Evening star., 1949-02-13


give agencies Joseph Young.
the right to handle their own
transactions involving hiring, dis
missals. promotions and other
personnel actions. subject only TO
Civil Service Commission super
vision.
The Veterans Of Foreign Wars
already have written to President
Truman criticizing the decentral-
ization proposals and urging that
they be rejected.
The American Legion has not
committed itself as yet. It has
assigned its veterans preference
committee to make full study Of
the Hoover group proposals and
to make a full report to the Legion.
j.. In announcing this move. the
Legion said its first concern was
THAT veterans retain the full
measure of employe rights and
preference established by Con-
Igress."
CAPITOL HILL-Chairmen Muir
ray and Johntson Of the
House and Senate Civil Service
Committees. the groups that would
handle the legislative proposals
that might be submitted to put
many of the Hoover recommended
tions In effect, said they preferred
not to voice their views on the
report until they had studied 1t
more thoroughly.
Mr.. Murray termed the pro-
posals revolutionary" IN scope
and said that it would require de-
tailed study by his group.
Senator Johnston said he "fav-
ored some proposals. and opposed
Others" although he added that
he would have to study the report
more closely before making de-
tailed comment on 1t. Senator
Johnston did indicate. however,
that he opposes the recommended
ton that would allow the Execu-
tive Branch of the Government to
set its own salary rates. under
terms of the floor and ceiling that
would be set by Congress,
Representative Reese Republi-
can, of Kansas, the ranking Re
publican member Of the House
Civil Service Committee, also de-
ferred comment until perusing the
Hoover report more thoroughly.
Mr.. Rees said however. that he
always has opposed further decen-
traiization Of personnel authority
to the individual bureaus.
COMMISSION-Although they
are saying nothing publicly. many
Civil Service Commission officials
are all set to oppose the recon-
mendations that would delegate
much of the commissions present
authority and responsibility to the
various agencies.
Involved in this opposition, Of
course, is the matter of prestige.
Most commission officials. al
though not all, feel that its con-
templated role as a supervisory
body that would set the standards
and check to see that they are
obeyed, would be vastly less i'm
portant than it is today.
B. Ketchum. the
legislative representative Of the
Veterans of Foreign Wars, said his
group wrote President Truman
several months ago when reports
first circulated that the Hoover
group would call for decentrali-
zation of personnel transactions.
In answer to the VFW's sharp
criticism, President Truman re-
piled that their views would re-
ceive serious consideration"
Mr.. Ketchum said yesterday
that the VFW would strongly op-
pose the Hoover proposals in this
regard. He asserted that it would
lead to fragrant personnel pat
ronage and a return to the spoils
system"
1T would narrow veterans
preference and eventually destroy
it," he declared.
Mr.. Ketchum added that the
proposals would hurt" nonvet-
Grams as we'll because 1T would
drastically weaken the merit
system"
SUPPORT-Those criticizing the
decentralization aspect of the
Hoover personnel report have