10
National Civil Service League Report of Committee on
Demobilization and Stabilization of the Civil Service
By LEONARD D. WHITE
A t the close of World War II the
civil service will return to its peace
time duties and responsibilities. The
greatest care needs to be taken to pre
serve and extend the basic principle of
merit and fitness.
The federal executive civil service
on July 1, 1940 totaled 1,002,820. It
has expanded greatly during the war
period, and on January 1, 194$ totaled
about 2,860,000.
Different estimates have been made
of the probable size of the public ser
vice after the war. There is agreement
that the federal service will not shrink
to its 1940 level, but may be stabilized
at about 1,500,000 employees. State
and municipal services will probably
expand considerably beyond the 1940
level. The federal service, will probably
release about 1,$00,000 workers.
A survey is now being made by the
Bureau of the Budget to determine
what agencies are likely to be discon
tinued or considerably curtailed, what
agencies may expand, and what new
agencies may be needed. A plan should
be devised for making talent already in
the government service available to
agencies that can best use such talent,
rather than recruiting new employees
from outside the service. It will be ne
cessary also to give consideration to
the claims of returning veterans for
special consideration for opportunities
to compete for public positions filled
on a temporary basis during the war
period.
The principal consideration govern
ing the rate of demobilization of fed
eral civilian personnel must be the es
sential needs of the departments and
agencies. Employment should not be
continued under pressure from em
ployees except as sound economy and
efficient service may require. The civil
service should not be made a means of
unemployment relief.
A study should be undertaken to
ascertain what changes introduced
during the emergency should be retain
ed or adapted to peace-time conditions,
and what changes in legislation are
needed to promote efficiency, economy
and responsibility in personnel man
agement.
States and municipalities have been
forced to postpone or abandon many
projected or planned public works or
public services as a result of war eco
nomics or inability to obtain construc
tion material. We believe that the trend
in state and municipal governments
will be toward considerable expansion
in post-war construction projects and
continuation of new public services
started in pre-war periods. This may
involve the expenditure of billions of
dollars which must be made econom
ically and effectively if the public is
to get the real value it deserves.
States and municipalities which were
called upon during the war period to
release many of their key executives
and administrators for the war effort
will need to be rehabilitated. Many of
those lost to the federal government
and to private industry may not re
turn. Our local public services will
need the best talent which can be re
cruited to guide, supervise and carry
out the vast post-war projects. To as
sure the public that only those of dem
onstrated merit and fitness necessary
for effective administration of our gov
ernmental affairs are recruited and se
lected, we urge the strengthening of
the merit systems where they now are
operative and the adoption of merit sys-