Evening star., 1938-01-18
RAMSPECK URGES
CIVIL SERVICE BILL
Vast Economies and Greater
Efficiency Would Follow,
Forum Speaker Says.

OF the National BrOadcaSting Co.:
Fifty-five years ago. on January l6
1883, an act Of Congress was signed
providing for civil service or merit
system Of selecting certain employees
Of the Federal Government. It has
become customary to celebrate this
anniversary each year and this week
Is the time set aside for the 1898 cele-
bration.
am grateful to The Washington
Star for this invitation to appear upon
the National Radio Forum using the
facilities Of the National Broadcasting
Co. which include q Nation-w
chain Of broadcasting stations. In a
Nation like ours where popular opin-
ion eventually crystallizes into policies
Of government, do not think we can
commend too strongly those who fur
nish An opportunity for information
to our citizens. That Is what The
Washington Star is doing through its
National Radio Forum and I feel that
1t Is rendering a valuable service to our
people.
Importance OF Question.
Through the celebration OF Civil
Service Week, am hopeful that the
attention OF the people of our Nation
may be turned to this most important
question. hope that they may come
to have q better understanding of its
importance, not only to the taxpayers,
but to every citizen Of the Nation as
WELL No doubt there are many who
have thought that the method Of .se-
lecting those who work for the Gov
ernment does not concern them. How
ever. believe that 1t is of the utmost
concern to every citizen because today
what the Federal Government does
Affects the daily life, happiness and
welfare OF the people in every section
Of the United States. ="
My experience with State, county
and city governments. with the spoils
system and the merit system, covers
= period OF many years.
Effects Of Changes.
While working In the county court
house saw experienced employees
leave their positions to be replaced by
inexperienced employees because the
elective onicial under whom they
served was defeated. I saw the work
OF the county suffer not from lack Of
diligence on the part of the employees
particularly, but because OF the mex
perience Of the new persons appointed
~ the newly elected official.
When came to Washington, I saw
the entire force Of the House post
ONCE displaced, although some mem
bers had been in the service for more
than Is years. The new force made
many errors while it was learning how
to discharge its duties 80
I have seen newly elected officials
create additional jobs in order that
persons who had assisted them In their
campaigns might be taken care
Of. 49,
some time ago was told by an
omc1al OF the Government of an Incl
dent happening in one OF the agencies
not under civil service which indicates
how the spoils system operates. In
this particular agency q reduction of
force was ordered. One Of the stenoe-
raphers walked into the office of the
person in charge and informed him
that she could not be fired. He re-
Piled that orders had come from WASH
1nston for the reduction of force and
that, while he regretted the necessity
FOR the action, her order OF dismissal
would stand. She told him that she
would see that the order was rescinded,
and she was as good as her word. for
within a very short time political
wires were pulled and an order came
down from higher up restoring this
young lady to her position.
Resents Creation Of Job.
A most interesting illustration in
vo1ving the creation of unnecessary
positions because the spoils system
permits such procedure recently came
TO my attention. A member of Con-
gress. who happens to be on the Ap-
propriations Committee, was interested
in securing q position for one Of his
constituents. He made Z request Of
one of the agencies not under civil
service for . place paying $1,000 per
year. A few days later he was ad-
vised that his constituent could have
q place paying $500 per year. The
Congressman stated to the agency that
such q position was not satisfactory
and was bluntly told that q position
paying more could not be provided
and that they wexe creating the job
mentioned for the purpose of satisfy
ing the Congressman anyway. Strange
a. it may seem, this Congressman re-
sented the creating of an unnecessary
position and refused to permit his con-
stituent to take the job.
Some time ago I talked with the
head of one Of our Government agen-
cies with reference to a vacancy in a
position which had always been filled
by political appointment, and urged
the promotion of a civil service en-
ploye who had been in the service
more than 80 years and who, since the
vacancy had occurred. had been acting
in the place Of the chief OF the bureau,
who had retired.
was informed by the ofhcial to
whom was talking that he had prom
ised this appointment to a certain
prominent politician and felt in duty
bound to carry out that promise
because the prominent politician had
frequently secured campaign contribu-
tions for the party.
Complaint Against System.
In the cases referred to I am not
complaining Of the oficials involved,
but I am indicting a system against
which they are helpless. So long As
the law permits these political ap-
pointments to be made, 1t Is impossible
for our officials to resist the demands
Of the spoils seekers.
It Is easy to understand the phi
losophy Of the spoils system. It is
simply this: You get me votes or
campaign contributions and I will get
you jobs.
As opposed to this method, I advo-
cate the merit system, generally called