ROSA: REORGANIZED CIVIL SERVICE 549 



systematic public reports by the Civil Service Commission and 

 the Budget Bureau would accomplish wonders in the government 

 serv'ice. 



12. THE RECLASSIFICATION REPORT 



Many of the changes suggested above are contained in the 

 bill drawn up by the Congressional Reclassification Commission, 

 and given in its report. The outstanding features of that re- 

 port, which are also given above, are as follows : 



(i) The standardized system of positions, with duties defined and 

 compensation fixed, applying to all departments alike and taking the 

 place of present statutory and lump-fund positions. 



(2) Provision for amending the specifications or adding new posi- 

 tions from time to time as needed. 



(3) The rates of compensation provided in the schedule which are 

 made a part of the bill are more nearly adequate than those now in 

 effect, although the increase over present compensation, estimated by 

 the Commission to be on the average less than ten per cent, is certainly 

 conservative.^ 



(4) Provision for a Civil Service Advisory Council of a representative 

 character and of personnel committees in the various departments and 

 subdivisions thereof. 



(5) Provision for appeals and the hearing of complaints on any mat- 

 ter coming under the jurisdiction of the Civil Service Commission. 



(6) Removal of present restrictions covering transfers from one de- 

 partment to another. 



(7) Provision for efficiency ratings upon which increases or decreases 

 in compensation shall be made. 



These important provisions constitute the main features of 

 the reorganized civil service, and it is believed that the diffi- 

 culties discussed below can be easily remedied without injury to 

 the system, but on the contrary with great benefit to the service. 

 Congress is entitled to the thanks of the executive departments for 

 creating the Reclassification Commission and giving an oppor- 

 tunity for a thorough study of its report. The Commission has 

 done a service of tremendous importance, and presented a plan 

 that merits most careful consideration. Neither Congress nor 

 the Commission, however, would wish to have it enacted into 

 law unchanged if it can be shown that some of its provisions 

 would be detrimental to the best administration. The follow- 



' The Bureau of Labor Statistics and the National Industrial Conference Board 

 find that the cost of living has increased a hundred per cent since 1914. 



