Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-10-05
OUR NAIL POUCH.
The Census Bureau Defended,


To the Editor of The Dispatch:
1t has been my privilege to read in one Of
the issues of your paper an attack upon the
Census Office at Washington, setting forth
certain Irregularities which your corre-
spondent seems to think exist within that
bureau. Now, have no ak to grind nor
spleen to vent, but plain, simple facts to
place before your readers, and being an ex-
employe of the Eleventh Census, and for
more than II months located in the inter-
ocean building, on Ninth street.-The place
TO which your correspondent alludes-I
tnlnk know something of the working OF
That portion of the census force.
cannot agree with your correspondent
in his statement that "the appointments
were made in hurry" True, there was
large force employed in short time. The
necessity of the work demanded this. But
In all cases of those who constituted the
force they were obliged to pass through an
examination similar to that of the Civil
Service Commission, besides being properly
certified as to character, standing, etc, so
that, If men and women were employed not
possessing the necessary qualifications as to
scholarship or moral standing, the Superin-
tendent was imposed upon by the Examin-
ing Board and those certifying as to the
character of the applicant. True, within
the bounds of such an army of employees
there might be development of character
that was not infallible, but Superintendent
Porter, with the multiplicity of claims de-
manding his time and attention, could not
personally examine into each division or
section and ferret out those whose character
was not strictly immaculate.
Your correspondent claims that many
chiefs of divisions are totally unfit to have
charge of their work; that they are persons
OF bad character; that their presence is an
insult and disgrace to the United States Gov
ernment." This, l think, is overdrawn,
and savors much of that spirit which quite
often afflicted clerks when re-rated or dis
charged. If these people are so bankrupt Of
character why is it they have continued to
exercise authority as chiefs OF divisions
these many months, and only at this late
date it becomes apparent that their e1ecu-
tive and clerical ability, as well as their
moral character, need renovation?
1t is asserted that in the dismissal of large
numbers of clerks, no division chiefs have
been discharged. l don't know why they
should be discharged, unless the work Of
that special division was finished and the
division eliminated by the discharge or
transfer of its clerks into other divisions.
This was done in the case of the enumer-
ators' pay branch, under the direct charge of
the late Colonel Seligson, who, as soon as his
work was completed, was asked to resign,
which he did, while the few remaining clerks
were transferred to other divisions. Would
it not be unwiSe to discharge the head OF a
division, If ne was at all conversant with MS
work, and put in his stead some un1n1t1ated
person? The only thing we never could un-
derstand was why the re-rating of salaries
was not applied to all grades of clerks in the
Census Office.
Your correspondent has evidently been
one of the rank and file of the census en-
ployes, for he finds exceptions to the fact
that, rs he terms it, respectable clerks,
elderly women, young girls and young men
were under the charge of Others" This was
l.. l. L.
systematic arrangement of forces, and it
was impossible to favor every clerk whose
hair was tinged with gray or who was of a
ministerial type, with the charge of sec
ton or subsection. Young and old, fair
and homely, all had work assigned to them
and where merit showed itself it was gen.
orally recognized.
Relative to compelling clerks to do 80
much work, it was never so ordered by the
Superintendent. The fact that much of the
work was competitive as to quality and
quantity led many of the clerks to compete
with each other This extended to sections
and from sections to the different floors.
This rivalry originated with the clerks at
the desks, and the extra work was all their
own creation. 1 know nothing of the eli
max of indecency and abuse spoken of, the
importation of notorious women, the at
tempt to discharge deserving clerks. Per-
haps this, like many other charges, might
be dissolved into the thin air OF imagina-
tiOn.
Lastly, relative to the inaccuracies OF the
census reports, have this to say, and my
experience for Is months in the Census
Bureau warrants me in this declaration that
great care has at all times been observed in
preparing data, facts, figures, and every
thing conducive to a careful and correct
report, which 1 believe has always been
sent out by Superin tendent Porter, and
those who know him will say that he 10 not
the man who would wink at anything irreg-
ular in the conduct of his clerks or the
character of his reports. KEYSTONE.
MANOR STATION, October2.