing civil service status, can be restored
to duty in a civil service establish
ment.
Federation associates OF Durand had
charged he was dropped for his union
activity, and the picketing that was
done in his case and also in that Of
John Donovan, fired and then rehired
In the old N. r. A., was productive OF .
brisk colloquy at the meeting between
Ramspeck and John F. Finerty, who
had represented both men.
Hits Picketing in Principle.
Taking exception to the favorable
vein in which Finerty had touched
on picketing, Ramspeck told him that
"picketing may be favorably received
by Government employees in WASH
tngton, but it Is not received favor
ably by the public over the country"
And it is the general public that is in
the role of employer for the Federal
force, he emphasized.
Finerty responded that he does not
advocate" picketing, but that the
way Is opened to it because Con-
gress does not specifcally-except in
Inc CdSC Ol PSSthI CIuRAoyCC- SAfS
Government workers the right to Or
ganize.
President Mitchell of the Civil Serv-
ice Commission said that while the
commission did not want the Appeals
Court power vested in it. he did not
believe any machinery could be set
up that did not take the commission
into consideration. 1t Is his idea that
a solution would be for the local
boards of the commission over the
country to sit as the original courts"
to sift out appeals, with the Labor
Relations Board here acting as the
body to which final recourse would be
had
Mitchell said any appeals system
would have to take into consideration
the vast number Of employees outside
OF Washington and that these local
boards might function.
Mitchell pointed out in passing that
no agency TO be created by Congress