Evening star., 1938-09-25
BUREAUS BATTLE
/. TO RETAIN THEIR
POLITICAL P[UMS
Agencies Fight to- Exempt
Them From Inclusion in
Civil Service.
DEADLINE APPROACHES
FOR FILING OF LISTS
Determined Efforts Said to Be
Made to Keep Attorneys
From Classification.
BY ]. A. FOX.

Government establishments are put
ting up vigorous fight to retain con-
troll of their principal political plums"
despite the move by President Roose-
welt to bring under civil service as
many as possible of the positions now
exempt.
This developed yesterday as the
deadline neared for the departments
and independent agencies to file with
the Civil Service Commission list of
the places they want to keep outside
of civil service when the expanded
classification becomes effective Febru-
ary /.
Under President Roosevelts order Of
June "a these suggested exemptions
were to be laid before the commission
by last midnight, and as late returns
came in it was said at the commission
that there was decided tendency in
evidence throughout the executive
agencies to keep good jobs that are on
a patronage basis right in that cate
CORY.
The Presidents order specified that
all places not exempt from civil service
by statute should be brought under
except policy-determining positions
and other positions which special cir
cumstances require should not be ex-
cepted."
Not Too Popular.
This was construed to mean the
oosts at the top, such as principal
cabinet aides and those of a confiden-
tial nature-personal secretaries, for
example. Government offlcialdom in
general, however-there are excep-
tlons. of courSe-is not seeing the
matter in that light.
They did not object to putting the
loWer-paid places under civil service,
it was said, but when it comes to those
IN the higher grades an abrupt about
face is executed. The confidential"
angle has been worn to thread"
by those seeking to take advantage
Of its protection, it was said by one
official, and there are representations
equally as emphatic in behalf of other
groups
A particularly determined effort, it
was said, is being made to keep attorney
positions outside of civil service. At
present, these employees are under the
competitive system only in the Inter-
state Commerce Commission, the Fed
eral Communications Commission,
Veterans Administration and EN-
ployes' Compensation Commission. In
the Treasury, there is an agreement
that only those persons will be ap-
pointed attorneys as high as grade 4,
who meet certain standards, and all
attorneys must be members of the bar.
Elsewhere there have been other
standards, and until the last Congress
stepped in and broke up the practice,
the Justice Department was appoint
ing to legal posts persons who were
not in fact attorneys.
F. B. /. Seeks Exemption.
One unit seeking to remain outside
OF civil service, it was reported, is the
Federal Bureau of Investigation, al
though other policing agencies of the
Government are satisfied by civil serv-
ice workers.
One principal contention advanced
by those seeking exceptions is that
civil service examinations could not
meet their needs. Another argument
IS that they cannot obtain the sort of
personnel desired under civil service.
one of the larger New Deal agencies
asserting blandly that "it is we'll rec
ognized that the kind of people you
want won't take civil service exami-
nations"
While at the time the Presidents s
order was issued in June it was said
that 100000 of approximately 100000
exempt positions would be eligible for
classification, the Civil Service Com
mission has no idea yet as to the
number that eventually will be rec
ommended for inclusion in the COM
petitive service.
Law Digest Completed.
THE Commission has completed one
step in the program, having prepared
a digest of the laws governing ap-
pointment of personnel in every es-
tablishment. Tomorrow, two men will
be assigned to compilation of a re-
port embodying the recommendations
Of each agency. With this before it.,
the Commission will h9keady to formu-
lste its suggestions to the President
oh the units to get the new status
which will be obtained through non-
competitive examination.
1t has been made clear that the
Commission will urge that the Presi-
dents order get as wide a latitude
as possible, and that the same policy
Be followed with regard to lifting
statutory exemptions which are due
to be the subject of legislation in the
next Congress.