Evening star., 1939-11-29

Delt, bill to reorganise the Dis
trict government was introduced
into Congress by Representative
Kennedy of Maryland just before
the end of last session. After close
study OF the bill during the past
fen months by kitchen cab
met of high-ranking District
oNcials,> Corporation Counsel
ElUood Seal submitted his otDn
plan for District reorganization.
BY DON S. WARREN.
Establishment of a full-fledged
municipal civil service system was
demanded today by several wit
nesses as hearings before the Com
missioners on the new plan for re-
| organization of the District gov.
ernment closed. The sessions, which
began Monday, were adjourned at
l pm
Coupled with approval OF the
general plan drawn by the Commits
sioners' Kitchen cabinet for ex-
tension Of the merit system to the
Districts employees, however, were
declarations from two leading wit
nesses that the section providing
for board of civil service appeals
should be redraWn to give the en-
ploye better break in contested
cases.
The witnesses on these points in
cluded Col. Charles I. Stengle, legis-
lative representative of the Ameri.
can Federation of Government EN-
ployes, and Maj. Campbell johnson,
who spoke as representative of the
Joint Citizens Committee of the
District, which includes leaders from
various organizations of colored resi-
dents. Both made the point that q
board of civil service appeals con-
sisting of three supervising officials
OF the city government and but two
representatives of the employees
would create the feeling, no matter
how fair the officials were, that the
board was loaded" against the en-
ploye.
Suggests Reversing Majority.
Maj. johnson suggested that the
majority be reversed, so that there
would be three employees and two
supervisory officials. Col Stengle,
who formerly served with the New
York Civil Service Commission and
also as member of Congress some
years ago. suggested other plans
under which representation by of
f1cials and employees be equal or
that representatives on each side
be given authority to select the odd
member
Aside from these points, there
were renewed demands for self
government for the District, for
keeping the jurisdiction over the
municipal hospitals in the Health
Department, for creation of a Dis
trict labor department and one
speaker protested against a provi.
sion in the so-called Seal plan for
reorganization which would author
ize the Commissioners to establish
or permit the establishment Of
restaurants in buildings under Dis
trict jurisdiction.
Commends Commissioners.
Col. Stengle began by commencing
the Commissioners on their patience
in listening to the thousands of
arguments that have been pre-
sented in the three days of the hear
ings. He also congratulated the
kitchen cabinet" for their display
of Intestinal fortitude in standing
up under the stress and storm of the
long debate" during which many
protests. have been made against
some of the committees proposals.
Col. Stengle paid stirring tribute
to President Roosevelt for his ad-
vocacy OF extension of the merit
system to all Government workers
except those holding policy-making
positions, and reminded the Com
mlssioners that a bill which will
come up at the next session of Con.
gress would authorize the President
TO bring into the merit system
groups of workers now exempted.
The draft of the bill by the
Kitchen cabinet" said Col. Stengle.
rs evidence that the Commissioners
have caught the spirit for the move
Tor extension Of the civil service
system. Such plan should take
the place of the haphazard order
issued some years ago by President
hoover that put you half in and
half out of the merit system" He
mad reference to the executive order
1or an arrangement between the
District Commissioners and the
civil Service Commission requiring
that new appointees should be taken
from the register of the Federal
agency where practicable.
Protest Job Invasion"
Making protest against the "in-
vaslon" OF persons from other iuris-
dlctlons who have landed Jobs in
the District government through
political influence, Col. Stengle in
sisted that a civil service system
Tor the District not only would serve
as protection. to the employe, but
also as a protection for the Com
mlssioners-against job drives by
politicians. He suggested a re-
writing of number of sections Of
the civil service portion of the bill
in addition to that concerned with
the makeup of the Board of APP
peals, suggesting that the law should
specify that the Commissioners
should select for appointment ap-
plicants standing among the three
highest in the register resulting
from competitive examinations. He
also suggested that something in
the nature of the Hatch Act be
inserted in the place of the present
wording of the proposed prohibition
of political activity or that the Com
missioners take the wording used
in the Federal civil service law.
Maj. johnson, in addition to rec
ommending an employe majority on
the appeals board instead of an en-
ployer majority. suggested q re-
writing of the section which pro-
poses that preference be given to