Evening star., 1940-02-11

Civil Service Barrier
For Thousands Here
Fought by Senator's
Amendment to Rule Out
$4,000 Called Unfair
To FoithfuI Employees
BY ]. A. OIEARY.

SsSS SSssSS Sus"
To FaithfuI Employees
BY ]. A. OLEARY.
Opposition developed quickly in
the Senate yesterday to the House
move to deprive q large group of
unclassified Government employees
from IL States and the District
Of Columbia Of the opportunity to
obtain civil service status on
equal terms with similar employees
from the other States.
The barrier was raised by An
amendment the House tackled on
to the Ramspeck bill, designed to
vest discretion in the President to
bring into the classified civil service
the nearly 100000 Federal workers
throughout the country who are
still outside civil service. The
House passed the measure late
Friday.
The first definite step on the
Senate side was announcement by
Chairman Bulow of the Senate
Civil Service Committee that he
Will hold hearings before asking
the committee to act on the meas.
ure.
$4,000 Stationed Here.
Approximately $4,000 Of the non
civil service employees are stationed
in Washington, and a substantial
percentage Of this group would be
barred from the benefits OF the bill,
because they are credited to the
District or one of the IL States
that have more than their quota
OF appointments under the appor-
tionment law, until the other States
reach their quotas.
Maryland, Virginia and the Dis
trict Of Columbia are most seri-
ously affected by the amendment.
because during the World War the
Governments urgent need for extra
personnel in a hurry threw ap-
portionment out of line and ran
up appointments from nearby areas,
Since that time the civil service
authorities have been endeavoring
to readjust the apportionment, The
House amendment provides that
none OF the employees from the Dis
trict or an Over-quota State shall
be placed under civil service until
all the other States have reached
their quotas.
Senator Byrd, Democrat, of Vir-
ginia was one of the first to come
out against the House restriction.
The Virginian, who is a member of
the Civil Service Committee, de-
clared:
Il am opposed to it. The amend
| ment would do great injustice to
faithful public servants. simply be-
cause they are credited to certain
States"
Bulow Withholds Comment.
Chairman Bulow refrained from
committing himself on the amend
ment until he has given it closer
study, but said:
Il want to 60 into it carefully to
see that no injustice is done to in
dividuals who happen to come from
States in excess of their quotas"
Senator Tydings, Democrat, Of.
sMArylafid, said that Ne arid his
colleague, Senator Radcliffe, ARE.
familiar with the situation and are
making plans to safeguard Mary
lands interests"
Senator Glass, Democrat, of Vir-
ginia made known that he also in
tends to look into the question raised
by the amendment. =
The latest civil service statement
on the condition of apportionment
shows that, in addition to Mary
land, Virginia and the District, the
following States are affected by the
House ban:
Montana, Vermont, Kansas, Rhode
Island. North Dakota. Utah, South
Dakota, Minnesota, Iowa and Ne
braska.
Others Near Quota.
West Virginia has exactly its
quota, and an examination of the
statement shows that of the remain
ing IS States, number are so close
to their quota that comparatively
few extensions of civil service status
would place them also in the over
quota column.
AS originally offered by Repre-
sentative Keller of Illinois the
amendment would have applied only
to future appointments, and was not
objected to in that form by Rep
resentative Ramspeck Of Georgia,
author of the bill. As the debate
proceeded, however, it was changed
on motion of Representative Nichols
of Oklahoma to apply to incumbents,
50 that no person now holding an
unclassif1ed job from an overquota
State would be eligible to obtain a
civil service status, or to be ap-
pointed, transferred or promoted to
any position covered into the clas-
sified service.
Senator Capper, Republican, of
Kansas Joined last night in con-
demning the amendment:
That would be unfair to those
men and women, some of whom
have worked a long time for the
Government, and who are Just as
much entitled to civil service as the
others"
King Also Opposed.
| Senator King, Democrat, of Utah
also indicated he would be opposed
to the bill as 1t stands.
The House amendment apparently
would hold employees from the over
!