Evening star., 1943-03-19
Civil Service
Offers Plan
For Training
Four-Point Proposal
Is Given Members
Of House Committee

Arthur S. Flemming. member of
the Civil Service Commission, today
proposed four-pOint program for
training employees for the Federal
Government, particularly stenog-
raphers and typiSts, and called it the
best future investment the Govern
ment can make
The plan was placed before the
House Civil Service Committee after
Chairman Ramspeck and Repre-
sentative Randolph. Democrat. of
west Virginia, had protested against
what they termed the run around"
mat private schools are getting in
thelr effort to do war service in
the training Of employees for civil
service positions.
Why not let accredited business
schools do good job in behalf of
the war effort?" Mr.. Randolph asked
The subject was brought up when
Mr.. Randolph laid before the hear
ing letter from Mrs. Adria B. Lyn-
nam, representing the Washington
School for Secretaries. She said she
had been trying for four months to
get an opportunity to help in the
training of the stenographers and
typlstS. The letter was addressed to
Dlllard LaSseter. who is in charge of
the Federal personnel investigation
under Mr.. Ramspeck's direction
Nothing Done Yet.
She said in the letter that the
War Production Board had advised
she should submit her application to
agencies concerned in the trainee
program. Finally, she said she had
hearing before the Budget Bureau
But nothing has been done about it.
she said. adding that she didn't ex-
pect anything would be done.
Supporting Mr.. Randolphs pro-
test Chairman Ramspeck produced
clipping from an Atlanta (GaD
paper which showed that the War
Department was paying S105 a
month to trainees and sending them
to a business school. The same sit
uation exists in Macon Ga, he said,
where the schools are being paid as
we'll as the trainees.
Government cannot be happy over
this apparent run around" He said
the Civil Service Commission has no
operating responsibility and that, in
his opinion, training Of applicants
for appointment is actually man
agement function. He said that the
four-point program appeals to the
Civil Service Commission as sound. |
Four Point Program.
The program called for:
First, defense training funds of F.
the Once of Education should be
made available in any part of the
country where shortage is shown |
to exist of trained personnel for the .
Government.
Second. that facilities of both
public and private schools should be
used for this work under the direc-
ton of the Office of Education.
Third, that this service for train
Ing should be at no cost to the
'ralnees and should include unem-
oloyed, those who may be employed
and are ambitious to give service to
he Government, and those on the
payroll who may be
assigned to training courses.
Fourth, that the Government bu-
reaus do not attempt to engage in
training programs themselves until
1t has been shown that public and
private schools are not able to meet
the need.
Chairman Ramspeck said that
that was "spendid statement but
where does it lead?" Mr.. Fleming
questioned whether the Office of
Education has authority to add ste
nographers and typists to the de-
fenses training list and whether the
language Of the appropriation is
broad enough to extend to stenog-
raphers and typists, but said he
thought they could be included.
Hits High-Priced Chiefs.
Congress and the people of the
country are opposed to the hiring of
any more high-priced Federal ad-
ministrators, Chairman Ramspeck
said.
There are many on Capitol Hill
who feel that we have enough of
these people now" he told Com
missioner Flemming.
Mr.. RamSpeck declared the COM
mission should clamp down on re-
cruiting for civil service positions.
Mr.. Flemming replied that much
wasted manpOwer in the Federal
service in Washington is due 10
wildcat recruiting programs" of the
early war months. He emphasized
that the commission now is halting
recruiting through newspaper and
radio programs
Both Mr.. Randolph, the ranking
Democrat on the committee, and
Representative ReeS. ranking Re
publican, argued that some agencies
are still recruiting through display
paper advertisements MI Flem-
ming answered that the commits
sion has no authority to pay for
advertising and as far as he knew
the agencies did not have authority.
but promised that the commission
would submit a report to The in
VeStlGating committee regarding
such advertising.