Evening star., 1941-03-09

the Presidents Committee on CtUlL
A. P. and HarriS-EtDing Photos.
opportunities should be afforded en-
ployes In the lower brackets to train
for added responsibilities. From time to
time, it proposes, administrators should
select promising material" to undergo
training that would include courses OF
instruction in their own agencies, In
other agencies performing related work
and the Management and Research Di-
vision of the Budget Bureau and the
Civil Service Commission.
Amplifying that I'VE attach much i'm
portance" to these short-time training
details outside of the agency where
the trainee is employed, the committee
said thai Government establishments
suffer from an insularity which
hampers their effective coordination
as parts OF single whole. Indifference,
jealousy. competition and sometimes
even sabotage develop in the effort OF
each small unit to protect itself and its
staff. We believe that our future ad-
ministratorS should have some contact
with agencies which necessarily have a
service-w;de view
Educational Program.
Educational leave with pay and an
opportunity for civilian employees to
attend Institutions of higher learning
for advanced study that would equip
them better to perform their customary
duties are other suggestions for the
training program.
Pointing out in this latter connection
that most of the social science workers
now are entering Government service
in the lower grades because of the
relative newness of this field, the COM
mittee said that intensified training
should obviate the necessity of holding
q large number of specialized higher
grade examinations and consequently
save that expense and delay
While the committee report as
whole is a strong argument for the merit
system and the encouragement of Ca
reer service and with White House
backing may be expected to play large
part in shaping governmental personnel
policy, there is one sharp departure
from the prevailing theme, wide diff
ference of opinion having developed
among the members on the question of
civil service for lawyers.
Contendlng that standard Civil Serv-
ice Commission methods are inadequate
for government needs-although some
lawyers row are under civil service
Justices Reed and Frankfurter, Attorney
General jackson and Gano Dunn, en-
gineer member, proposed creation of a
special cCmittee of lawyers to handle
legal appointments-a program that was
condemned as violative of basic civil
service principles by Justice Murphy,
DR.. Leonard D. White, Gen. Robert E.
Wood and William H. McReynolds, ad-
ministrative assistant to the President.
The principle of the plan is further
weakened by the comment of the full
committee in a similar instance.
Report Points to Job Pressure.
Stressing the necessity of bringing all
scientific positions under civil service, the
report points to the job pressure to which
Congress and appointing officers con-
tinuously are subjected and declares that
"the force of the drive for places is at
times so irresistible that no service could
be protected from debasement by the
appointment of incompetent men were
it not for the protection of the civil
service laws"
The lawyer question consequently will
pose problem for the President when
he undertakes to bring under the COM
petitive system the thousands of posi-
tions freed from the rule of patronage
by the RamSpeck Act, and those which
have been kept outside of civil service
for reasons of expediency.
The Reed report recognizes that the
Improvement OF personnel standards in
wolves adequate financing This is true
not only as concerns the administrative
side, but also as to pay scales and re-
tlrement allowances The Ramspeck Act
makes one contribution in this connec-
ton by paving the way for extension to
the field service of the Classification Act
salary schedule applicable to the de-
partmental service. Retirement legisla-
tion and general pay bill also are due
for consideration at the present session
of Congress. Defense expenditures may
serve as a deterrent to improvement in
this quarter right now, but it cannot be
put off Indefinitely if the Federal service
is to be organized on the highest basis
of efficiency.
1t has been estimated that approxi-
mately two years will be required to get
the reform program actually under way
by bringing the excepted positions into
civil service. Unquestionably, too, more
time will be necessary to develop the
other administrative phases.
"We are satisfied" said Justice Reed
in transmitting the report to the Presi-
dent, that the organization of the Gov
ernment service as career on demo-
cratic basis is essential TO the proper
conduct Of public affairs"