Evening star., 1938-09-14
Senator Tells AT. .G.E. Time
Has Come for a Fixed,
Definite Set.up.
WORKERS IN FIELD a
WOULD BE INCLUDED
Spoils Practices Are Condemned.
Move for Minimum Wage
Of 81 800 Pressed.
BY J. o. FOX,
Star Stan CORRESPONDENT.

CHICAGO, Sept. 14.-Scoring the
American civil service system as
sham" and patchwork" Senator
Walsh, Democrat, of Massachusetts,
today told the American Federation Of
Government Employees that the time
has come to revamp the law to provide
"a fixed, definite system of civil
service"
Our fight is for an honest -to-God
merit system, up and down the line"
the Massachusetts Senator told ap-
plauding delegates to the seventh an.
nual convention.
Such legislation, Senator Walsh said,
would deal specifically with promo-
tions. pay and other employment bene.
fits and be equally applicable to work.
ers in Washington and the field-ths
latter class not now being subject to
the classification act.
SpOils Practices Scored.
Senator Walsh condemned the spoils
practices that have prevailed in Con-
gress for the last five years, although
he conceded that the need for Jobs,
born of the depression, had been a
material factor in creating the con-
ditions Of which he spoke
Telling the delegates that 'it has
been a desperate, uphill battle to get
in any civil service" he recalled that
the defeat of one Humanitarian"
measure was threatened IF one line Of
civil service was written in it,"
He laid this threat at the door Of
zone branch of Congress which openly
avowed that they don't believe in
civil service" but went into no further
details.
To improve civil service the speaker
said it will be necessary for employe
organizations to educate the public
and Congress.
Reviews Meager Bill Fight.
Senator Walsh reviewed briefly his
fight last session against the reorgani-
zation bill proposal to replace the
Civil Service Commission with a single
administrator, reiterating that the po-
litical implications of the plan con-
stituted a threat to civil service.
After hearing Senator Walsh. the
convention turned to consideration OF
committee reports and discussion Of
the legislation program to be urged in
the next Congress.
A wide range of employment bene-
fits sought by the various groups
making up the federation member
ship were embodied in the report of
the Legislative Committee, ready to
be offered for adoption, but chief of
these were the items to which the
organization has been committed for
several years: $500 minimum wage:
5-day, 35-hour- week; classification
for field employees; lberalized retire.
ment. and further extension OF civil
service to excepted positions.
The commission disposed Of one
source Of controversial least for the
time being-late yesterday, by turn
ing down, after lengthy debate, a
proposal to elect vice presidents by
the vote of their district representa-
tives rather than by the convention
as whole
Urged strongly by a group led by
the New York delegation, the plan
was beaten on standing vote and
then on a roll call. Supporters
declared the change in procedure
would serve to stir up more local in
terest in the federation. c. Grant
F'rick of Brooklyn Navy Yard, a for.
mer vice president and principal pro-
ponent, emphasized this feature in
urging adoption, asserting that while
the federation had added $4,000 mem
bers in the past year, $4,000 others
had dropped out.
Glass Silenced in Council.
The convention voted to deprive
David r. Glass Of Washington. char
ter president and one Of the pioneers
in the federation, of a voice on the
floor and in the executive council.
after previously vetoing plan to
give him q vote in the council. Since
his designation as charter president.
three years ago, Mr.. Glass, a former
vice president, who Is on the head
quarters staff Of the federation, has
been eligible to participate in the
council deliberations, but without vote,
The federation decided to end the
practice of holding annual conven-
tions in 1889, and will get together
biennially thereafter.
The roll Of delegates had an unus-
ual addition yesterday when Repre-
sentative Paul shafer, Republican, Of
Michigan, a member of the House
District Committee, was seated from
the lodge in Battle Creek. Repre-
sentative Shafer joined the A. F. G.E.
while a deputy United States marshal
in Detroit and has kept up his mem.
bership.