Evening star., 1939-04-04
Civil Service
Inquiry Turns
To New Field
Geological Survey
Pay Raises to Be
Studied Today
BY GARRETT d. HORNER.

OF "higher-ups' In the Geological
Survey.
The committee suspended tempo
rarily its inquiry into complaints of
favoritism in the Social Security
Boards Old-Age Insurance Bureau
yesterday after hearing a former
assistant director of the bureau say
he believed college experts" had
been given job preference over
veteran civil service employees.
Committee Chairman Ellender
said employees of the Geological Sur
vey would be called this afternoon
to testify about complaints to the
effect that most of the money
available for pay raises there had
gone to the "higher-ups" and been
denied the 'lower-downs."
Complaint that pretty girls" get
along better than their less attrac-
tive fellow workers in the Securi-
ties and Exchange Commission
might also be aired in the public
hearing starting at 2 pm, if the
Geological Survey testimony should
not take up too much time, Senator
Ellender said.
Unions May be Heard.
Federal employe unions may be
given hearing tomorrow or Thurs
day, after which the committee
expects to suspend public hearings
until the middle of next week.
| James D. Hayes, now assistant
solicitor of the Veterans Admin
istration, told the committee yes
terday afternoon that he resigned as
assistant director of the Old Age
Insurance Bureau last year when
John J. Corson succeeded Leroy
Hodgese as bureau director.
He said he understood Mr.. Hodges
quit to become controller of the
State of Virginia. because he was
dissatisfied with the way RESPONSE
bility was delegated and "he felt he
could not run the bureau with a
free hand"
Under questioning by Senator FL
lender Mr. Hayes said civil service
status did not guarantee an ap-
plicant a job with the bureau and
he had felt preference was given
to what the Senator termed "these
college experts" over civil service
employees.
Denies Favoring Outsiders"
Robert M. Barnett, director of the
Bureau of Business Management
and also director of the Old Age
Insurance Bureau. denied, however,
that there was any tendency to IA
vor outside experts over civil serv-
ice personnel. He pointed out that
only about 228 persons were en-
ployed under expert status.
Mr.. Hayes said Mr.. Hodges def
nitely favored giving preference to
"practical-minded' people already
in the Government service but that
all the better jobs were filled by the
executive Office. He added that the
only efforts he noticed to establish
"a real merit system were in the
lower grades.
do you know what method was
used by the executive officials to get
rid of any particular persons they
might have thought were not so we'll
suited for their jobs?" Senator Ell
lender asked.
Il have an idea it was the usual
systemic abolish the positions"
Mr.. Hayes replied.
Most of the complaints investi-
gated by the committee from Social
Security employees involve alleged
discrimination against them through
abolition of positions in reOrgan-
ization moves. which officials in
sist were designed only for efficiency
and economy and usually resulted in
transfers of the persons affected to
other jobs.
Charges Regulations Violated.
John A. Lucas, a s3,2Oo-a-year
employe in Mr.. Corson's Office.
charged yesterday that civil serv-
ice regulations were violated when
his immediate supervisors for nine
months prior to his transfer to work
under Mr.. Corscn last year were not
consulted on his, efficiency rating.
Only Mr. Corson's rating of good
for the last part of the 12-month
period appeared in his personnel
folder.
Mr.. Corson said this was cleri-
cal error that worked to Mr.. Lucas
disadvantage and should be cor
rected, but not an infraction Of the
rules deserving punishment.
Last fall, Mr.. Lucas said, he re-
ceived an interim rating of "un-
satisfactory" marked down by Mr..
Corson from fair" recommended
by his immediate supervisor. He
appealed this action to the bureaus
board of appeals for employe griev-
ances, Mr.. Lucas said, and had
hearing February IS.
II heard nothing further from the
board" he added, until last Thurs
day morning, which happened to
be the same day was notified to
appear before this committee. They
said they were looking further into
my case"
Mr.. Corson said he considered Mr..
Lucas unsatisfactory because I'VE
are paying him $4,000 year and
I should think that for that COM
pensation we should get more than
mere clerical service-that is all we
we're getting" He added that there
had been some improvement in Mr..
Lucas work since last fall.
Says Charges Inaccurate.
Charges by Mr.. Lucas that en-
ploye morale was bad throughout
the bureau were termed by Mr.. Cor
son as 80 inaccurate as not to
warrant denial" He suggested en-
| n1ove ,,ninns he asked for evidenco
on this point.
Lee X. Frankel, jr., employed in
the acturial section of the bureaus
analysis division with an expert"
rating of PA, charged he had been
Disseminated against in being
denied promotion to regional ad-
ministrative post in his home city
of New York after qualifying as
"top man in a competitive Civil
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