Evening star., 1943-02-14
Ramspeck Unit Probe
OF Civil Service 10
Hit Stride This Week
losseter Announces
Appointment Of Two
Stuff Members
By WILL P. KENNEDY.


! The Ramspeck Committees inves.
tigation of all questions affecting
| the Federal Civil Service, designed
to promote economy and efficiency
and release thousands of workers
for essential war work, will swing
into full stride this week.
billiard B. Lasseter, the staff di-
rector, announced last night the
appointment of two major member.
of the Investigators staff. George
j. Shillito, formerly of Kansas City
will conduct general investigations
Miss f. Buckner Blackerby was
named as an assistant staff director
Formerly she was head of the WPA
and OPA pools. She will be ir
charge of clerical work and studies
The appointments are in addition
to that of former Representative
Will Rogers of Oklahoma, who last
week was named as an assistant
staff director.
The investigation Offices will be
taken over tomorrow, Mr.. Lasseter
said. They are IN Rooms 523, 524
and 525, on the fifth floor of the old
House Office Building, previously
occupied by the staff of the George
Washington Bicentennial and Ses-
quicentennial of the Constitution
celebrations. They adjoin the rooms
occupied by the Vinson Naval At
fairs investigating unit.
Probes Under Way.
This will make the 18th investi-
cation being conducted by Congress
Ill by the House side and 7 by
the Senate. n
Mr.. Lasseter explained that there
has been much work already done in
contracting Federal officials and in
digesting complaints of over-staffing
OF various agencies, and lack of
efficiency generally throughout the
entire Federal service.
He said that the work will be
along two special lines-straisht in
vestigation and study of complaints
RECEIVED, and cooperation with ad-
ministrative officers and personnel
to get suggestions and recommended
tions for improvement Of the Fed
eral service.
The staff will consist of about a
dozen persons, Mr.. Lasseter said.
and will be completed before the
close of this week.
Starts Work Tomorrow.
Mr.. Shillito begins his work to-
morrow. He is already we'll known
ABOUT the Capitol, having previously
worked on six Investigations, three
IN the Senate and three in the
House. He has had 10 years of ex-
perlence in investigations.
He started in as a special agent
IN the WPA Division of Investiga-
ton. He worked out of Washington
headquarters, but had an office in
Detroit, from which he conducted
criminal investigations in Michigan
and Ohio. He was next assigned to
the special Senate committee
headed by Senator James F. Byrnes
investigating unemployment and
relief in 1887 and 1888.
| Later on he was with the Senate
Committee on Campaign Expendi-
lures, headed by Senator Morris
Sheppard, continuing through 1885
to February, 1889. He was imme
diately thereafter assigned to House
Appropriations Subcommittee, un.
der Chairman Clifton A. Woodrum
of Virginia, investigating the WPA
for year and half. He had lust
completed that study when he was
assigned to the special Senate COM
mittee investigating campaign ex-
penditures, headed by Senator Gil
lett, Democrat of Iowa. He had q
special temporary assignment with
the Dies Committee investigating
subversive activities and served the
Military Affairs Committee investi-
eating Army camps.