Imperial Valley press., 1939-02-13
A Step Forward
Civil Service
christian Science MonitOrl

Last June "a President Roosevelt
issued an executive order to bring
under civil service every Federal
employe not specifically exempted
by act of congress, or in such con-
fidential or other capacity as to
make his exemption reasonable.
1t was then hoped this would af-
feet 10000 workers. The order just
became effective, but touched only
about 45 1000. The reduction was
caused almost entirely by the in
tervening action of congress. In the
midst of a denunciation of politics
in relief. congress took alarm over
the proposed extension of the merit
system to some 10000 WPA relief
employees and specifically exempted
them under the new $725 100000 re-
lief bill
The argument for such exemp-
ton does not hold water: 1t is said
that to put the jobs under the civil
service would give permanence OF
tenure to an emergency organiza-
ton. But simply because bureau
is under civil service is no reason
why it may not be merged or abol-
ished, and there are plenty Of
precedents for either action.
Mr.. RooSevelt's order has been
Whitfield down by this and other
causes, but it is still a long step
forward. There are certain criti-
cisms that can be made of it, which
prevented unanimous approval
by the three-man Civil Service
commission. The diSSenter, it is
understood, is Samuel OrdWay, the
Republican member. Yet even Mr.
Ordway probably rejoices over the
progress that has been made, tho
sorrowing that it did not go far
ther According to Washington re-
ports, Mr. Roosevelt almost entirely
ignored the commission in Offering
his revised plan He eXempts ap-
proXimately 10 per cent of those
originally set for civil service last
June, and the jobs exempted are all
the good jobs-those receiving $4,000
a year or over, including lawyers,
chemists, engineers and experts of
various sorts. 1t is only the lesser
paid jobs that are affected. A case
may be made for delay regarding
the lawyers but it is harder to JUS
tify holding back action on other
professional categorieS, most of
which in the past have had civil
service status.
Mr.. Roosevelt meets this objec-
ton by naming a Seven-man agen-
cy, under the chairmanship oil
Stanley Reed and Felix Franklin
ter. Associate Justices of the Su-
preme Court to work out "the best
way of applying civil service prin-
ciples to the professional, scientific
and certain administrative and
other technical positions" So il
appears that this 10 per cent will
later be brought under civil service
and perhaps means found to en-
hance the number. 1t is to be hoped
that the seVenman committee will
not listen too closely to bureaucratS
in the government service who
have Waged a bitter behind-the
scenes struggle against the career
extension to professional men.
Reformers will, on the whole, re.
joice over what has happened, ant
they will also find plenty of worl
yet 10 do Above all, they will nov
drive on congress. Out of the 852 COZ
government employees some 608,00
will now be under civil service, o
, II per cent compared with 80 pc
cent from 1921 to 1882. Over 10000
OF those who remain outside hav
been exempted by congress, TIL
, next reform step must come thr,
congress.