Image provided by: SEIU Local 503; Salem, OR
About The Oregon state employee. (Salem, Oregon.) 1944-195? | View Entire Issue (April 1, 1944)
19 ers from the public service. The bur den of proof as to his right to keep his place, based upon efficient work, must always be placed upon the employee. Third, it is held that the merit system is expensive to administer. It requires a special group of personnel, examina tion costs, etc. This is a difficult ob jection to rebut. O f course, the ad ministration of "spoils” personnel pro cedures is not without cost. Somebody in this type of organization must do the "hiring and firing.” It is possible, if responsibilities for personnel matters were integrated in the merit system, that the costs might be considerably reduced by economies effected. The increasing emphasis on standardized personnel practices in private industrial firms would seem to testify that they have found them to be financially ad vantageous. Finally, it is said that the present time with the absence of millions of our young men and women in mili tary service, is not opportune for the installation of a merit system in the state government. Perhaps no time is ever entirely opportune for the estab lishment of such a system. However, in Oregon the merit system could be established only after an extended pe riod of preparation. The next regular session of the Legislature will convene in January 1945. If the appropriate legislation were passed then, several months would elapse before the merit system organization could be set up, the classification plan completed, and the examination program carried out. It is unlikely that a merit system could be put into effect in Oregon be fore January 1946. It is hoped that that date will see a happier and more normal situation. It is a truism to say that government is asuming more and greater responsi? bilities. These result in an expanded personnel and increased cocts. No one need assume the role of a seer to antici pate the increasing emphasis upon effi ciency and economy in governmental administration. This will inevitable result in an insistence upon the estab lishment and maintenance of the merit principle in governmental personnel ad ministration. The Oregon state govern ment will be no exception to this trend. Pre General Council Meeting of the Board of Directors A Pre General Council Meeting of the Board of Directors was held in the Chamber of Commerce Rooms, Salem, Oregon, February 12, 1944. The meet- Ocean Dock Terminal & Supply Co. Building M aterial Marshfield, Ore. ing was called to order by President W. W. Stiffler at 10 a. m. with the following directors present: W. W. Stiffler, President Forrest Cooper, Vice President I. A. DeFrance, Secretary-Treasurer A. J. Ford, District Director Tom Edwards, District Director E. F. Chidsey, District Director. R. M. Smith, District Director for Dist No. 2, was absent.
