Evening star., 1939-06-05
Teeth for Rule
On Promotion
Is Urged
Civil Service Body
Suggests Penalty
For Violations

Promotion regulations with teeth"
have been urged on the Civil Serv-
ice Commission by the Council of
Personnel Administration, it was
disclosed last night when DR.. Fred
erick M. Davenport, chairman of the
council. made public a letter to the
commission offering suggestions on
the tentative civil service improve
ment program to be developed under
President Roosevelt's orders of last
June.
Discipline or dismissal are recon-
mended for violation of the law,
rules or regulations, in cases of pro-
motion. In pressing for further
guarantee that this shall be carried
out, the councils letter recommends
that:
I'm the event of any continued
violation for 10 days after such rec
ommendation. the commission shall
certify the facts to the proper dis
bursing and auditing officers, and
such officers shall not pay or allow
the salary or wages thereafter accru-
ing Of the person or persons liable
to discipline or dismissal" The
provision is ambiguous as to whether
the employe, his supervisor. or both
should be punished.
Four Points Suggested.
An acceptable promotion plan
DR.. Davenport suggested should pro-
vide at least four cardinal points:
"(a) Competition among en-
ployes.
"(b) An administrative means of
providing qualified employees for
necessary positions.
"tc) 1t should be based on merit.
I'D 1t should provide for ad-
vancement from within as far as
practicable"
The council suggested that the
term promotion should be clearly
defined, and recommended the fol-
lowing:
"A promotion under the provisions
of the commissions promotion regu-
latlons is considered to be the ad-
vancement from one class of posi-
ton to a higher class of position,
regardless of whether or not such
position is covered by the Classical
ton Act of 1928, as amended
Division of responsibility between
the commission and the interested
department or agency should also
be clearly defined, according to the
council.
Dismissal Provided.
To set up this line of distinction,
DR.. Davenport proposed f1ve-point
program, including the one providing
teeth" of discipline or dismissal.
This recommendation with teeth"
says:
THE commission shall, if it finds
that any employe has been promoted
to any position in violation of civil
service law, rules or regulations,
after notice to the person promoted
and the person or persons actively
and directly responsible, and oppor-
tunity for explanation, certify the
facts to the proper appointing officer
with specific recommendations for
discipline or dismissal, and such
appointing officer shall carry out the
recommendations The plan also
provides for the further action of
cutting off pay in case of continued
violation.
The councils suggestions propose
that the commission shall initiate,
supervise and enforce system for
promotion, under the Civil Service
Act.
Competitive Examination.
The commission also should hold
competitive occupational promo
ton examinations for general classes
of position common to more than
one department or agency
Departments and agencies would
be authorized to conduct other
competitive promotion examinations,
under rules approved by the COM
mission.
The commission would conduct
promotion examinations and certify
names of those eligible for promo
ton in those departments and
agencies that do not fulfill the re-
sponsibility or that do not maintain
the standards prescribed by the
commission.
No more than one examination
should be given an employe for pro-
motion.
Five elements would be set up for
promotion: Service rating, educa-
ton and experience, written or per-
formance test, oral examination and
any other form of test meeting the
requirements of objectivity approved
by the commission.
The councils letter was sent to
the commission in response to d
commission memorandum of May 3.