Evening star., 1937-05-01
CONTINUED From Page BID

dog Of the merit system. and increase
the salaries Of key posts throughout
the service so that the Government
may attract and hold in a career
service men and women of ability
and character"
This was the third point in five
point program So far Congress has
not acted upon the Presidents recon-
mendations. The proposed program
is now being considered by a special
congressional committee and is sched-
uled for a report before the close of
this session, from present indications.
Provided this third point becomes
law, the merit system would be ex-
tended upward" to include all per-
manent positions In the Government
service except very small number
of high-executive and policy-forning
character; outward" to include per-
manent or continuing positions not
now under civil service. whether
located In new or emergency agencies
or in the older departments, and
downward" to include skilled work.
men and laborers In the regular Gov
eminent service.
In their report to the President the
Committee on Administrative Manage
ment pointed out that such extension
would require the reorganization Of
the Civil Service Commission as q
central personnel agency. "The Civil
Service Commission" 1t stated. was
established over so years ago to meet
conditions quite different from those
of today. The number of Government
employees was small and personnel
requirements were relatively simple.
Set up as an agency to protect
the Federal executive establishment
against the evils of political patronage,
it has made many notable advances.
The Civil Service Commission and its
staff have devoted themselves assidu-
ously to the public business and have
endeavored conscientiously to observe
the statutes and orders that have been
laid down for their guidance. The
commission has achieved its greatest
success in the administration Of open
competitive examinations in the lower
| grades Of the service. It has pioneered
| in personnel research and efficiency
rating Its new series OF general-pur-
pose examinations for recent college
graduates to fill positions at the
bottom Of the career ladder was q
marked step forward and has resulted
in improved recruitment for positions
requiring general ability and capacity
for development.
Nevertheless, the existing civi
service system is poorly adapted tt
meet the larger responsibility Of serv.
ing as central personnel agency fol
q vast and complicated governmental
administration in which there are
over 100000 civilian employees"
EOR this reason the committee sug
gested the reorganization of tn.
commission into a civil service ad
ministration, with single executive
officer, to be known as the civil service
administrator, and non-Salariet
board Of seven members appointed b,
the President. The administrator, de-
clared the committee, should be Sc
lected on a competitive, non-partisa1
basis by a special examining boare
designated by the Civil Service Boare
and should be appointed by the Presi'
dent, with the advice and consent O.
the Senate" from the three highest
candidates passing the examination
conducted to fill the post.
Under the present system there are
three civil service commissioners. They
are Harry B. Mitchell, the president, 6
Democrat from Montana; Mrs. Lucille
Foster McMillin, widow of the late
Governor of Tennessee. who was alse
Minister to Peru and Chile during his