Message to the Congress Transmitting the First Annual Report of the Civil Service Commission Under the Classification Act of 1949.

To the Congress of the United States:

Pursuant to the provisions of Section 1102 of the Classification Act of 1949, I am transmitting herewith the first annual report of the Civil Service Commission under the Act, and submitting my recommendations based upon the report of the Commission.

The Civil Service Commission makes the following recommendations:

(a) To exempt certain trades, crafts, and laboring positions from the Classification Act and to base their pay rates on the prevailing rates in local communities.

(b) To authorize the Commission, under certain conditions, to permit initial appointments at a pay step above the minimum rate of the grade.

(c) To authorize the President to increase the number of positions in Grades GS-16, GS-17, and GS-18.

(d) To assure that downward reclassification of a position will not reduce the salary of an incumbent employee.

With regard to the first two of the above listed recommendations of the Civil Service Commission, it is my opinion that they are sound in theory and worthy of careful consideration. Since the time of the initial formulation of the recommendations, however, the economic control program enacted by the Congress has developed to the point where new considerations are imposed. Accordingly, these recommendations have been under study by the Wage Stabilization Board to determine the inflationary impact, if any, which may be involved. It is recommended, therefore, that action on these proposals be held in abeyance until the completion of these studies, whereupon specific legislative measures will be recommended to the Congress.

The question of increasing the number of authorized positions in Grades GS-16, GS-17, and GS-18 is the subject of a general review now being conducted by the Civil Service Commission and the Bureau of the Budget pursuant to my directive of April 12, 1951. It is contemplated that this review will result in the formulation of a legislative proposal which will combine existing authorities for such grades into a single statute and which will provide at the same time for an orderly, systematic and economical control over the numbers of such grades.

The fourth listed recommendation of the Civil Service Commission has my concurrence.

With reference to the general level of compensation under the schedules of the Classification Act of 1949, I have recommended to the Civil Service Committees of the Senate and the House of Representatives early and favorable action on pending measures to increase such schedules by approximately 7 percent. I desire to emphasize the great importance to the defense program of the early enactment of this legislation.

The report of the Civil Service Commission transmitted herewith reflects a year of constructive development in the field of public personnel administration. The Congress and the Civil Service Commission are to be congratulated upon this substantial progress.

HARRY S. TRUMAN