Evening star., 1937-05-01
APPLICATIONS FOR FEDERAL JOBS REACH NEW HEIGHTS
EMPLOYEES WATCH CHANGES
Presidents Recommendations Are Favorable Those Who Now
Hold Positions and Can Pass Tests But Chances Are Poor
for Those Who Want to Enter Ranks.

the executive order of November 18.
1885, which placed positions in the
National Training School for Boys in
the classified service; the act of June
~, 1885, creating the United States
Maritime Commission and providing
Tor the retention and classification of
employees of the Shipping Board Mer-
chant Fleet Corp, and similar cases
have not been completely established
as yet, because of specific provisions.
NHE practice of President Roosevelt
has been-and it has been often
eXpressed-not to encourage blanket
ing in" of incumbents without their
passing some form of examination.
Thus he amended the existing rule
with regard to executive orders to
make necessary a non-competitive ex-
animation, to be given by the commits
sion and under civil service regula-
tlons. 1t was Congress who blanketed
in soil conservation.
With respect to the Farm Credit
Administration, which began life anew
in 1888, a single executive order was
issued to meet unique situation. The
Farm Credit Administration, as set up,
was composed of five agricultural
agencies-the old Federal Farm Board,
the Federal Farm Loan Bureau, the
Reconstruction Finance Corp, which
dealt with loans and credits; crop
production loans and seed loans Offices
of the Department of Agriculture.
Some of these organizations were
under civil service and some were not,
SO that when they were brought to-
gether as the Farm Credit Adminis-
tration President Roosevelt issued his
executive order of 1888, making non
competitive examinations necessary for
those who had no civil service status.
President Roosevelt also changed
the rule with regard to reinstatement.
Under the opinion of the Attorney
General about 25 years ago, it was
tablished that any one whose rein
statement was proposed for clasSl-
fed position under civil service could
be reinstated whether or not he had
had classified status at the time he
was separated from the job. This rule
was followed until the Summer of
1886, when an executive order re-
quired every individual to have had
competitive status at the time of
separation in order to be eligible for
reinstatement.
The President has made perfectly
clear by these rulings that if given
authority by Congress to classify
civil service positions by executive
order he will most assuredly inaugu-
rate the practice of non-competitive
examinations. This means that Who
ever now holds temporary or un-
classified position with the Govern
ment will be required, if the Presi-
dents suggested reorganization pro-
gram is approved by Congress, to take
an examination which, while non
competitive, will permit him to be re-
tanned in the Government service.
THIS does not mean, however, that
such employees will enjoy the civil
service status of those who entered
under the regular civil service act.
Nor does it follow that every one TAX
ing the non-competitive examination
will be permitted to continue neces-
sarily in that department where he
is now engaged. The reason for this
is that some Government departments
have expressed not only preference
for, but demanded, regular civil serv-
ice registrants. Not every department,
it is true, has made this request, so
that it is reasonable to suppose that
erstWhile temporary or unclassified
workers will be taken care Of after
reorganization in those divisions and
bureaus where such restrictions do
not hold.
In the alien property custodian di-
vision, which was absorbed in the
Department of Justice, civil service
examinations we're subsequently re-
quired. The executive order on that
occasion specified that go days notice
be given to all who had failed in the
examination. Therefore, if present
temporary or unclassified employees,
desirous of entering departments
which have made civil service a re-
quirement, enter the examination and
fail they will no doubt be given the
same 60-day notice. However, some