Evening star., 1948-11-24

before the election, 1eelS tnat 10
continue the present agency and
Federal loyalty board setups would
keep the Governments employees
under constant tension.
The fear of having a case re-
opened because of some innocent
action on an employees part will
everlasting plague Government
workers unless the loyalty program
is terminated" Mr.. Davidson said.
Government workers can have lit
tie freedom of thought or action as
things stand now
Those siding with Mr.. Davidson
say that the Civil Service CommiS-
sion can handle the loyalty checks
of Federal job applicants and also
the re-opening of cases of Govern
ment employees already on the job if
sufficient new evidence warrants it,
Mr.. Davidson and others are also
critical of the way some OF the re-
gional Federal loyalty boards are
operating.
They contend that the boards are
placing too much emphasis on an
employees having belonged years ago
to an organization which has been
designated as subversive by the At
torney General.
Although President Truman, in
his loyalty order, emphasized that
mere membership in those groups
meant little unless it could be as
certained that the employe was
closely connected with the organl-
zation, some loyalty boards have not
followed this policy, these officials
say.
Then, too, some loyalty boards are
going too far afield in determining
guilt by association, it is asserted.
The fact that a Government en-
ploye is seen at the same gathering
where known subversive Is present
is no proof that the employe Is
guilty of anything, these officials
say.
Efforts to get the Federal Loyalty
Boards views on how the loyalty
program has Jared have proved un-
availing to date. Operating on the
sound principle of no publicity in
loyalty matters, Chairman Seth W..
Richardson of the Federal Loyalty
Board apparently has carried 1t to
the point of not discussing any Of
the issues with the press. A press
conference might clear the atmos-
Iphere.
BLOOD BANKS-In a recent 10y
atty case before the Fourth Regional
Loyalty Board here, the accused en-
! ploye was questioned as to whether
'tshe had criticized some hospitals
action in separating Negro blood
plasma from white persons blood
plasma.
Asked about this, top Civil Serv-
ice Commission official declared:
"I haven't seen the transcript OF
the case. But II that question were
asked. it was entirely uncalled for
Questions such as those have moth
ing to do in determining persons
loyalty"
TOP PAY-A Senate Civil Service
Subcommittee will hold hearings on
December 13 and IA on legislation to
increase substantially the salaries
of top-bracket Government officials.
In that way, the subcommittee
hopes to have the measure ready
for prompt approval by Congress
when it reconvenes in January. Sen
ator Flanders, Republican, of Ver-
mont is chairman of the subcom-
mittee. The other members are
Senators O'Conor, Democrat, of
Maryland and Baldwin, Republican,
Of Connecticut.
The bill would only cost about
81, ,0O0,0 900 and its sponsors say that
it would save the Government and
the taxpayers many times that
amount by attracting and retaining
in the Federal service people Of
the highest caliber.
!. The hearing will not take up the
subject of Classification Act revi-
sions for the rest of the Government
service. That will be considered as
separate legislation-presumably by
the full Senate Civil Service Com
mittee next year. The House Civil
Service Committee will also take up
general Classification Act revisions
next year.
LABOR-Three more Labor De-
partment employees have received
cash awards for their suggestions
which resulted in improved oper-
ating methods.
They are Mrs Pauline Skoblow,
Joseph Bernstein and Paul M.
Yockey.
CAPITOL ROUNDUP-Preside
William C. Doherty of the National
Association of Letter Carriers has
, been reelected as one of the vice
!, presidents of the AFL. That
scathing attack on the Communist