19
marked lack .of enthusiasm or aggres
sive support from any reform move
ment, the press, civic groups, or state
administrators. The . gênerai attitude
was: '“V h at will civil service contrib
ute to the betterment or efficiency of
the state service? Political interference
and patronage abuses are negligible; our
budgetary and financial system is ef
ficient, and employees already enjoy se
curity of tenure.’ It was against this
background, both favorable and un
favorable in nature, that the Civil Serv
ice Commission embarked on its task.
Initial Approach and Development
Shortly after passage of the act, the
governor appointed a; civil service com
mission of three members, all of whom
were outstanding and respected citi
zens in their communities. Two had
previously served on state commissions.
Consequently, a somewhat greater than
average familiarity with state operating
problems was existent within the com
mission membership. This factor did
much to allay initial misgivings of de
partmental administrators who feared
an impractical approach to their prob
lems by the central civil service agency.
A director was selected in the usual
manner by a nation-wide open com
Boeckel & Weber
Texaco Service
Authorized D ealers|
W estern Auto Supply
Sweet .Home, Oregon
Authorized Agents
Needham's
Book Store
465 State Street
Salem, Ore.
9tot>e^V&ralelc<
K im b a ll B rothers
L um ber Co.
Douglas F ir and Red Cedar
Lumber
DEXTER
pétitive examination. Under the fore
going conditions, the commission and
director approached their task with the
general attitude of giving administra
tive views of operating officials full
recognition. The commission believed
its principal potential contribution to
be one of improvement, standardization
and simplification of personnel pro
cesses, rather than the installation of a
reform program which would "keep
the rascals out’ and go to extreme
lengths to protect the so-called merit
principle.
Recognizing the prevailing conserva
tive philosophy with respect to state
OREGON
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