Evening star., 1938-12-11
Officials 10 Study
Plans for D. T..
Civil Service
Municipal Committee
To Redruft Bill to
Meet Objections

the entire subject.
Unless the work of redrafting the
measure requires a longer period.
the Commissioners plan to hold
public hearings early in January,
but Commissioner Hazen explained
yesterday the date would depend on
progress made by the committee.
While there has been rather wide
support given to the general pro-
posal to extend the merit system in
the municipal establishment,
number Of specific objections to tho
original draft of the bill have been
offered by the United States Civil
Service Commission and others.
Teachers, Librarians Protest.
Authorities of the public school
system and the Free Public Library
have protested against substitution
of the proposed new plan for the
separate merit systems for teachers
and the stats of the libraries, which
have been in operation for many
years. Comment among District
oficials yesterday indicated support
for this position and it appeared
likely the committee would recon-
mend that the new bill be drafted
50 as to leave the school and library
merit systems undisturbed.
Members Of the committee are
Maj. Daniel J. Donovan, auditor,
and chairman Of the District Per-
sonnel Board, committee chairman;
Corporation Counsel Elwood H. Seal,
Assistant Corporation Counsel Ches-
ter Gray, Geoffrey Thornett, secre-
tary to the Board of Commission
ers: Guy Pearson, chief clerk of the
Engineer Department. and John J.
Mcdonald. representing the District
unit Of the American Federation of
Government Employees.
Bill Starting Point.
The original bill, drafted last
June. was considered by the Com
missioners as starting point. 1t
was submitted to the Budget Bureau
then in hope that it might be intro
duced in Congress to bring the SUBJ
ject to official attention, but the
Commissioners explained they had
no thought it would be adopted in
the last days of the past session.
The Budget Bureau, in fact, delayed
action to await comments from the
Civil Service Commission, which
were made public Friday.
The prime reason for offering the
bill last June was that Congress had
directed new study be made of the
various proposals for reorganization
of the District government. District
omcials said they thought 1t timely
to bring up the municipal civil
service suggestion for definite con-
sideration. The survey of reorgani-
zation plans now is about to be con-
cluded by the firm Of Grifnnhagen
& Associates.
District officials generally have
disavowed any thought of again at
tempting to gain power of control
over the administration of either
the school or library systems. Com
missioner Hazen said yesterday:
we were convinced about three
years ago that the public wished the
administration OF the schools and
the libraries to be left with the
civilian boards now in control of
their operation. You remember we
thereafter directed that our bill to
broaden the powers of the Commits
sloners be redrafted to eliminate all
controversial matters. That was done
and so far as know that question
has been settled"
No Provision for Tests.
The merit system for the public
schools applies to the 5000 or more
teachers, and appointments to the
library service are controlled bv
merit tests under the direction of
the Board of Library Trustees, in
accord with powers conferred upon
1t by Congress. Under separate act,
civil service requirements and pro-
lection are given to the 1,50O mem
bers and employees of the police de-
partment and to the 900 employees of
the fire department.
More than 1000 other municinal
employees, however, have no civil
service standing, although since 1880
new positions must be filled from the
eligible lists Of the Civil Service
Commission, except for certain
exempt classes such as department
heads and certain professional EN-.
ployes. The executive order provid-
ing for this informal arrangement,
however. permits appointments to
be made without regard to the plan
when there are no eligibles on the
lists. The Federal agency can not
hold special examinations, as no
funds are provided for this purpose.
Separate Body Likely.
In its comments on the original
draft Of the proposed bill, the Fed
eral agency stressed that control
over the planned merit system would
have been lodged with the District
Commissioners, who also hold the
general powers Of appointments. It
added that this would be contrary
to a real merit system.
Indications were given by District
omciaS that this provision of the
bill would be changed. There vas
. suggestion that q substitute plan
might call for the appointment by
the Commissioners of q municipal
civil service commission, to consist
Of District residents, which would
have full control over administra.
ton Of the proposed merit system.
Commissioner Hazen has instruct
ed the committee to give careful
consideration to each objection and
suggestions for changes in the orig
inal bill and to survey all ramifica-
tions Of the effect of the plan.