Evening star., 1954-10-27
Jobs Patronage
Plan Defended
By Eisenhower
Only Seeking Best
People for Federal
Posts, He Declares


declared that the White Houses
latest directive to Republican
Congress members and agency
heads on handling Federal job
patronage Is not intended to
apply political considerations to
civil service jobs.
Asked at his press conference
about the White House job
clearing move, President Eisen-
hover said he has personally ap-
proved the new Federal person.
mel recruitment program. The
President was emphatic in de-
claring the move had his bless
ing.
The program is nothing in the
world but an effort to get the
best people in Government and
to get the White House out OF
political job channels, Gen.
Eisenhower declared.
Cites Orders to officials.
A few minutes after he an
swered the question, the Presi-
dent, who evidently still had the
subject in his mind, volunteered
that no responsible official in
the Eisenhower administration
have had orders in recruiting
for civil service jobs that a mans
party aff1liation makes no differ
ence.
President Eisenhower said the
new program is designed to have
the Republican National Com
mittee and members of Congress
refer job applicants to positions
in Government for which they
are qualified.
The White House letter to the
various Congress members said
the jobs involved would be those
which could be filled immedi-
ately. These jobs would involve
excepted (non-civil service po-
sitions) as well as the so-called
1908" jobs which are under civil
service but for which no civil
service job registers exists. The
agencies can recruit directly for
these 1908" jobs without giving
ef1ams, although applicants must
meet minimum civil service quail
ifications.
President Eisenhower said the
main thing behind the pro-
gram was tc get the Federal
job patronage business away
from the White House as much
as possible. He said the various
forms were being distributed to
the agencies so that records can
be kept and if anything went
wrong the White House wouldn't
be responsible.
Signed by Adams Aide.
The directive was signed by
Charles F. Willis, an aide to
Sherman Adams, the assistant
to the President.
The program also sets up a re-
porting system whereby Federal
agencies will make weekly re-
ports to the Republican National
Committee and the White House
on the job vacancies available in
the bureaus.
Earlier, White House Press
Secretary James Hagerty said
the order was nothing new"
ut is not designed in any way
to destroy or interfere with the
civil service system" Mr.. Hager-
ty declared. 1T is merely
system to keep track of recon-
mendations for filling non-civl
service jobs that come from
members of Congress"
The forms list excepted as well
as competitive (civil service) jobs.
Republican officials said the
White House program is not de-
signed to apply to competitive
jobs under civil service but only
to excepted jobs in schedules A, B
and c and those which can be
filled by direct recruitment. They
said the listing of competitive
jobs in the weekly reports was
required "only to give the ad-
ministration an overall picture
OF the Federal job situation"
Clearance Step Was Rescinded.
Some months ago Mr.. Willis
sent notice to agencies requir-
ing them to clear all job ap-
pointments and promotions in
grades GS-14 $4,000 a year,
and above. Later when the
Civil Service Commission pro-
tested that this violated the civil
service laws, the order was re-
scinded.
Mr.. Willis letter to Republican
Congress members was dated Oc-
tober II and contained a four
page covering letter explaining
in detail the personnel procure
ment procedure" to be used.
Also included in the letter was
(See JOBS, Page A-18.)