Evening star., 1938-12-09
Public HEARINGS
On Civil Service
Planned
Six Municipal Officers
To Study Objections
To Separate Unit
BY DON S. WARREN.

4 BY DON S. WARREN.
5 Public hearings on the proposed
establishment of a separate civil
service system for the entire District
government establishment were
planned today by the Commissioners
as they appointed a committee of six
municipal officers to consider specific
objections to the plan raised by the
Federal Civil Service Commission
and local school authorities.
The Commissioners made public
statement from the Civil Service
Commission listing eight specific OBJ
jections to the bill as drawn late last
session, in which it was indicated by
the Federal agency that it prefers to
have District employees brought un-
der its control instead of co-operat-
ing with the District under a sep
arate administration plan.
This communication was forward
ed to the Commissioners September
Is by Acting Budget Bureau Di-
rector D. w. Bell, who withheld his
report pending study of the objec-
tions.
To Study Objections.
The Commissioners named COM
mittee consisting of Maj Daniel j.
Donovan, District auditor and chair
man of the District Personnel Board,
as chairman, and Corporation Coun-
sci ElWood H. Seal, Chester Gray,
assistant corporation counsel: Geof-
frey Thornett, Commissioners sec
retary: Guy Pearson. chief clerk of
the Engineer Department, and John
j. Mcdonald, representing the Dis
trict government unit of the Amer
ican Federation of Government En-
ployes.
This group is to study all objec-
tions raised and to attempt to rec
oncile different views, and possibly
to recommend revision of the pro-
posed bill. However, the Commits
Sioners gave no indication of any
decision to abandon their hopes for
a separate municipal civil service
system.
One of the major objections raised
by the Federal Commission, it was
disclosed in the correspondence
made public today, is that the pro-
posed bill leaves in the hands of
the three District Commissioners
the combined power of appointment
and final civil service regulation.
Some members of the newly
appointed committee, who immedi-
ately started study of the questions,
suggested that the answer to this
objection may lie in revision which
would have the Commissioners ap-
point group of citizens to consti-
tute the proposed District Civil
Service Commission, which would
have full authority to administer
the proposed act. 1t was said this
plan would correspond to the pres
ent Federal set-up, under which the
President appoints the members of
the Federal Civil Service Commits
sion, which administers the Federal
act.
On this point the communication
signed by Lucille Foster McMillin
acting president of the Federal Civil
oCl VIC Sdlu.
THE proposed bill seeks to regu-
late the power of the appointing
authority. 1t then proceeds to adopt
policy that is unique in civil
service legislation, namely, that the
appointing authority and the final
civil service regulatory agency shall
be the same, consisting in each in
stance of the three District Com
missioners. This is characteristic of
organizations exempt from the merit
system and that desired to estab-
lish personnel departments of their
own, but it is not the merit system
That is based on the recognized
policy of having a Civil Service
Commission independent of the ap-
pointing authorities
Preference for ID. c. Residents.
One of the aims of the Commits
sioners in listing the proposed bill
as one of the measures they urgent
ly" requested be adopted, was to
establish system under which
bona fide District residents have
been given preference for District
jobs under its program of certify
ing persons eligible for District ap-
pointments.
Some District officials argued,
however, that, while there is a sepa-
rate act for a merit system for
District policemen and firemen, can
didates from any State in the Union
may compete on a parity with resi-
dents of the District of Columbia.
Under the original plan, filed with
the Budget Bureau last June, the
police and fire departments and
school teachers, who also have their
own merit system, would be brought
under the proposed new municipal
civil service
The Commissioners revealed today
that school authorities had raised
objection to being brought within
the proposed District civil service
system, indicating they preferred
the present arrangement.
It was reported that request had
been made that the employees of the
free Public Library of the District
and those of the District Employ
ment Compensation Commission be
tho ,1o,,