Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-11-27

4
This view was expressed
ljr.. the Civil Service Commi.
speech before the Society fc
THE Naval Gun Factory.
Mr.. Macy, who is resignine
as commission executive direc-
tor in February to become
executive vice president OF
Wesleyan University. pulled NO
punches as he stressed the need
for more fiexibility and free
dom in Government personnel
actions.
1.-THE American people will
now more than ever before look
to their Government for the
solution Of the unprecedented
problems of today and tomor-
row, problems Of the revolu-
tionary scientific age into
which we are already moving"
Mr.. Macy declared.
But the Government is not
an electronic brain, an au-
tomato robot, or a multi-stage
rocket" he added. 1T never
will be. It is a human instru-
ment, made up Of people. It
can never be better than the
people functioning within it
and the facilities - the phys
Ilcal, organizational and inspira-
tional facilities - provided for
them to work with"
Mr.. Macy said it Is UP to the
Governments personnel man
agement branch to keep pace
with the requirements Of adj
vanced technology and to equip
the Government with ade-
quate competency in manage
ment to meet these demands. 1"
The csc oficial said ut is
impossible to overstate the
need for administrative fiexi-
bility in managing Federal
programs"
At present, Mr.. Macy said,
this effort is continually ham
dicapped through the IMPOSE
ton Of added controls and re-
strfctions on management that
tend to inhibit, shackle' and
ultimately stifie the executive
competence and Judgment
which is so badly needed"
EXAMPLES - Citing exam
pies of what he meant, Mr..
Macy noted:
I'VE still have with us, for
example. the apportionment
system and the members-of-
family rule, which probably
served q good purpose when
they were adopted but which
are not relevant to modern
tight labor-market conditions.
"The Governments COMPETE
tive position Is worsened
through prohibitions on reim-
bursement Of interview travel,
medical examination costs,
travel to duty station and re-
location costs in transfers be-
tween locations. For some rea-
son. management discretion in
authorizing attendance at con-
ference or training sessions is
virtually non : existent. And
there is evidence of efforts to
enact even further restraints
with the threat Of punitive
penalties to inhibit creative
management Judgment.
I'VE may be paying dearly
today for restraints such as
these" He noted that some
critics charge that this coun-
try's apparent loss of leader
ship in the space" race is due
not SO much to money or lack
of scientific skill as to a lack
of management talent.
The csc official also called
for a more flexible Government
pay system under which Fed
eral salaries can be adjusted
more quickly to meet COMPETE
tive industry pay.
"A pay schedule is inadequate
If it can only be changed by
political action. or if it fails to
secure and retained the re-
quired number of high-quality
people because its rates are
tagging far behind our princi-
pal competitors. 1t is a prime
necessity that Government pay
be in a constructively COMPETE
tive relationship with pay out
side Government"
Mr.. Macy also said the Gov
eminent lacks sufficient author
ity to train employees for more
important and responsible jobs.
The need for such legislation
is even more imperative in light
OF the Controller Generals
recent decisions narrowing the
Governments present limited
range of training authority, Mr..
Macy said.