Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1940-09-25
Ramspeck Bill
Passage Seen
By Supporters
Senate Vote on
Measure Today
Held Possible
BY ]. A. FOX.


The Senate was ready today to
continue debate on the Ramspeck
civil service extension bill, with
supporters predicting passage, and
a vote before nightfall a posi-.
bility.
Starting to work late yesterday on
the measure, the Senate rejected
the House-approved Keller-Nichols
amendment which would have with
held its benefits from employees from
States having more than their quota
of positions in the apportioned
service here, and adopted an
amendment from the Senate Civil
Service Committee to allow en-
ployes of Congress with four years
service to qualify for civil service.
Debate then turned on an amend
ment by Senator Ellender, Demo-
crat, of Louisiana to force COM
petitive examinations on personnel
qualifying for civil service. AS the
bill stands, it would permit the
President, at his option, to bring
under civil service approximately
10000 positions now excepted by
law and make the incumbents ELI
gible to retain their places by nom
competitive examination.
Called Key Amendment.
Arguing for competitive examina-
tons, Senator Vandenberg, Repub-
lican, of Michigan declared that
this is 1.-The key amendment, in the
opinion of many of u.s."
1T is not the key amendment
it is the killing amendment" shot
back Senator Mead, Democrat, of
New York, in charge of the meas
ure. 1t was at that point that dis
cussion went over until today.
Senator Ellender also led the
fight for the Keller Nichols amend
ment, which was stricken out by
the Senate Civil Service Commit
tee, reciting figures to show the
number of States - including his
own - which do not have their
quota of apportioned employment,
and insisting the condition traced
back to failure of the Civil Serv-
| ice Commission to enforce the ap-
portionment rule . in making ap-
pointments.
White Backs Action.
Senator White. Republican, of
Maine. q member of the Civil Serv-
ice Committee, told his colleagues
the committee was wise in strik-
ing the amendment from the bill
and recalled that the Civil Service
Commission had said the provision
would be impossible of administra-
ton. The bill would Withhold bene-
fits from over-quota States as long
as any State was under-quota, and.
as the commission pointed out in a
report on the bill, balanced ap-
portionment is impossible.
The Civil Service Commission is
not interested in Michigan, Louisi-
ana or any other State" Senator
White emphasized. 1T is only in
terested in efficient administration
of the law"
He argued. too, that the appor-
tionment rule is not mandatory,
but is permissive, and is only to
be invoked to the extent that good
administration permits.
Answering Senator BLENDERS
contention as to the excess number
of positions held by residents of
Maryland. Virginia and the District
of Columbia, Senator White ex-
| planned that grew from conditions
during the World War when man
power was at premium. and that
in recent years the Civil Service
Commission had made steady prog
ress toward equalizing apportion-
ment appointments.
In slight parliamentary mix
up, the Keller Nichols amendment
first was announced as approved by
a voice vote, but Senator Mead
quickly moved for reconsideration,
and on showing of hands, it was
rejected.
Lengthy Political Debate.
After being tied up since Friday
/ in the Senate by a move by Senator
Burke, Democrat, of Nebraska to
force consideration of the Logan
Walter bill, to limit the powers of
administrative agencies, the RAM
speck bill finally was brought up
in the Senate in midafternoon by
a vote of 81 to Is. 1t Immediately
ran into another snag, however,
when Senator Mcclellan. Democrat,
Of Tennessee precipitated lengthy
political debate with an attack on
Wendell Willkie.
Only handful of Senators
watched the progress of the meas
ure.
The bill has been in the Senate
| since February when it passed the
House. In addition to extending
civil service, it also would apply to
the field service the Classification
Act pay scales that now are in