Evening star., 1938-02-25
0RDWAY ATTACKS
PERSONNEL PLAN
Civil Service Commissioner
Protests Byrnes Bill Pat
ronage Provis0s.

With the Byrnes bill to reorganize
the executive agencies of the Gov |
ernment due up in the Senate today, !
Samuel H. Ordway, jr., Republican |
member of the Civil Service Commis- |
sion, last night attacked the broad |
grant OF power that would be con-
ferred' on the Office of Civil Service |
Administrator which is proposed to |
supplant the Civil Service Commits
sion.
THE Brynes bill" he said in a let |
ter to President Roosevelt, gives to |
the administrator uncontrolled dis
cretion by fiat change of rule. to meet
the pressure for patronage at will
''The grant OF that discretion de-
stroys hope for an efficient merit
system"
In an unusual procedure. Commits
sioner Ordway distributed the letter
for publication in pamphlet form.
Wants Strengthening.
He raped also the failure of the
Byrnes bill to prescribe definite pro-
cedure for improving personnel meth
DDS, and accompanied his criticisms of
the measure with specific recon-
mendations for strengthening.
Commissioner Ordway explained
that his protest to the President was
occaSioned by the action of the Sem
ate in disregarding the measure which
had been drawn up by the BroWnlow
Committee on reorganization to carry
out its recommendations which were
formulated for and approved by the
President more than a year ago, and
drafting its own bill
The Brownlow Committee proposed
the substitution of a single admin
tstrator for the bipartisan Civil Serv-
ice Commission, but provided that
this official should be chosen by COM
petitive examination devised by a
civil service advisory board; under the
bill sponsored by Senator Byrnes,
Democrat. of South Carolina, chair
ganization, the selection is made po-
litical-appointment by the President
and confirmation by the Senate.
Transfers Power.
The Brownlow plan would have re-
tanned in the President the right to
make civil service rules; the Byrnes
bill transfers this power to the ad-
ministrator.
THE rules should indeed be ini-
tiated by the central agency" said
Commissioner Ordway. They contain
the CUTS Of civil service. They provide
the detailed methods Of examining.
rating and certifying. of transferring,
promoting and reinstating. In ac-
cordance with strictness or looseness
OF these provisions of the rules, the
merit system may be enforced or
avoided. Therein lies the danger.
Pressure comes upon civil service
administrators whenever they have
discretion to alter basic procedure.
Questions come in this form: Is my
constituent ruled out because OF some
thing fixed in the law, or by some
thing within your discretion?' If the
latter Is the case, there follows refer
ence to the Appropriations Committee,
political sense, national chairmen,
tormulae Of pressure.
Suggests Solution.
The sound solution of the prob
lem Of rule-making appears to be to
place the initiative upon the central
agency to present proposed changes in
rules to the Chief Executive for his
approval or disapproval,. so that dis
cretion to relax safeguards does not lie
alone in the central agency"
While Mr.. Ordway favors the ad-
ministrator plan. he declared that |
whether personnel was administered
by this method or through commits |
sion "is less important than inclusion |
in the law of provisions which will |
protect and assure effective admins
tration."
In criticizing the Byrnes bill for |
failing to be specific on personnel ad- |
ministration, Commissioner Ordway
says this operation involves both |
central and departmental functions
which are separable and must not be
confused If a sound national person.
mel program is to be achieved.
'The central agency must function
to eliminate duplication and conflict
Of positions, recruitment, examination,
certification, transfer and reinstate-
ment, and administration of retire.
ment.
"The departments and agencies
must function in the management of
their own personnel. Assignment, su-
pervision, training promotion, safety.
morale building and hearing of
grievances are local personnel func-
tions which should be within the juris-
diction Of the responsible (though CO.
ordinating) departments and estab-
lishments. These are functions of pro-
fessional personnel directors in each
establishment, answerable to the head
thereof
Lacking in Byrnes Bill.
The Brownlow report recommends
this vital division of functions. The
Byrnes bill does not direct or define
this division. There Is at most the
piou hope an administrator, without
express authority, may somehow ad-
duce the needed result"
Improved personnel methods that
would make adequate provision for re-
cruiting, competitive promotion, trans
fer, reinstatement and appeal, under
smcient supervisory machinery am ad-
vocated by Commissioner Ordway, who
emphasizes also that to carry out such
. program, increased appropriations
viii be needed.
Absence of requisite appropriations
from year to year has made effective
administration of the civil service law
impossible" he said.
Explaining he felt that his sugges-
tions embodied minimum requisites
Of effective personnel legislation" Mr..
Ordway said he believed it would be
better to abandon the plan to create
civil service administrator than
10 proceed under the Byrnes bill.
The provisions Of that measure to ex-