Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1938-11-02
Merit System Evasion
Charged 10 Nice in
Baltimore Talk
Political Turnover
Destroyed Efficiency,
Candidate Claims
BY j. A. O'LEARY,
Star Stan Correspondent.

BALTIMORE, Md, Nov. 2.-The
Nice administration was charged
with evading the merit system in
the handling of the States person.
mel by Herbert r. OConor as he
pushed ahead with his campaign
as Democratic nominee for Cover
nor, in and around this city.
AT one point last night the rival
contenders for the governorship
were speaking simultaneously in
different parts of the same build
ing, but they did not meet. Mr..
O'Conor arrived at Pythian Temrie
to address Democratic mass meet
ing, while Gov Nice was speaking
to another gathering just across
the hallway.
Il suppose ought to be modera ate
in what I say Mr. O'Conor began,
because understand the Governor
OF the State Is under this very roof.
And the next Governor of MARYLAND
Is in this room" he added.
Earlier in the evening the Demo-
cratic nominee had attacked .lle
Republican administrations han
ding of personnel at a gathering Of
1000 voters of Howard County in
the Ellicott City High School,
Ends % County Tour.
The Ellicott City meeting was the
final stop in the Democratic tour
OF the % counties outside of Balti-
more and, in speaking at three city
meetings later in the evening, Mr..
O'Conor predicted the Democratic
ticket will win in the counties as
we'll as in the city. The largest of
the city meetings was at Dundalk.
where more than 1000 listeners
greeted him.
In his Ellicott City speech, which
was broadcast. Attorney General
O'Conor asserted that the political
appointees of Gov. Nice completely
ignored in many cases State rules
requiring that classified employees
be given notice of the specific cause
of their dismissal and afforded an
opportunity to be heard before Tie
State Employment Commissioner.
Classified employees were simply
told by the department heads Sc
lected by Gov. Nice that their jobs
belonged to the Republican party
and would be filled by members of
that party" Mr.. O'Conor declared
Says Pay-Cut Strategy Adopted.
He charged that later the STRAIT
egg of the administration of Gov
Nice then changed to the evasive
practice of reducing salaries of ex-
listing employees to sums so low that
they could not afford to remain in
the State service"
Another indefensible practice
which was resorted to-" Mr.. O'Conor
continued, lin order to break
through the barrier which had been
so wisely established in the law was
to set up new classiflcations for po-
sitions involving substantially the
same duties as those of existing
classlflcatlons. so as to furnish ar
excuse for laying off efficient EN-
ployes on the ground that their po-
sitions had been discontinued
Quoting from reports of the
State employment commissioner. Mr.
OConor said that for the fiscal
year ending in September, 1896, the
first complete fiscal year of the Nice
administration. there were ATS
classified positions, and during that
year new appointments to the serv-
ice had numbered 2,347, with 2.12C
separations.
At the end of the next fiscal year
he continued, the total number OF
employees was 4.496 and during that
year there had been 2,133 new ap-
polntments and 1916 separations.
Sees Efficiency Hampered.
obviously he observed, ANY Or
ganlzatlon which has a turnover in
personnel approximating nearly So
per cent of the total number of
positions during each year is not
functloning with a satisfactory de-
gree of efficiency"
In conclusion, Mr.. O'Conor prom
lsed to abolish positions, to appoint
only qualified persons, to provide
adequate and reasonable salaries. to
encourage promotions in the service
to give all employees the protection
OF the merit system law, to bring
Unemployment Compensation Board
employees into the merit system, and
10 establish a new retirement and
pension system for State employees
The Democratic candidates, in
Guiding Senator Tydings. will con-
tlnue their city campaign with an
other group of neighborhood rallies
tonight.