Evening star., 1953-11-04
Jane Hoey Shows No Ill Will
After Policy Job Dismissal
Director of Federal
Assistance Rejected
Chance to Resign

|
the Government after 18 years
service. Miss Jane M. Hoey dis
plays a remarkable lack of Bit
terneSs. In fact, she shows no
trace of i'll will.
MY principal concern" she
said softly today, sis for the
millions of people who need help
under the program I have
directed. I sincerely hope the
administration will find COM
petent. qualified person to be my
successor.
With that comment, Miss
Hoey prepared to vacate her
position as director of the Fed
eral Bureau of Public Assistance.
1t is a $12,500 job for which a
Republican selected her in 1886.
Her dismissal, effective on
December /, was announced late
yesterday by Mrs. Oveta CUP
Hobby. secretary of the Depart
ment of Health, Education and
Welfare. 1t will enable the
Eisenhower administration to
! appoint a director of its own
choosing.
/ The successor will inherit a
staff of 255 persons. charged with
the responsibility of providing
assistance in four categories:
The needy aged, the blind. the
permanently and totally dis
abled and dependent children
living in their own homes with
parent or a relative. The pro-
gram is costing well over 81 bill
lion a year.
Got Hint Last Spring.
The firing was not exactly a
surprise to Miss Hoey, red
haired woman of 81 with vast ex-
perience in the welfare field.
The tip-off came last spring,
when her job was listed by the
Civil Service Commission in the
new Schedule c. This category
consists of policy-making and
/ confidential positions open to po-
litical appointees.
But the first direct word Miss
Hoey received about her impend-
ing custer came on October 81,
in conference with Nelson A.
Rockefeller, Undersecretary of
Health, Education and Welfare.
At that time. he gave her an op-
portunity to resign. She de-
clined.
Afterwards, Miss Hoey received
a letter from Mr.. Rockefeller,
which said, in part:
IT appreciated very much your
frankness in our discussion
regarding the administrations
point of view on the appoint
ment of its representatives to
key policy positions throughout
the Government.
Disagree on Interpretation.
Insofar as its application con-
Germs the dictatorship of the Bu-
reau of Public Assistance, think
there is an honest difference be-
tween us You expressed the
opinion that this position in
wolves policy formulation but not
policy determination and that,
therefore, the position should
not be filled by an administration
representative.
However, as I pointed out, it
is our sincere conviction that
this distinction cannot be drawn,
particularly in a program which
has the Importance and magni-
tude of the Public Assistance
Program. involving annual
grantS-in-aid of over ST billion
distributed throughout the States
and Territories.
THE work of the Bureau of
Public Assistance involves con-
stant policy formulation and de-
cision in connection with the in
Vulnerable problems which arise
under the complicated legislative
structure. To attempt to handle
the policy formulation in the bu-
reau and refer policy decision to
a higher level in connection with
the day-to-day operations in this
tremendous program is not, in
our opinion, feasible"
Offered Another Job.
Mr.. Rockefeller said that. for
this reason, Secretary Hobby
asked the Civil Service Commits
sion to classify the job as Sched-
ule c. He added that Secretary
Hobby felt the time had come to
fill the Office with an admins
tration appointee. Then he
assured Miss Hoey:
This decision in no way
reflects any lack of appreciation
of your long record of devoted
service in this field" He also
declared the Secretary would be
glad for Miss Hoey to stay with
the department in another ca
pacity or to exercise the right of
retirement, for which she is
eligible.
Miss Hoey pointed out. in
reply to Mr.. Rockefeller. that
under Schedule C. there are no
longer any requirements for pro-
fessional or technical qualif1ca-
tionS in the job.
Il believe that professional
social work training and expert
ence are essential for this posi-
ton" she said. "The public can
only be assured of the nom
political administration of these
important programs for the
needy If such qualifications are
required for this position and if
the incumbent is assured of being
able to function on a professional
basis.
There is nothing political
about poverty. This was recog-
nized when the social security
programs were initiated by hav-
ing them administered by BIZ
partisan board with staff en-
ployed on the basis of their pro-
feSsional and technical quallfica-