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State Civil Service System for Oregon
By JO H N ANNING
merit. This opportunity has been of
Director and Chairman of Oregon State fered to . state employees through the
Employees Association Committee
recently adopted Civil Service Act. It
on Civil Service
is our duty as citizens and as state
Intelligent participation in govern employees to concern ourselves with
ment is the birthright of every Ameri every detail of this law. Our first obli
can. State government should have our gation is to acquaint ourselves, individ
enlightened attention for it is the back ually, with the various phases of Civil
bone of our own way of life. The fact; Service. By so doing we will be in a
that we in Oregon have been fortunate, position to take advantage of the 6p-
under several administrations, does not portunities offered to us and to be of
justify us in depending upon a continu service to those charged with the re
ation of such luck to carry jjs indefin- sponsibility^ for the administration of
itly through the postwar ; period and the Civil Service Act.
the problems that lie ahead.
In an effort to fulfill this obligation,
A far-sighted legislature and admin the Oregon State Employees Association
istration coupled with the interest of has set up a Civil Service Committee
the tax-payers and the state employees for the purpose of studying all phases
has given the State of Oregon an ex- of Civil Service systems and familiariz
cellëht~Civil Service Mâw based on the ing ourselves and other state employees
principle of merit.
and the public with the principles in
Since the policies of good state gov volved and to develop understanding
ernment must be determined by our and appreciation that we may be of
elected and appointed officials, and car some assistance to the recently appoint
ried out bystate employees, it-follows ed Civil Service Commission in estab
that the efficiency and success of state lishing an equitable set of Merit Rules
government and the service . which it and Regulations.
renders, rest upon the character and
The recently enacted legislation, ex
capacity of the men and women who cellent though it is, merely provides a
constitute it. Thus the, key to good framework around which may be built
state government lies in well selected, a Civil Service System, good or bad.
well trained and well supervised per Naturally it is our desire to see that
sonnel encouraged by, opportunity to the clearly defined wish of the Oregon
advance in the service on the basis of legislature is carried out by educating
pur membership in some of the things
THE PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
which they may expect from such a
.(Continued from Page 2)
system , as well as some of the obliga
Should those early plans, coordinated tions which they owe to it.
into one satisfactory to the Social Se
So far the only concrete action taken
curity Board, be promptly adopted for by the Civil Service Commission has
the particular classes of employment been the appointment of - Professor
covered by the early systems; and should William Griffith, present directot of
plans for other classes of employment, the Merit Council which now governs
utilized in other divisions and formul the State Unemployment Compensation
ated in cooperation with the divisions Commission, the State Board of Health
involved, be adopted as quickly as for and the Public Welfare Commission
mulated, the state’s man-power prob personnel system, as tempofary director
lem would be greatly improved.
(Continued on Page 4 ) ^