Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-08-15

provision requiring that a ma
jority Of the 3-member Civil
Service Commission approve all
appointments to these grades
.16 to 10 jobs. Besides Mr.. Young,
the other two csc members are
Commissioners George Moore,
Republican; and Fred Lawton,
Democrat.
Under the old law, the Pres
ident had specific authority to
fill jobs calling for GS-18 ($14,-
800 year,. The former law was
less specific on the GS-l6 and
IT jobs. However, 1t was inter-
Ipreted by the administration to
mean that Chairman Young had
sole authority to decide who got
them.
This disturbed members Of
the House Civil Service Com
mittee who felt that such one
man authority could lead to
abuses and building of per-
|sonal empires" in Government
through control Of the super
grade jobs. There was no per-
Isonal criticism directed at Mr.
Young, but it was felt that any
future csc chairman could mis-
use the superior power.
Agreement Required
Consequently, the committee
approved a provision requiring
the approval of the majority Of
the three civil service commits
EsionerS on all GS-16 to Is jobs.
This was adopted by Congress
and signed into law by the
President as part of the Federal
pay act.
The committee felt that a more
representative and more equit-
able selection and distribution
of super-grade jobs would result
from the new system. with less
political and personal patronage
involved. There are 1900 GS-16
to 10 jobs in Government.
49,
NEW CLAIMS REFUSED
The General Accounting Office
lis returning all new claims for
wartime holiday pay to the ap-
Iplicants. The GAO says that the
Statute of Limitations prevents
considering any claims filed
more than 10 years after the
period for which extra pay is
being sought.
AS a result of the recent
United States Court Of Claims
decision awarding holiday back
pay to Federal per diem work.
iers who worked holidays during
World War II, thousands of new
claims have been filed by per
diem employees who failed to file
previously.
The GAO is holding the claims
filed before the court action I'M
til final disposition of the cases
lis completed. This could be
many more months If the Gov
eminent appeals to the Supreme
Court. Employe groups plan to
seek legislation from Congress
next year to allow the filing of
new claims. If such legislation
lis enacted, the GAO says it
would accept claims from en-
ployes who did not file previous
to the court decision.
Incidentally. the back holiday
pay cases involve only per diem
workers and do not affect CLASH
fed or postal employees.
kE&
FLEMING AWARDS - The
Washington Junior Chamber of
Commerce has announced the
eighth annual Arthur S. Flem-
ming awards program for out
standing young men in the Fed
eral Government.
Ten awards will be made-five
to those in the scientific or tech
nical fields and five to those in
the administrative and executive
fields. The awards are in honor
of the former Civil Service Com
missioner who presently is Di-
rector of the Office of Defense
Mobilization.
Eligible are men employees of
the Government who have not
reached their 40th birthdays be-
fore January /, 1866. Depart
ments and agencies must submit
their nominations of candidates
by November /. Both Washing
ton and field service employees