Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-09-09
CIVIL SERVICE INQUIRY.
superintendent Porter Of the Census
Bureau Before the House Committee.


The House committee to examine the work
ings Of the civil service held meeting today
to hear R p. Porter, superintendent Of the
census. The census force was exempted from
the civil service law, and the committee wanted
to know the superintendent idea Of the
relative value Of the two systems of appoint
ment, o. shown by the efficiency OF the force
at work under him. Mr. Porter gave . de-
tailed account OF placing the Census Bureau in
operation. His objection to applying the civil
service law was the temporary nature Of the
service. He, himself, was IN favor Of
selecting appointees by examination, but that
examination should not lead to
SYSTEM OF BARNAcLHrsN,
such az the civil service law tends to establish
Such system, Mr.. Porter said, also
tends to shut out the common
people, the examinations becoming more and
more OF such character as that none but
highly educated persons may be able to take.
Such is the leaning of the English system as
shown by his investigation of it, Mr.. Porter
said
CENSUS OFFICE EXAMINATIONS.
Mr.. Porter gave the figures Of the examina-
lions for positions in the bureau up
to May l, 1890. There were 1865 ap.
aminations were generally confined TO
such matters as the clerks would work upon In
the bureau. 1t was necessary to test the gen.
erai knowledge of the applicants, but the ssiec-
ton OF questions for this purpose was
DIFFICULT THING.
Mr.. Porter said that the policy Of tho man
agement had been to give four times the rela-
tive value to answers on photography, penman-
ship, letter writing and arithmetic as to the
general questions. The result has been to
gather together host of clerks of exceptional
nnthArnufino onA hok d. k.A a.
needed in the Census Bureau.
TEMPORARY CHARACTER OF THE xMpLoYMENr
As to the temporary character Of the en-
ployment, Mr.. Porter said that while there are
now 1900 clerks in the bureau, a year
hence he expected that force to be
reduced to 500 or GOO. The applicants
for places who had passed what is known a.
the limited" examination by the civil service
commission Mr.. Porter said were not satisfac-
tory clerks, and the appointment OF this class
was stopped.
There was no restriction or limit to the su-
perintendents power to appoint Mr.. Porter
said Usually the examinations were confined
to those whom 1t was intended to appoint
There was no examination Of clerks in the
tenth census
THE CENSUS WORK TO DE DONE IN -FOUR YEARS
The work Of the eleventh census will be COM
pleted in four years, Mr.. Porter thought. One
hundred and fifty different inquiries were
being pursued, all Of which were required by
law.
Promotions in the bureau, Mr.. Porter said.
were made entirely ON merit So also were
appointments; that is, no one could have been
appointed, no difference il he had been en-
dorsed by the President. unless he was compe-
tent to do the work required Of him.
WHICH SYSTEM Is PREFERABLEI
Chairman Lehlbach asked the witness
whether or not, in his opinion, departmental
examinations for clerks would be preferable to
the system under the civil service commission.
To this Mr.. Porter replied that with the safe
guards that could and should be thrown around
the departmental examinations they would re-
suit in securing a class of employees better
adapted to the work to which they shall be ap-
pointed.
Mr.. Porter thought the party in power
should have something to say about the APP
pOintment OF clerks. In the census bureau the
appolntees were generally recommended by
republicans.
FIXED TERN OF APPOINTMENT
should be made-four years, say, for chiefs of
division and the like and longer for clerks.
Otherwise, in the opinion Of the witness. there
will grow up class of Office holders
who would be able to 80 manipu-
late organizations to keep out
all Others. OF the appointees as clerks of tho
eleventh census, MIR. Porter said. but very
small per cent had previously been in gov
eminent service, SO that he had organized an
efficient bureau out OF practically raw material.