Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-12-11
Provision for Taking It Will Probably
!. Soon Be Adopted.
START MADE BY TEE SENATE BILL
Work Of Gathering information tc
Be SimpIified.
CHAIRMAN CARRIERS VIEWS

1t is probable that Congress will make
| provision for the taking of the next census
during the coming week. 50 that ample
time may be had in making preparation
for the great work which will again en-
ploy an army OF people in this city for
several years. Until the taking of the CEN
Sus, however, very few persons will be
needed, as the preparatory work will be
| largely In the nature of perfecting plans
| ana getting the enormous quantity of
| pianks ready to carry on the work and as
| the year 1900 approaches, to enlist a corps
| Oh eftlclent men and women for the under
| taking.
COL Wright. commissioner of labor ap-
peared before the Senate committee on the
| census a number Of times during the last
lSoHSrcss to urge early action in this mat
| ter, and pointed out the great saving that
the government could make through timely
| preparation. The last census cost s1I .asl :
"'' ana Col Wright testified that he re-
| safued thls enormous expenditure as large
| ~ que TO the lack of preparation. both by
congress and by the superintendent of the
census, owing to the matter having been
put or so long that there was no time for
prepare ton.
! The taking of the next census will nroo-
| ANY De much simrlfed. A Star reporter
| To-Day talked with Senator Carter chair
| man or the Senate committee on the cen
| sus' IN regard to the plans for accomplish
ing this work.
The Senate Census Bill.
The census hill reported to the Senat
iiieiely PROVIDES the skeleton of an organi-
"atioh Tor the taking of the twelfth and
succeeding censuses,' said Senator Carter
Inc director of the census CONTEMPLATED
by the bill would be required as soon as
practicable after his appointment to sub
&c
general plan which. in his Judgment. would
| be best adapted to the work TO ha ner
| formed. The suggestions of the director
would he merely advisory. BY the terms
| or the bill the right is reserved to Con-
ereSs TO determine the scope of the census
and the manner of taking it,
The prevailing impression seems to he
that the numerous interrogatories pro-
pounded in conformity with the law pro-
vidlns for the eleventh census involved a
ldpof entirely too extensive and cumber-
some. This view seems to be amply sus-
tanned by mere reference to the fact that
the results OF that census have not vet
heen completely prepared and published
statistical information eight or ten years
old Is of little practical value in our ra Did
| ly moving age. From my observation and
consultation with members of the COM
mittee, the next census will be relieved of
many cumbersome details which have rem
dercd the work of publishing the results
or the last census SO laborious and long
| continued. Much of the information which
was sought through the enumerators in
1870 can be gathered from year to year
by a properly organized census bureau or
by statistical bureau provided by law
with the means of prosecuting investiga-
tons by correspondence and to p limit ed
| extent through skillful agents The pri-
mary purpose of taking the census Is to
ascertain the number of people in the
country, and as an incident connected with
the enumeration, it is unquestionably
| proper to make inquiries concerning the
| nativity and physical conditions of the in
dividual. The attempt to secure a great
variety of information on economic and
other questions not directly related to the
census tends to defeat the purpose of TAX
| ing the census by unduly delaying the pub
LEGATION of the legitimate census infcrma-
| ton.
Selection of Employees.
THE bill as reported provides that all
| employees in the cersus. save the director,
the assistant director and the chief statis-
| ticlans, shall be appointed in the discretion
of the director, subject to such examination
as he may, with the approval of the Sec
rotary of the Interior, prescribe, and not
otherwise. 1t is believed that the census
being in the nature of emergency work. in
the performance of which a large number
of persons will be engaged for only n short
| time, the force to increase rapidly for a
time and then to diminish rapidly, selec-
| TORS made from the body of the people at
large by an examination specially pre-
scribed by persons thoroughly corversant
with census work. will prove more salts
factory than the selection of the required
number of persons from the eligible list of
the civil service. The census work being
largely technical, it appears beyond ques-
ton of dispute that the director charged
with responsibility for the final success of
the undertaking can and will prepare a
more satisfactory system of examinations
to test the efficiency of applicants than
would result from any scheme of examina-
ton devised by commission not possessed
of special qualifications for the task con-
templated.
1.-The difficulties encountered in connec-
ton with the selection of persons for cler-
ical and other work of the eleventh census
resulted very largely from the lack of time
at the disposal of the superintendent. Mr..
Porter was appointed at a very late hour.
| indeed, and he was then of necessity COM
PEELED, in order to perform the task as
signed him within the limit of time. to Sc
lect from such material as he found avail
able and most readily at hand. 1t is hoped
that the present preliminary bill will be-
come a law before the holidays, SO that the
President may appoint the director and
other officers provided for before the 1st
| of January, or at least early in that month.
| In this event the director will be prepared
undoubtedly to submit his plan of proce-
! dure to Congress before the 1st of Feb
ruary, in which event the bill providing
| the necessary legislation can be put through
| by the LIST of March. If the progress indi-
Gated, can be made, and 1 believe 1t can,
| ample time will be allowed the director to
| de- Use, with the approval of the Secretary
| of the Interior, proper system OF exami-
nation looking to the selection of compe-
| tent people to perform the work required.
1T has been suggested in certain quar-
| tiers that a competent man could not be in
duced 10 accept the position of director
unless the civil service commission should
be authorized to inquire into the compe-
tency of persons desiring to find employ
; ment under him. In this behalf it is quite
sufficient to observe that the individual in
competent to devise a proper system of
examination for applicants for employment
IN the census would be clearly incompetent
to direct the census work.
Monday and Tuesday have been desig-
mated for the consideration of this bill by
the Senate and friends of the measure
,i,lx mill he 1naSsed