Evening star., 1953-03-16
Due
0. P.
GET Top Jobs
Martin Says President
Will Lift Democrats
Civil Service Status

The administration today
stepped up a hard hitting drive
to capture for the Republican
Party hundreds of important
Government jobs now filled by
hold-over Truman Roosevelt
Democrats.
At the White House, House
Speaker Martin told reporters
after the Presidents regular
conference with Congressional
leaders that Mr.. Eisenhower will
issue within a few days" an
executive order depriving some
200 to 300 Democratic lligh-level
appointees OF their Civil Service
status.
At the Capitol, Chairman Nc
Carthy of a joint enate-House
committee studying Government
reorganization plans called for a
new law to unite the hands of
all Government bureaus to en-
able them to replace employees
below the top policy level.
And Budget Director Joseph
Dodge, testifying before Senator
McCarthy's committee, indorsed
the idea of new legislation with
the comment that the admins
tration believes lit is a matter
that deserves the attention of
Congress-"
Flemming Attends Farley.
The congressional leaders said
the Presidents order will be is
sued to remove men Republicans
charge were improperly "blan-
keted" into the jobs under Civil
Service.
Arthur S. Flemming, formerly
a member of the Civil Service
Commission and now a member
Of the Presidents Committee on
Reorganization and acting direc-
tor of the Office of Defense
Mobilization, attended today's
meeting.
House Speaker Martin said
technicalities had delayed prep
aration of the order. He added
that it was desired to get it out
speedily on the theory that the
people who voted for Gen. Eisen-
hover were voting for his poll
cies and that the administra.
tion should be permitted to func-
ton with its own advisers in
these top places.
Senator Taft, Republican, Of
Ohio said the order was being
drafted carefully 80 you won't
go further or do less" than is
desired.
Young to Visit White House.
Philip Young, scheduled to
head the Civil Service Commits
sion, arranged to confer late to-
day with White House assistant
Sherman Adams.
The Eisenhower conference
with congressional leaders, Sen
,ator Taft said, did not 60 into
the subject of postmasters. Re-
publicans want to do something
about replacing large numbers
OF Democratic appointees, but
legislation which gave incum-
bentS life tenure constitutes a
stumbling-block.
In emphasizing that the Re-
publicans want to get the policy.
making jobs in their own hands.
Representative Martin said: I'VE
want to get the administration
hitting on eight cylinders-or
Is it IL now?"
Senator Taft said lawyers for
the Federal Security Administra-
ton. Labor Department and
Agriculture Department appeared
to have omitted their own names
in compiling lists of jobs in their
organizations (which do not have
civil service status and thus can
be filed by the new administra-
ton.
Mr.. Taft said the G. o. p.
doesn't want to "clean out the
whole works." so far as routine
Government jobs are concerned.
But he said If legislation is nec-
essary to get Republicans in top
assignments, it will be laid be-
fore Congress.
Chairman Carlson of the SEN
ate Civil Service Committee said
he doesn't believe any legisla-
tion will be needed to handle
postmaster and similar appoint
ments.
Senator Carlson said he ex-
poets Gen Eisenhower to issue
an executive order to nullify
previous civil service examina-
tions and start all over on about
5000 Of the 10000 postmaster
posts that now are untitled.