Evening star., 1946-11-17
Miss Perkins Opposes FIemming on Issue
Of Personal Freedom for u. S. EMPLOYEES

employees
ernment workers should be allowed
TO do what they like after working
hours, within reason.
Recreation Program Hit.
Miss Perkins disapproves the
after office -hours recreation pro-
grams planned by Federal agencies
for their employees. Most people
are intelligent enough to seek and
find their own cultural pursuits"
she contends.
She and Mr.. Flemming are in
agreement on some things. For ex-
anzrae, they both believe that there
Is I1Q8place in the Government for
con14unists, fascists or other. dis
loyak elements. They slso agree. that
Fedaxal workers do not hxves the
righE to strike against the Govern
ment.
MIR. Flemming warmly approves
the Hatch Act forbidding Federal
workers participation in political
caEnpaigns although he does be-
1--we ttlAt some of the acts Spuni-
I'VE MEASURES are q bit too harsh
Contrary to reports Miss Perkins
has not expressed her opposition to
the act, whatever her personal feel
ings may be. THE law is the law
and we must enforce it," she said.
DANGER of SDoiIs Svsfa,n
1t would seem, however, that Miss
Perkins is not very enthusiastic
about many provisions of the act.
Mr.. Flemming's stand is that If
Federal employees engaged in poll
tics 1t would lead to the return of
the spoils system and the wreckage
OF the civil service career system.
1t Is on investigation of employees
that Mr.. Flemming and Miss Per-
kins are In wide disagreement. Miss
Perkins has accused the commits
sion Of asking impertinent and un-
caiied-for questions on its applica-
ton blanks, particularly about ply
sical defects.
She also is opposed to "snooping''
investigators checking UP on Fed
eral oficeholders and job appli-
cants.
Queries Called Too Personal.
What difference does it make to
us II man entertains ladies in
his room?" she asks. How is this
going to reflect on his ability to do
his job?" OF course, Miss Perkins
adds. Federal employees are expected
to conduct themselves '.in a man
ner befitting ladies and gentlemen. !"
But Miss Perkins, who has the dis
tincticn of having been the only
woman cabinet member in the Ma
tons history when she served un-
der President Roosevelt as Secre-
tary OF Labor, believes that the
Government does too much snoop-
ing into affairs "that are none of
its business"
Mr.. Flemming declares that
thorough investigations are needed
to weed out Fascists, Communists
and fellow-travelers who seek to
inf1ltrate into the Government.
The people of the United States
have right to demand that the
Government be free of subversive
elements Mr.. Flemming said. He
Is concerned whenever investigators
go beyond their prerogatives in max
ing inquiries. but he believes that
there are few such instances.
Further Restrictions Urged.
Mr.. Flemn1ing also believes that
the Federal employees freedom must
be restricted further "by those prin-
ciples which are an integral part of
a developing code of ethics in the
Federal service" For example, Mr.,
Flemn1ing says that a Government
employe cannot substitute his views
for those who, at particular mo-
ment, are charged by the American
people to formulate policy.
"His freedom of action is restricted
to the extent that he must subor-
dinate his own views to do the best
possible job of administering a
policy with which he may be in COM
Iplete disagreement Mr.. Flemming
said.
Another thing that Mr.. Flemmine
declares vital to operation of the
Government is a requirement that
Federal employees cannot accept gifts
or hospitality during or after office
hours (which would tend to under
mine the confidence of his fellow
citizens in his ability to deal with
public problems in an objective
manner"
Mitchell's Views Undetermined.
Miss Perkins believes In these es.
|sentials, but she thinks that Gov.
ernment personnel people ar,
"over- organized that they i1aras.
their employees with too many reg.
ulations. She facetiously remarked
recently that she could forsee tn.
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