Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-06-13
BY 1. Edoor Prino

The Joint Congressional Com
mittee on Printing may seek ac-
ton by Congress if necessary to
end an impasse with the Gov
eminent Printing Once over the
committees self -asserted right to
review certain personnel secu-
rity decisions of the GPO.
A spokesman said that if the
executive branch did not ac-
knowledge the authority of
Congress in the matter. the COM
mittee might elect to report out
q bill or offer joint resolution
specifically designating the GPO
as a legislative establishment
and spelling out the powers of
the joint committee headed by
Senator Jenner, Republican. Of
Indiana.
Such an action would follow a
precedent set when the General
Accounting ONCE was named by
law as an organ Of Congress.
The GPO has rejected a con-
tention in a resolution adopted
last Monday Wy the Joint COM
mittee that the latter has au-
thority to receive decisions on
GPO security cases. and the
power to reverse such decisions
when the Public Printer and his
security hearing board disagree.
Both Sides Studying Issue.
And what is more basic, the
GPO has questioned that it is
+ part of the legislature, at least
insofar as personnel matters are
concerned.
The GPO, whose employees are
covered by Civil Service. has
been operating under the Eisen-
hover personnel security pro-
gram since it was established in
May, 1858. The Joint Committee
said that this was done without
proper authority until it APP
proved the action by its resolu-
ton on Monday.
At the moment. both sides are
busily researching the matter.
In his reply to the Joint Com
mittee resolution, Public Printer
Raymond Blattenberger, who
obviously feels he has two bosses
President Eisenhower and the
committee-said that he would
seek advice from the law en-
forcement and security branches
of the Government :"
He asserted that his Office has
operated under. executive orders
having to do with personnel ever
since President Cleveland in 1895
directed that GPO employees be
placed in the competitive Civil
Service.
1.-THE Civil Service Commission
has held that the President of
the United States would have
been without authority to take
this action If our organization
was a part of the legislative
branch of the Government" Mr..
Blattenberger wrote.
Reply IS Criticized.
Chairman Jenner termed Mr..
Blattenberger,s reply very UNI
satisfactory" and announced
that his stan was studying the
various,points raised by the Pub
lie Printer and would prepare a
report on The problem This re-
port is expected ID be ready late
tomorrow Or Tuesday.
There is no dispute over the
tight reins the committee holds
over the non-personnel aspects
Of the -million-a-year buSi-
ness that is the GPO. 1t has a
veto power over proposed con-
tracts with outside Arms to- do
Government printing work and
must approve wage-scale nego-
tiations between the Public
Printer and the journeymen en-
ployes.
In addition, a spokesman
pointed out that the budget for
GPO is contained in legislative
appropriations. Recalling that
the Public Printer originally was
called the Congressional Print
err" and elected solely by the
Senate, he cited the following
section Of Title a, United States
Code. as giving the committee