Evening star., 1938-06-03
D. c. CIVIL SERVICE
PLAN IS BEFORE
BUDGET BUREAU.
Approval Is Sought So Bill
Can Be introduced
at This Session.
WOULD BE CONSIDERED
IN ORGANIZATION STUDY
Commissioners Vote Backing for
Measure to Include All Present
District Merit set.ups.
BY DON S. WARREN.

, 4lCbSNo SlN1 NlSC oyopClll 1Ol JIlC
District government.
If the Budget Bureau approves, they
hope to have it introduced at this
session, so it may be brought officially
to the attention of congressional lead
ers and their experts who now are
studying various proposals for reor-
ganization of the municipal govern
ment. With no action this session,
the bill would be reintroduced at the
next session.
The Commissioners approved the
form Of the bill as drafted by Chester
H Gray, assistant corporation coun-
sci, and recommended by Corporation
Counsel Elwood H. Seal
Include Present Set-ups.
AS the bill is drawn, school teachers,
firemen and policemen, now having
their own merit system, would be made
subject to the new law, which would
apply to the entire District personnel
The law would cover the selection, ap-
pointment, transfer, promotion, demo-
tion, suspension or dismissal of
employees of the District, subject to
the provisions of the act and rules
and regulations which the Commits
sioners would be authorized to adopt.
The bill does not provide for exemp-
ton of any of the department heads
or any other special class of District
officials, except those appointed for
definite terms of Office, such as the
three Commissioners. In fact. the bill
proposes to repeal the law providing
for the appointment of the District
surveyor for definite term of four
years, and that provision would be
subject to the merit system.
However, the Commissioners would
be given authority to suspend the merit
law provision in cases of vacancies
where peculiar and exceptional quail
fications of scientific, professional OF
educational character" are required of
an official and where the Commits
sioners have satisfactory evidence that
competition for the job would be im-
practicable and that it would be best
to appoint to the job some designated
person of high and recognized at
tainment. In such cases, the Com
missioners would have to note their
decisions and the reasons therefore, in
the official record.
Department of Personnel.
The bill calls for the creation in
the District government of a Depart
ment of Personnel which would ad-
minister the municipal civil service
1t would be headed by director, who
would be appointed by the Commits
sioners for a term of IS years, and
who could be removed from office only
for "malfeasance." The purpose of
this would be to remove the director
rs far as possible from any political
pressure.
h.. The person appointed as director
would have had to be bonaflde resi-
dent of the District for five years i'm
mediately preceding his appointment.
His salary would be governed by the
provisions of the Classification Act.
The bill also provides for the crea-
ton of a Board of Civil Service Ap-
peals, to consist of three municipal
officials, appointed by the Commits
sioners, and who would serve without
additional pay. The decisions of the
Board of Appeal, in any test of the
decisions of the Department of Per-
sonnel, would be final" unless specif-
ically set aside by the Commissioners.
d. c. Area Residents Favored.
First call for any appointments to
o District job would go to persons who
could show they had been residents
of the District for three years, or
resident of the metropolitan area
a territory included within a 12-mile
radius of the United States Capitol
for a similar period Outsiders"
could be appointed to District jobs If
the United States Civil Service Com
mission certified there was no ap-
proved applicant from the District or
the metropolitan area, but this would
not bar the possibility of some qualified
person in the District service from
being transferred to the vacant posi-
ton.
Bona fide residents of the District
would have 10 points added to their
earned rating, on examinations, to
give them preference over residents
of the States. Veterans and their de,
pendents also would be given the Gus.
tomary 10 per cent added credit, so
that the veterans resident of the Dis
trict would have a 20 per cent ad-
vantage in competitive examinations.
The bill states long list of "car-
dinal principles" set up to govern the
actions of the Commissioners and the
Department of Personnel. One Of
these is:
NO person in the service of the
District is for that reason under any
oohgation to contribute to any political
FUNDS or to render any political serv-
ices, and he will not, be removed or
otherwise prejudiced for refusing to
do so.
mo person in the service of the
District of Columbia government has
any right to use his official authority
or influence to coerce the political
action OF any person or body"
The examinations would be open
and competitive and would be "prac-
tical in character" Vacancies would
be filled by persons selected according
to examination grades from among
those graded highest" Another of
the cardinal principles" states:
vacancies in positions shall be
nlled, so far as practicable, by pro-
motion from among persons holding
positions in lower grade in the de-
partment, office or institution in which
the, vacancy exists. Promotions shalt
be based upon merit and competition,
ana upon the superior qualifications of
the person promoted as shown by his
previous service. due weight being
given to seniority"