Evening star., 1940-04-10
Move 10 Limit
Civil Service
Called Unjust
Proposal to Hold
Jobs to State Quotas
Held UnworkubIe
BY !. A. FOX.

The Keller-Nichols amendment to
restrict the benefits of the Rams
peck civil service extension bill by
application Of apportionment law
principles was scored as unavoidable
and unjust by members of the Civil
Service Commission and other wit
nesses, as the Senate Civil Service
Committee today opened hearings
on the measure.
Prom our viewpoint, the amend
ment is practically impossible of
administration" Harry B. Mitchell,
president of the commission, said.
Under the proviso, workers in the
departmental service would be bar
red from acquiring civil service
status if they hailed from States
notwithstanding to population
have more residents in service here
than their apportioned quota calls
for.
IF we had our way, we would
have a real merit system and get rid
Of the apportionment law entirely"
II. Eliot Kaplan, of New York, exec
utive secretary of the National Civil
Service Reform League, told the
committee.
Says Apportionment Enforced.
Mr.. Mitchell told the committee
that the amendment was written
into the bill as it passed the House,
under the mistaken impression that
the commission is not enforcing ap-
portionment, which is part Of the
basic civil service law.
He cited figures to disprove this,
Is members of the committee went
into various aspects of this issue.
Senator George, Democrat, of
Georgia, said, however, that in
years before the present commission
took Office, there was feeling in
Congress that the apportionment
law was being ignored. and that this
was responsible "for a clumsy
amendment like this, which on the
face of it Is impossible of admin
lstration."
Bill Would Affect Pay.
In addition to providing for the
extension of civil service to some
thing more than 125,000 positions,
the bill, sponsored by Representa-
tive Remspeck. Democrat, of Georgia,
chairman Of the House Civil Service
Committee, would apply Reclassifi-
cation Act pay scales to the field
service. This, it was brought out,
eventually might raise the pay roll
by about $10,000,000 annually.
The opening session saw the wit
nesses virtually unanimous in favor
Of the principles of the bill. The
only opposition came from Joseph
McDonough of the A. F. of L., the
spokesman for mechanics employed
by the Tennessee Valley Authority,
who said his group wished to remain
outside of civil service because they
preferred their own personnel sys-
tenn.
Difficulties Are Cited.
President Mitchell recalled to the
committee that the Civil Service
Commission had submitted
lengthy report on the bill, and, in
his testimony, he went into some Of
the difficulties that would be en-
countered in an attempt to tie 1t up
with apportionment. For example,
he said, West Virginia now has 13
positions less than the State quota
calls for. but that in extending civil
service there might be 40 employees
from that State who would be eligi-
bic for coverage.
I'VE would have no way of telling
how to pick out the 13 who could get
civil service status" he said
Senator George wanted to know
how the commission seeks to equal
ize" appointments under apportion-
ment, and Mr.. Mitchell explained
that eligibles from under-quota
States are placed at the top of en-
ployment registers, and those from
over-quota States at the bottom, ir-
respective OF their examination
grades.
Mr.. Mitchell also explained that
the World War employment situa-
ton was responsible for the situation
existing today in which the District
and Maryland and Virginia are so
Tar over quota.
Mr.. Mitchell also explained that
AVA AluA1y 4Cco oCoA dUlC QOSlIAUllS ~
was impossible to get persons from
distant States, pointing out, for ex-
ample, that California, entitled to
1892 places here, had but 857 filled.
This prompted Senator Downey,
Democrat, of California, to say that
It was hard to believe in view of the
letters and callers for jobs he had.
Quota Table Impractical.
Senator Downey wanted to know
II the quota tables could not be kept
20 that the States most in arrears
could be kept at the top. with others
In better shape ranked behind them,
but Mr.. Mitchell said this was not
possible as the apportionment figures
change from day to day.
Commissioner Lucille Foster Nc
Millin emphasized the injustice that
the Keller Nichols amendment
would work on deserving men and
women by denying them not only
civil service status, but the right to
be transferred or promoted. She
also brought out that the commits
sion would be required to hold an
examination for every inh for which