Evening star., 1939-11-02
Preference
For Veterans
|s0ppo!sed
Held 'Unfuir' and
Stumbling Block
In Civil Service
RY ]. A. FOX.

BY ]. A. FOX.
The preferential status accorded
veterans for Government employ
ment was raped as unfair" and a
stumbling block" to the develop
ment Of Civil Service, by witnesses
testifying today before the Presi-
dents Committee on Civil Service
Improvement.
H. Eliot Kaplan of New York,
executive secretary of the National
Civil Service Reform League, said
existing preference laws would
work havoc" with the program
with which the committee Is con-
cerned-the building of Government
employment into career service by
bringing higher grade positions into
the competitive service.
Veterans as q class now get q s.
point preference for appointment
and disabled veterans get 10 points
and go to the top Of employment
registers.
Mr.. Kaplan said he would favor a
return to the plan in vogue in the
Harding administration when these
additions to the ratings earned in
, examinations applied only when the
veterans made passing marks. Now
they may be used to bring marks up
M passing grade if necessary.
: He said the system is unfair to the
public and unfair to the veterans"
- Mrs. Baldwin Objects.
The other critic was Mrs. Harris
Baldwin. vice president of the Ma
tional league of Women Voters.
I'VE believe that all appointments
and promotions should be made on
the basis Of ability to do the work
and that no group of citizens should
be given special preferences nor
should any group of citizens be dis
Acriminated against"
Mrs. Baldwin was sharply ques-
toned by Gen. r. E. Wood, chairman
OF the board of Sears-Roebuck, who
u member of the committee.
my understanding is that you are
against giving any preference at all
TO veterans" he questioned. When
Mrs. Baldwin, said she wouldn't go
that far" Gen. Wood continued:
Don't you think that a man who
goes out for SIS or $50 a month for
q couple of years is entitled to some
prefenence?" Mrs. Baldwin insisted,
however, that she wouldn't agree"
to that principle. but said that she
did believe in preference for dis
abled veterans
Puts Blame on Congress.
Mr.. Kaplan also told the commit
tee, which is meeting ut the Supreme
Court Building under the CHAIR
rhAnshtp Of Justice Stanley, Reed,
that hesbelieves that many of the
shortcomings Of the present civil
service system are traceable to "the
lowbrow attitude" of Congress, of
which he said too often viewed Fed
eral employment as a method ito
catch votes rather than a means of
building up career service"
Lee Somers, representing the
American Federation of Government
Employees; told the committee that
the federation ''has heard reports
Of movement under way to bring
the Understanding graduates of
colleges and universities into the
civil service system without exam
nation" and that, while he did not
know how much truth there was to
this rumor, the federation opposed
such a plan.
Luther c. Steward. president of
the National Federation of Federal
Employees, said that principal
fault of the Federal service is that
there is no place where information
Is available on the qualifications of
those already in service who might
be considered for transfer or promo
ton when opportunities presented
themselves.
Organizations Heard.
Spokesmen of employe organiza-
tions, and from Government ranks
were In the list of witnesses yester-
day as the hearing opened.
Jacob Baker, president of the
United Federal Workers of America,
said the move to make the higher
positions - professional, technical
and administrative-subject to COM
petition is ''the greatest single force
for the improvement of civil serv-
Ice"
D. w. Robinson, general counsel
tor the Federal Power Commission,
said that establishment sis opposed
to any change which would sub
stantially alter the present law" un-
der which the commission has free
rein In selecting attorneys, examin-
ers and experts-such as engineers
and accountants.
& Wilbur c. Pickett of the Federal
Bar Association said that group
"favors the maximum possible ex-
tension Of civil service"
Alexander Corchine of the Feder-
alton of Architects, Engineers,
Chemists and Technicians said en-
phasis should be laid on the prac-
tical experience of personnel re-
cruited for this service.
Flat Requirement Opposed.
Will Shafroth of Ann Arbor,
Mich, chairman of the Section on
Legal Education of the American
Bar Association, said he would not
favor q flat requirement" that Gov
ernment lawyers come from schools
approved by the American Bar As
sociation, but that "they should be
graduates of some law school"
All the members Of the committee
were on hand for the opening, in
cluding in addition to Justices Reed
and Frankfurter, Attorney General
Murphy, Gen. r. E. Wood, chairman
of Sears -Roebuck; Gano Dunn, New
York Engineer; DR.. Leonard D.
White, former member Of the Civil
Service Commission. and William