Evening star., 1940-09-27
Ramspeck Bill Goes
10 Conference After
Passage by Senate
Group Of Amendments
Adopted at Windup
Without Discussion
BY J. A. FOX.

The Ramspeck bill was headed to
conference today with supporters
hoping for prompt disposition of the
measure, which would permit ap-
proximately 10000 employees in the
executive agencies to acquire civil
service status and extend to the
field the Classification Act pay rates
, which now apply only in Washing
ton.
|. Passed by the House on February
9, the bill finally cleared the Senate
at 6:l0 last night on standing vote,
with hardly more than score Of
the members present. Democrats
lined up solidly for the measure,
and only three Republicans regis
tered opposition - Vandenberg of
Michigan, Hale, Maine, and Gurney,
South Dakota.
Senator Hatch. Democrat. of New
Mexico, presiding, Immediately an
nounced the Senate conferees as fol-
lows: Mead of New York, who pi-
loted the bill through the Senate:
Bulow of South Dakota and George
of Georgia, Democrats, and White,
Maine, and Frazier. North Dakota,
Republicans. House conferees were
expected to be designated today.
The bill as passed would become
effective April Is, 194l.
Amendments Adopted.
With Senator Barkley OF Ken
lucky, the majority leader, urging
speed, a group of amendments was
adopted at the windup without
discussion, with the understanding
that they would be threshed out in
conference. offered by Senator
Mead, they provide:
> Full civil service status for en-
ployes taken from civil service reg
listers for temporary work in the
Census Bureau.
Salary increases to $4,000 for
members of the Civil Service Com
mission who now receive So 500 and
to S9,50O for the chief examiner of
the commission, whose pay is $500
Protection for employees who have
been in service six months or more,
but because of a break in employ
ment could not meet the require
ment of six months current service
to get civil service status under the
bill
he census amendment was con-
sidered of particular Importance,
because it will give those affected
a preferred status for reinstate-
ment and transfer that they would
not otherwise have had after six
months employment. Ordinarily
they would 60 back on the Civil
Service Commission registers and
await their turn for a regular ap-
pointment.
Other Senate Provisions.
Other Senate amendments in
clude these:
An exemption from the bill of
T. V. A. employees, which was spon-
sored by Senator Norris, Independ-
ent, of Nebraska
Doing away with the requirement
that applicants for employment fur
nish photographs with their appli-
cations. Senator Minton, Demo-
crat, of Indiana, the sponsor, said
this would be a protection against
racial discrimination by appointing
officers.
Exempting certain Treasury en-
ployes from the barrier in the bill
to extension Of civil service to per-
sons connected with the w. P. A.
This was offered by Senator Thom-
as, Democrat, of Oklahoma, who
said this group only had casual
connection with w. P. A. accounts
but might lose the benefits Of the
bill for that reason.
Forbidding discrimination by an
employing agency against an appli-
cant through restrictive scholastic
standards. Introduced by Senator
Hatch, this in intended to meet
complaints that certain establish
ments fill legal positions with per-
sonnel only from selected institu-
tions.
Additional Safeguard.
Providing that the apportionment
law shall not be invoked to deny
an employe the benefits of the bill.
This was introduced by Senator