Evening star., 1939-02-01
BY j. A. FOX.

The civil service expansion pro-
gram directed by President Roose-
velt on June "a went into effect in
greatly modified form today, with all
the higher-grade positions through
out the Government remaining out
side of the competitive ranks, and
about $4,000 in the lower brackets
coming in.
Amending the June order late yes
terday, the President, in new order,
said the following positions-whose
number he estimated at 5,000-would
continue to be exempt from civil
service "for the time being:
l. Positions to which, in the opin-
ion of the Civil Service Commission,
it is not practicable to make ap-
pointment upon competitive exami-
nation.
2. Positions the duties of which
are determined, with the concur
renee of the Civil Service Commits
sion, to be of highly confidential
character.
Scientific Posts Exempted.
3. Professional and scientific po-
sitions.
4. Positions in the Inland Water
ways Corp.
5. Administrative and technical
positions which were defined as
those "(a) the duties of which are
to perform the most difficult and re-
sponsible office work along special
lied and technical lines requiring
extended training and experience,
and the exercise of independent
Judgment, or to supervise large or
| important Office organization en-
gagged in work involving extended
training and considerable experience
on the part of the employees, and
all positions of a higher grade" and
"(o) the duties of which are to per-
form difficult and important in
Vestlgatlve services being mostly on
criminal or quasi-criminal cases, or
cases requiring similar investigative
procedures, and all positions of a
higher grade"
On the basis of a preliminary
study at the Civil Service Commits
sion 1t was said informally that
those employees to get civil service
under the new order would include
$1,000, principally attendants. in
veterans Administration facilities,
Public Health Service, Indian Serv-
ice and Army and Navy hospitals:
10000 skilled tradesmen in the War
and Navy Departments, 1000 en-
ployes of the Federal Deposit In
surance Corp. about half of whom
are in Washington, 200 in the Com
modify Credit Corp. virtually all of
whom are here, and about 5000
others in scattered groups.
Delay Caused by Indecision.
The President, whose estimate of
5000 continued exemptions was be-
lieved in some quarters to be too
low, said the delay in bringing these
under civil service was due to the
fact that the Civil Service Commits
sion and the agencies concerned re-
| qulred more time in which to de-
eide just what important positions
are to be covered.
/ At the same time, in an unex-
pected move, he announced the ap-
pointment of committee of seven
members, which includes two Su-
preme Court justices and cabinet
officer, to join with the Civil Serv-
ice Commission in thorough study
"of the best way of applying civil
service principles to the professional
scientific and certain administrative
and other technical positions in
Government service"
1t is contemplated, the President
explained in a statement, that those
positions now exempt will be
brought into civil service as soon as
the committee works out adequate
methods for the selection and pro-
motion of the personnel for such
positions"
New Appointees Included.
On the committee are: Justices
Reed and Frankfurter, Attorney
General Murphy, William H. Me-
Reynolds, administrative assistant
to the Secretary of the Treasury;
Leonard D. White, former Repub-
lican member of the Civil Service
Commission, who left Federal serv-
ice some time ago to return to the
faculty of the University of Chicago;
Gen., Robert E. Wood, chairman of
the board of s-Roebuck, and
Gano Dunn of New York, president
of j. G. White Engineering Co.
The President explained that "all
See EXECUTIVE ORDER, Page AS