Evening star., 1942-01-20
Mead and Ramspeck
laud Wartime Work
Of U. 5. Employees

kddIo Forum speakers
Cite Vital Role They
PIoy Without GrumbIing
The part the Federal employees
are playing in the Nations war
effort and the problems these Gov
eminent work08 have to cope with
while serving their country were
outlined in the National Radio For
um last night bv Senator Mead,
Democrat, Of New York, member OF
the Senate Civil Service Committee,
and Representative Ramspeck, DEM
ocrat, Of Georgia, chairman Of the
House Civil Service Committee.
James B. Burns, national presi-
dent of the American Federation Of
Government Employees, presented
the speakers with plaques in recog-
milton of their efforts In behalf Of
the civil service system and Gov
ernment workers. The plaques were
given by A. F.. G. E. Lodge No. 551
of Brooklyn, N. Y. headed by John
j. Dunn, jr.
Arranged by The Star, the pro-
gram was broadcast by Station
WMAL and the coast-to-coast blue
Network. Texts Of the speeches
follow:
Representative Ramspeck:
In this hour OF our national peril
It is a great privilege to address q
Nationwide audience and I wish to
express my thanks to The Wash
ington Star for making it possible.
It is also privilege to appear
on this forum with that distin-
guished and faithful servant OF. the
people, the junior Senator Of the
great State of New York. In his
service as member of the Congress
he has always given evidence of his
interest in the welfare of the people
who work. He has been loyal
friend OF the underpr1ileged and
especially has he been interested in
the working conditions of the Fed
eral employees.
Play Vital Role in War.
The duty Of the civil employees Of
our Government is not generally so
dangerous as the service of those in
our armed forces, but it is just as
essential for victory.
If our civil employees fail in their
Job the va1er and the courage of
those in the armed forces will have
been In vain. The war will be lost.
Liberty will be taken from us and
slavery and oppression will come to
our shores.
Many improvements in the work.
ing conditions Of the Federal en-
ployes have been enacted into law
during the past few years. Time
will not permit me to discuss all Of
these forward steps. However, I
do wish to refer briefly to some of
them.
The civil service retirement sys-
tenn has been improved and the
House has recently passed a bill
extending this act to all OF those
connected with the Federal Gov
ernment. This bill also provides q
more flexible system It will in
crease annuities payable to those in
the higher pay brackets, because
they pay more, but 1t does not re-
duce the annuity Of any employe.
This bill was passed yesterday by
the Senate. I believe that its pas
sage will be hailed by most employees
as a great forward step and a real
contribution toward an attractive
career service for our Federal
workers.
Legislation providing annual and
sick leave has been enacted. Under
this law hours of work have been
regulated and made more uniform.
The 40 hour week has been installed
IN the postal service.
Merit System Widened.
Postmasters Of the first, second
and third classes have been placed
under the civil service law. An act
has also been passed extending the
civil service law to approximately
200 900 other employees, so that al
most 80 per cent of all Federal posi-
tions are now under the merit
system.
A uniform within-grade salary
promotion act has been put upon
the statute books, thus providing
small salary increases for about 2o0,-
900 persons.
Through executive action, Coun-
Gil of Personal Administration has
been established within the Civil
Service Commission, Studies Of ad-
ninStrative procedure and policies
have resulted in more uniformity,
less red tape and in the adoption OF
improved personnel methods.
The foregoing are merely some of
the things which have been done for
the improvement of the working
conditions snd the operating meth
DDS in the Federal service.
The Civil Service Commission has
greatly improved its staff, simplified
its methods, and is, I believe, doing
the best job ever done by this
agency.
Since the President initiated the
all-out defense program in My,
1910, the Civil Service Commission
has recruited more than 9OE 900 new
employees. A large percentage of
these have gone into navy yard,
arsenal and other activities con-
nected with the production of
articles for the defense of our iber-
ties. Many thousands hare ben
placed with the Army and Navy to
handle the vast amount of clerical
and Office work made necessary by
the program, which now becomes
the war effort. Other thousands
have gone into new agencies estab-
lished in connection with this pro-
gram.
Stenographers Needed.
The Civil Service Commission has
placed liaison representatives in the
defense agencies, in order that
prompt service might be given the
operating branches of the Govern
ment. Needed employees often have
been furnished within a few hours
after the request for them has been
received. Problems involving civil
service procedure have been settled