Evening star., 1941-05-19
Hatch May Ask
More Teeth in
Politics Act
Mitchell Speaks at
Opening Of Civil
Service Conference


provide more drastic penalties for
employees found guilty
Of political activity is under con-
sideration by Senator Hatch. author
of the act, after conferences with
the Civil Service Commission. it was
disclosed today by Harry B. Mitch
ell. president of the commission.
I'VE believe the purpose of the
Hatch Act is right" Mr.. Mitchell
told a conference of the Civil Serv-
ice Assembly and Society for Per-
sonnel Administration at the Ward
man Park Hotel, but we feel that
the act should be amended"
The nature of the proposed
amendments was not disclosed by
Mr.. Mitchell
Explaining that participation in
political activity by Government
workers was prohibited before the
Hatch Act, Mr. Mitchell said that
in those days the Civil Service
Commission had discretion as 10
the amount of punishment to be
handed to violators. The commits
sion, he said. had considerable lati-
tude in what kind of punishment
it would mete out to violators, run
ming all the way from minor penal
ties up to dismissal. but under the
Hatch Act as it now stands in law,
the speaker explained. there Is only
one penalty, dismissal from the
service.
200 Complaints Received.
More than 200 complaints of po-
litical activities had reached til
commission concerning alleged viO-
lations of the Hatch Act, the speak
er said. Many of them. he said,
were trivial and several were
anonymous complaints Altogether
1T cases have been turned over to
the commissions unit for enforce
ment. Mr.. Mitchell explained 10
had been closed and six persons had
been removed from the Federal
service for violation.
I'VE have gone rather slow In tho
enforcement of this act" M
Mitchell said, but We have tried n
educate Federal employees that the
cannot become active politically and
still hold their jobs"
The conference. which opened thlr
morning on the theme of Personnel
Problems and National Defense, '
was told by Mr.. Mitchell that the
Civil Service Commission had been
forced to cut corners in order to
provide employees for the rapidly
mounting national defense personnel
of the Government He said the
short cuts we're necessary to provide
manpower.
Lyle Belsley, assistant to William
H McReynolds. administrative as
sistant to President Roosevelt on
personnel matters. delivered the KEY
note address to the conference. out
lining highlights of problems facing
not only the Federal Government.
but State and local civil service
agencies.
Governmental activities. partic-
ularly at the Federal level" he
said, ARE increasing at an unpre-
/ cedented rate. A revised and ex-
panding industry is simultaneously
competing with Government for
skilled and trained workers that
are already becoming scarce Our
! armed forces are drawing hundreds
of thousands of men and women
/ from civilian work. These facts
/ have made it extremely difficult for
personnel agencies to find or develop
the employees needed by Govern
ment"
Mr.. Belsley pointed out that per-
sonnel agencies now are beginning
to beat the bushes in an effort
to interest employees in govern
mental work, recruiting standards
were being reduced and age limit
requirements relaxed. Transfer and
promotion procedures are being
streamlined Steps taken by the
Civil Service Commission we're re-
viewed, but most significant of all
the speaker declared, personnel
officials have plainly been forced by
the sheer course of events to recog-
nize their responsibilities in the
training of workers for entrance into
the public service and the training
of employees who are already serving
Government for transfer to more
urgent work or promotion to more
responsible positions
Scoring some other civil service
commissions, as "too closely bound
by their traditions" he charged that
some Of them 'envisioned themselves
as chaste, pure and unsullied
guardians enshrined in the temple
of good government and consecrat-
ing their lives to kindling and
watching the secret fires OF the
merit system that they must be kept
perpetually burning under their
righteous care There must Of
necessity be a closer working rela-
tionship between civil service COM
missions and the departments they
were established to help"
The conference will last through
Wednesday and will be followed by
a meeting of the Washington
chapter of the Society for the Ad-
vancement of Management, to be
attended by many of the same
people.
Others who spoke today included:
Oliver c. Short of the Department
of Commerce. president Of the
Society for Personnel Administra-
ton; James K. Stitt and S. G..
Nelson of the Canadian government
| Civil Service Commission: John j.
Furia, New York City Department
of Civil Service, and w. w. Stock
berger of the Department of Agri.
culture. veteran in personnel ad.
! mini ct 70 tinS, unrk