Evening star., 1948-08-24
U. 5. Officials, Union
Chiefs Laud FIemming
AT Farewell Banquet

NIIiVIS kUuu lIVuIlisiuS
AT Farewell Banquet
More than TOO top Government
officials. members of Congress and
representatives of Federal employees
unions joined last night in paying
tribute to retiring Civil Service
Commissioner Arthur s. Flemming
Mr.. Flemming, who is leaving the
Federal service at the end of this
week to assume the presidency of
Ohio Wesleyan University, was hon.
ored at banquet held in the main
ballroom of the Mayfiower Hotel.
Former President Hoover, De-
Tense Secretary Forrestal, Chairman
LANCER of the Senate Civil Service
Committee, and Donald Dawson,
administrative assistant to Presi-
dent Truman, were among those
who praised Mr.. Flemming's service
10 the Government since he came
to the commission in 1893.
In his final speech as commits
sioner, Mr.. Flemming told the. as
Semblage much remains to be done
to improve the workings of the
Government.
Urges Character Investigations.
He declared the Government
should take more care in finding
out something about the character
OF the persons 1t puts into offices
OF public trust.
Mr.. Flemmlng also sharply criti-
cized the 'hit-or- miss" promotion
system now in effect in the Govern
ment.
There is still too much of an
opportunity for two-by-four bu-
reaucratic bosses to develop polit-
ical Kingdoms of their own at the
expense of good government" he
asserted.
Also, the speaker declared, some
OF our administrators need to de-
Velop sitter backbones when it
comes to the discharge Of persons
who have no business being in the
Federal service"
Mr.. Flemming called for the lift
Ing OF the Federal salary ceiling to
at least $4,000 a year"
Taxing a crack at the timidity Of
some agency heads to defend their
policies before committees of Con-
2ress and who send subordinates
instead, Mr.. Flemming declared:
we need to obtain a far better
acceptance than we have up to
now of the fact that it is the re-
Sponslbility of political officehold-
ers at the heads of agencies, and
not Of career civil servants, to de-
fend the policies and actions of
those departments before congress
Slonal committees
The outgoing commissioner also
asserted that quality of administra-
tors and supervisors in the Gov
ernment must be improved.
IN message sent to the dinner,
former Civil Service Commissioner
Leonard D. White called Mr.. Flem-
ming "one Of the two genuinely
great Civil Service Commissioners
In the history of the Uniteo States"
The other one was Theodore Roose-
welt. who served as commissioner
before going on to become President
OF the United States.
Senator LANCER, in his message
noted th9t Ohio has produced
many great Governors He de-
clared that Mr.. Flemming may vet
ioin the list of Ohios illustriouS
chief executives"
Hoover Praises Ability.
Mr.. Hoover said it was a great
pity" the, Government is losing Mr..
Flemming's services He praised Mr..
Flemming's fine abilities on behalf
OF his Government"
Mr.. Dawson, who Is President
Trumans personnel adviser, de-
clared that Arthur F1emming has
been identified with every progress
Sive and constructive movement In
the Government during the past 10
years"
Mr.. Flemming's colleague. Com
missioner Frances Perkins. declared
that his leadership during the war
saved the civil service merit sys-
tenn more than any other one man."
Former Representative Robert
Ramspeck of Georgia, who was
chairman of the House Civil Service
Committee for many years, also
credited Mr.. Flemming with pro-
tecting the merit system during the
war years, when the Government
doubled its work force and there
was great pressure to junk the civil
service system for the time being.
Secretary Forrestal declared that
few men have contributed more
to the cause of good Government
than Arthur Flemming."
He has always been on the side
Of angels Of helpfulness-not of the
gremlins of red tape" Mr.. Forrestal
said.
Leaders OF the various Govern
ment employees unions also paid
tribute to Mr.. Flemming. They
were Luther c. Steward, president
of the National Federation of Fed
eral Employees: Berniece B. Heffner,
acting president of the AFT Amer
lean Federation of Government EN-
ployes, and Jerome J. Keating, Sec
retary of the National Association
Of Letter Carriers.
Among the other speakers were
former Representative Jennings
Randolph of West Virginia, a for
mer chairman of the House Civil
Service Committee: Lawson A.
Meyer. executive director of the
Civil Service Commission, and DR..
Paul Douglass. president OF Ameri-
can University. Mr.. Mover also
was general chairman OF the affair.
and Francis P. Brassor. another
commission official, handled the ar
rangements
Mr. Fleplming will retain his
membership in the Hoover commits
sion studying Reorganization of the
Government. and will also continue
to act as personnel adviser to the
Atomic Energy Commission.
Workers Move House