Evening star., 1942-03-03
Civil Service
Apportionment
Rule Is Eased
Exemptions Made
To Speed Transfers
To War Agencies

Widespread exemptions from the
apportionment law, which requires
appointments here to be made in
accordance with State quotas, was
ordered today as the Civil Service
Commission speeded up procedure
to meet war needs. The commits
sion also abandoned maximum age
limits as part of the program which
contemplates the recruiting of prob
ably 100000 persons a month, over
the country as whole, through
1942-43. About go per cent of this
personnel represents additions to
the Federal force. which is expected
to pass the 100000 mark in July;
the rest Is for requirements. Incl
dentally. increased employment of
women was predicted by commits
sion spokesmen as men are taken
into the armed services.
The new commission procedure
was devised to conform to execu-
tive orders issued in the past few
days facilitating transfers and pro-
viding for an examination system
under which applicants for. many
types Of employment simply will
be rated as eligible" or ineligible"
instead Of being graded numerically.
Unit to Direct Transfers.
The commission is setting up a
new unit to direct transfers, and
will put the task of channeling
capable workers to war functions,
under Oliver c. Short. director of
personnel at the Commerce Depart
ment, who is being borrowed for the
assignment. Concurrently. all re-
cruiting is being centered under the
commission, thus doing away with
duplication which, it is said. exists
now because many agencies conduct
independent recruiting activities.
The new exemptions from the
apportionment law, coupled with
the fact that the shortage of man
power already is limiting its ap-
plicability, means that about 90 per
cent of the executive service is out
side of its scope, it was said at the
commission.
Exempt from the law now are all
positions for which the entrance
salary is 81. .440 or less-stenographic
and clerical posts, for example
telephone operators. artisans. ap-
prentices and helpers, and all en-
ployes in the Government Printing
ONCE, mail equipment shops. field
service of the Army.
Law Applies in Higher Posts.
For higher-grade positions, where
there Is no scarcity. the law will
continue to be applied.
The, difficulty which newcomers
experiences in obtaining living ac-
commodations was one Of the rea-
sons advanced by the commission
for granting the long list of exemp-
tions.
For those positions for which COM
petitive examinations are held
non-competitive tests often are the
rule now-the commission will limit
the applicants to number COM
mensurate with the needs of the
service, and when this restriction is
applied, the applicants will be ex-
amined in the order in which they
have applied.
The eligible" and ineligible"
ratings are to be applied only in
those tests where the demand for
qualified eligibles exceeds the sup
ply, but in setting up these lists,
veterans preference will apply.
The commission also announced
that appointments from outside of
its registers will be made when
higher type of personnel is obtain
able by direct recruiting, and that
where temporary appointments for
a year or less are made, the re-
striction against employment Of
more than two members of family
residing under the same roof will
not be in effect.
The new regulations, with the
exception of those covering trans
fers, will be effective March 16, and
those appointments under them will
be classed as war service appoint
ments." These are for the dura-
ton of the war and six months
thereafter, and the appointees do
not acquire classified civil service
status. The transfer rules already
are operative.