16
The National Civil Service Reform
League Report-1943 Annual Report
The civil service merit system has met
the pressure of war emergency reason
ably well and, as was to be expected,
has made a valuable contribution to the
war effort. The war has brought to the
federal service many persons of unusual
talent and training who in ordinary
times probably would have shunned it.
To encourage them to continue to serve
the government in time of peace, it
more attractive in salary, in opportuni
ties to advance, and in reward for un
usual capacity and accomplishment.
As a consequence of the discredited
spoils sytem, many still think of the
public employee as a "tax-eater” , a
"payroller” , an inefficient and perhaps
corrupt, as an overpaid and under
worked parasite. That this generally
false picture still finds acceptance is
due to the type of employee which the
SPECIAL MEETING OF
spoils
system produced.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Through the merit system, we have
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gained the services of a body of men and
1. Bond for Executive Secretary.
2. Industrial Accident Insurance cov women the vast majority of whom are
working loyally, efficiently, and often
erage.
at great personal sacrifice, to give us the
3. Income Tax Information Return.
essential services which we take for
4. Contingent Liability Insurance.
5. Travel Expense for the Executive granted, but which are indispensable
Secretary. Reimbursement for actual ex to the safety and comfort of life today.
pense incurred, subject to the same lim Among these anonymous workers,
its as all State Departments, as estab moreover, who perform the year-to-
year, unglamorous but necessary tasks
lished by the Board of Control.
The Chairman of the Membership . of government, are many engineers,
scientists, and administrators, who as
Committee gave a brief report.
Mr. Clymer reported he was appoint individuals are almost equally anony
ing a Committee on Education; also mous, but whose achievements are of
that no action had been taken relative great benefit to the world.
to Credit Union activities.
Veterans Preference
Mr. J. G. Smith reported that at the
Most forms of preference work out
Convention of the League of Oregon highly inequitably as among veterans
Cities, held in Portland, Oregon, on May themselves. Generally the preferences
25, 1944, Mr. Herman Kerhli, Executive do not distinguish between veterans
Secretary of the League, spoke at con whom the war has handicapped and who
siderable length on a retirement pro need special aid to fit them for govern
gram for State and Municipal officials. ment employment, and those who suffer
He indicated that the League was mak merely from ordinary minor infirmities
ing a study of such a program and there incurred during the war, but not re
was every indication that they would sulting from actual combat or exposure
sponsor and support legislation at the due to war. The recruit discharged for
1945 Legislature to carry this program psychiatric defects after the briefest
into effect.
service in training will receive, in many
There being no further business, the instances, the same consideration as the
meeting adjourned.
veteran seriously disabled overseas, but
will be necessary to make the service
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