Evening star., 1948-11-11
Hoover Asks End
.0fU. 5. Hiring
ByCiivi| Service
Nomine Postmosters
Without Approval of
Senate Also Urged
By Joseph Youno

oAAAAoA D u c IL U aeTDerC
Hoover today urged that the
Civil Service Commission be
stripped of its hiring functions
and that the 10000 postmaster
jobs throughout the country be
removed from politics entirely.
Mr. Hoover told a press conference
that the 12-member Commission on
Reorganization of the Government
which he heads probably will recon-
mend that the individual Federal
departments and agencies be given
the power to have, with the Civil
Service Commission having the re-
sponsibility of setting up and enforc-
ing these recruiting standards.
Other recommendations which
Mr.. Hoover said his group would
probably make to Congress and
President Truman include:
l. Strengthening rather than
weakening of the Labor Department.
We're not going to tear anything
out OF it, as some people have
thought" Mr.. Hoover remarked.
2. Creation of a service" agency
to be a presidential staff unit. It
would embrace the budget making
activities, personnel, accounting and
procurement functions which now
service the rest of the Government.
The top men of these agencies
would take care of some of the
routine administrative policies which
the President now has to administer.
3. Strengthening of the Govern
ment's career system by granting
pay raises to Federal employees in
the $5,000-and -above categories.
Regarding the Post Office Depart
ment, Mr.. Hoover said all post
masters should be appointed on q
merit basis and not be subject to
confirmation by the Senate. The
only exception to this would be the
Postmaster General and a suggested
new official job-director of posts
who would take over the duties of
the various Assistant Postmaster
Generals.
No Politics in Problems.
Asked whether he felt that the
Democrats upset victory in the
recent election would affect the
chances of the commissions recon-
Mr. Hoover replied that
Congress had voted unanimously to
set up the commission and that it
operated on nonpartisan basis.
There is no politics in the prob
lens before us at any point, Mr..
Hoover said.
The former President denied re-
ports that the commission intended
to make recommendations about the
Governments added economic and
social activities adopted during re-
cent years.
ANY major function of Govern
ment is determined by the Govern
ment," he said. 1T is not our duty
to determine if they should exist,
but to make them operate better"
Mr.. Hoover also told reporters he
personally thought that one or two
new Government departments are
necessary. He emphasized, however,
that that was only his personal view
and that the commission had not
yet decided policy in this regard.
Asked to name the new depart
ments he favored, Mr.. Hoover said
he would rather not elaborate new.
Another recommendation which
the former President indicated the
commission would put forward is
the transformation of the Post
Once Department into a self
sufficient revolving fund agency.
MIR. Hoover said the departments
current $31O,O00,0O0 deficit had been
created by circumstances mostly
beyond the control" of postal off,
cials.
The commission, ne said, will urge
higher postal rates on publications
and a Streamlining of the depart
ment's administrative services.
Todays press conference was the
first held by the commission since
1t began it's work IA months ago.
Mr.. Hoover indicated that additional
conferences might be held between
now and the middle of next Janu-
ary when the commission is sched-
uled to submit its report to Congress
and the President
Many Findings Still to Come.
1t was emphasized that many of
the commissions task forces have
not reported their findings, and the
subjects discussed today were rec
concentrations taken up during the
past few days by the commission.
In the field of the Governments
service agencies-those which serv-
ice other Federal bureaus - Mr..
Hoover said it was essential that the
agencies set up an independent
staff-service unit for the Presidents
convenience.
At present. the President is bur-
dened by too much minute detail
and does not have enough time to
concentrate on major policy items,