Evening star., 1955-07-03

nc CIfu 0eIVlcc NCurTcnt Issues
he calls for concerted action to
tions Moreover. the pressures
which inevitably are found at
the White House should not
properly be placed upon the ON
Ger charged with administering
the Federal Governments civil
service system through the
chairmanship Of the Commits
sion. 1t may well be that the
arrangement at first appeared to-
some to be q sound and logical
one. Experience has conclusive
ly proved otherwise. -"
THE persistent removal Of
higher level positions viii have
the effect-already is having the
Ieffect-of placing a damper upon
initiative, enterprise and ambi-
ton. One of the greatest virtues
of a genuine career service is
that it affords employees far larg-
er opportunities for advancement
and thus stimulates them to
higher efficiency and produc-
ltivity. :"
"The growing system of per-
sonal patronage. even when 1t
is pursued by the most patriotic
administrators with the best Of
motives, is contrary to, sound pub
lie policy. In addition to its many
other faults it creates a class
of employees who have come into
the service through the influence
of certain individuals to whom
they owe their appointments and
their tenure and to whom they
are, in an important sense, pri-
marily indebted. They have come
into the service without regard
to civil service: frequently they
have little respect for civil serv-
ice requirements as a whole. The
situation is essentially unhealthy
and it leads inevitably to the
conclusion that Notwithstanding
strenuous attempts to rational
ization there is no such thing
as a good spoils system. -"
PUBLIC SERVICE I'M
PAIRED-"In contrast to other
times all citizens now are di-
rectly and intimately concerned
with the functioning of the Fed
eral Government every day and
in many ways. The problems of
administration have an i'm
mediacy and an urgency for
each individual in the Nation
which would not have seemed
possible even in the relatively
recent past. Today there is
nothing academic about these
problems for upon their sound
solution depends. quite directly,
the well being Of all.
| Actions inimical to the merit
system in the Federal service
thus affect the whole people.
Whether in Federal laboratory
or Office, in forest or on conser-
walton project. in any one OF
1.-THE literally thousands of ad-
ministrative, technical, scien-
tific, professional and crafts
categories, the way Federal en-
lployes are recruited and trained,
and the climate of public opin-
ion in which they carry out their
assignments, all are matters of
vital and continuing concern to
every American. No one now is
remote from the practical, day
by day working problems of
government.
"The United States can no
longer entrust the thousand and
one functions Of government to
persons whose selection has been
decisively influenced by political
considerations. Beyond the limits
Iof strictly policy-making and
Iconfidential posts all Federal po-
lsitions, without exception, should
be included within the competi-
tive service.
Until that has been accom-
Iplished, until the American peo-
pie make it abundantly plain
that they will accept no COM
promises which tend to weaken
rather than strengthen the Ca
.Ireer service, the Federal Govern
|ment will not be the fully effec-
tive instrumentality which these
times so urgently demand.
Both political parties for more
than 80 years have pledged COM
|plete belief in and answering
support for the merit system in
} Federal employment.
1.-THE time is long overdue for
i. redemption Of those pledges in
! ,lfull."