Evening star., 1949-01-25


complete change in the present
setup that Hoover commission men,
bers apparently feel further plan
ming on some of the proposals is
necessary. That's why q proposal
will be made accompanying the
report asking that the President
appoint a special unpaid commits
sion to coordinate the proposals
into working plan.
The forthcoming recommendations
have such great significance for
Government employees that some OF
the proposals deserve q little more
detailed treatment than the exigen-
cies Of space permitted here yester-
day.
FIRINGS-The Hoover report will
be quite caustic about what it
asserts is the red tape" which
prevents the Government from get
ting rid Of all It's incompetent en-
ployes.
The report is expected to declare
that the separation Of inefncient
and unnecessary employees has been
surrounded with so much red
tape" rs to inhibit action on the
part Of the supervisor. While the
report comedies that some employees
of this type have been dropped
from the payroll, 1t contends that
not nearly enough Of them have.
Accordingly, the Hoover group will
propose that efficiency ratings be
dispensed with. The report will
state, in effect:
One Of the chief factors prohibit
ing the removal of deadwood from
the Government payroll is the fact
that, on an unsatisfactory rating,
an employe has four different ap-
peals-to his supervisor, personnel
office, the head Of the agency and
to an independent appeal board.
Supervisory ofiicials now are COM
PEELED to produce documented bill!
of particulars at great trouble and
loss of time. In consequence, there
are very few ratings less than fair,
and there is resulting general
apathy in connection with getting
rid of incompetent workers.
The Hoover group recommended
ton would do away with the present
system. 1t would permit a super
visor to recommend an employees
firing to the agency, working
through the personnel ONCE. En-
ployes with less than one year OF
service could be fired summarily
following a secret investigation OF
the facts by the personnel director
or the oesignee of the agency head
or assistant.
Employees with more than one year
of service would be entitled to q
hearing, which would be the only
appeal they would have within their
department or agency. 1t the
agency ruled against them they
would be dismissed, but they would
have the right to appeal to the
Civil Service Commission.
This last feature would give Fed
eral career employees right they
do not have n0w. At present non
veteran career employees cannot ap-
peal these disnissalS to the Civil
Service Commission.
If the commission ruled in an
employees favor, the agency would
have to re-employ him, but IN
different job better suited for him.
Once an agency dismissed an en-
ploye, it would not re-employ him in
his old job. even if the commission
ruled in his favor.
The Hoover group feels these pro-
posals regarding firings would not
only aid the Government in getting
rid of incompetents, but would also
protect employees from injustice.
VETERANS PREFERENCE-The
Hoover Commission will recommend
modification Of veterans preference
in Government ion-in-force
programs, asserting that the present
system, whereby nonveteran en-
ploye with 20 or rs years Of service
can be displaced by a nonveteran
with one or two years Of service, Is
'indefensible."
Accordingly. the Hoover group
will recommend the abolition OF ah-
solute job rights based on veterans