Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-11-26
PROTECT THECENSUS
Appeals From Friends of the Merit
System.
TIE EVILS OF PARTISAN SELECTIONS
Work of Less Value Performed at
Greater Cost.
EXPER ENCE OF 1890
TEE EVILS OF PARTISAN SELECTIONS
XPERIE NCE OF. 1890

appeals are reaching President McKin-
ley to protect the census service from the
spoilsmen so far as it is in his power, by
means of the discussion of the subject In
his annual message. The Senate commit
tee on census is made up in such a man.
rer that there is grave fear that they will
not reconsider the action of the old COM
mittee in recommending that all census
appointments be made by the director of
the census in his discretion and not other
wise. Senator Chandler reported the bill
in this form before the reorganization of
the Senate committees, and is not now
member of the census committee. Senator
Carter of Montana who was special
friend of President Harrison, is the new
chairman, and might be persuaded to adopt
civil service principles. if it were not for
the presence of Platt of New York, Turpie
of Indiana and McEnery of Louisiana on
the committee.
1t is probable that these senators will
insist that the appointments in the census
Office belong to the party which may be in
power when the census work is performed
The pending bill Is only preliminary and
the fight for placing the census service
under the civil service rules may be re-
newed when provision comes to be made
for the appointment of the wno,e clerical
and enUmerating force. the turning point
of the contest will De largely in the con-
s1deration OF the pending bill however, be-
cause no statiStician of character will
care to take the position of director of
census If his whole time is to be consumed
IN deciding between the conflicting claims
of the favorites of senators and represen-
tatlves for places in the clerical service
The friends of civil service reform con-
slider 1t of prime Importance that provi-
sion Shall be made for competitive exami-
nations at the outset. in order that COM
petent man may be persuaded to accent
the Office and map out the work for the
next two years.
The principal appointments made during
the coming year and provided for in the
pending bill will be those of the exnerts
who will be a the lead of the work These
could be selected without competitive ex-
animation if the selections were made by
a competent head with an eye single to
the benefit of the service. Some of the
men who have done the best work in the
past are still in the government service
having been transferred from the census
bureau to other responsible positions when
their work there was ended. These men
will be transferred back to the census
bureau for taking the coming census.
Pressure for Places.
The real pressure for places will not
come until after further legislation has
been enacted at the short session of Con-
sress one year hence. The purpose of or
time is that the work may be properly
mapped out by the director and the ex-
perts. and that they may have practically
the shaping of the new legislation. 1t will
be this legislation which will provide for
the supervisors in the various states. who
will appoint the thousands of enumerators
who will do the actual work of taking the
census. The appointment of the supervis
ors will be made during the spring of 1900
Upon the nomination of the President to
the Senate. Those interested in census
work believe that the number of super
visors should be larger than heretofore and
should be on the average about one for
each of the three hundred and fifty-siX
congressional districts.
The appointment of the several thousand
clerks who do the work of tabuiation in
Washington will come along during the
spring and summer of the year 1900 but
their work will not be completed until sew
eral years later. 1t is over this force that
the struggle regarding the application of
the competitive system will take place. 1t
is possible that provision for their appoint
ment under the civil service rules might
be made in the bill passed a year hence
even if no such provision were made for
the appointments during the coming sum-
mer, but the placing of the census under
the control of the spoils system will make
1t very difficult to secure competent stat
istician to take charge of the work at the
outset.
Stubborn Fight Ahead.
The friends of an honest and intelligent
census are preparing to make stubborn
fight in both houses of Congress to prevent
the decentralization of the service by par
tisan appointments. They feel that the es-
innate of Commissioner Carroll d. Wright,
that the last census cost 100000 more
than would have been the case if the ap-
pointments had been made under the civil
service rules, will prove far below the add
ed cost If the next census is taken in the
same manner. The people appointed under
the spoils system in 1890 had at least the
benefit of three years service before their
the end of these three years much of the
work had been done and the force was
greatly reduced. A change of administra-
ton In 1901 would involve complete revo-
luton in the clerical force of the census
office when the work was at its height
and would result in errors and losses which
could hardly be calculated. 1t is not mere
~ the Mai1cy cost, but the absolute Vita
ton of results, which is keenly deplored
by Statisticians. They feel that the CEN
.sus of 1900 would be almost worthless IF
several thousand clerks, including their
heads CT division and the head of the effice,
were suddenly changed after March t. 1901,
and the half-completed work intrusted to a
new set of employees.
There is q good deal of danger that the
Senate will pass the bill reported by Sena-
tor Chandler it stands on the calendar
The friends of civil service reform believe
that they can win in the House. but they
are AFRAID of the conference committee
This committee will be made up of three
members from each house, of whom two
will make majority If one ayowed spoils-
man Is put on the conference committee on
the part OF the House the glittering prize
of innumerable appointments can be en-
pioyed to win the vote of one other mem
Der. These votes would determine the con-
ference report, which would probably be
accepted by the two houses.