Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-02-28

Some time ago the Presiden'
wrote to me regarding the Hoover
Commission personnel recon.
mendations which cover relation
ships between the noncareel
political executives and thu
career administrators in thu
Federal service. After indicating
his general approval Of thest
recommendations, the President
stated:
II request that you develops
program of action which take'
these suggestions into account"
In this connection. Presiden
Eisenhower stated:
zone of the most importan'
reports submitted by thu
(Hooverl Commission deals with
personnel with Civil Service.
The Commission points out yer!
effectively the degree to which
better direction Of the affairs o
Government and improvement
i'm the general level of its serv
ices to our people depend upol
improved Federal personnel man
agement.
The commission emphasize
the vital need Of strengthenin
our political executive group AM
offers many valuable suggestion
for meeting this problem. i. TIL
commission also emphasizes tn
need to strengthen the caree
service. 1t is increasingly es
sential to our democratic system
that our career personnel b
competent, well trained and non
partisan.
4 Criteria Developed
/ The commission points to tn
dangers of permitting caree
servants in the course of thei
work to become identified witt
partisan policies. and thus sub
Iject to personal attack. TIL
commission addressed itself +
this difficult and long -standinl
problem and developed criteri,
| for designating the tasks whicl
are appropriate for political ap
polntees as distinguished from
those which should be assigne,
to career employees.
| The commission points on
very properly that its suggeste,
cr.teria must be applied witt
some degree of flexibility. I be
licve that these criteria are has
ically sound and that they pro
vide a useful guide for a prac
tical division of responsible
between these two groups Of pub
lie servants.
Accordingly, it is the desire O
the President that positive &C
ton be taken to improve per
Isonnel management by strength
ening both the political execu
tive and career adminiStrato
groups in Government.
Recommendations
The first three recommends
lions of the Hoover CommiSsio
on personnel and civil serviC
seek to accomplish this objec
tive. In brief, they provide:
Ia. That career administra
tors. as rapidly as possible. b
relieved of responsibility for tn
advocacy or defense OF policit
and programs, and that they b
kept out of political controver
sizes.
Z / (bl That. to the exter
needed, additional noncareer eS
ecutives be provided at the dc
partmental level: and that non
career appointees not be place
in line Of command below caree
administrators.
2. That the President deSie
nate the positions which shoul
be in the noncareer category
accordance with the criteria spe
Gifted in the report. but wit
some flexibility.
To carry out Recommendatio
No. ! ta). the heads of depart
mentS and independent estah
lishments will prepare and pre-
mulgate to their personnel a pc
licy statement which fits the
particular situation. but de
f1nitely carries out the desires {
the President and the Hoovt
Commission recommendations
keep career administrators OF
of political controversies"
/ Two copies Of this policy state
ment should be submitted to tn
executive director. United STATE
Civil Service Commission. With
30 days from the date of tn