The record-union., 1899-03-12
Director Merriam Outlines the Pol
icy to Be Pursued.
Much Of a Preliminary Nature to Be Done
Before Actual Work Is Begun.
Will be Fully Forty-Five Thou
sand Persons Employed, Who
Will be Selected on Qualifica-
tions of Fitness Rather Than
Political Influence. /.

t1Ons OF Fitness Rather Than
Political Influence.
! WASHINGTON, March 1.-THE poll
icy that will govern the task of taking
the census of 1900 was outlined in an
Iof1cial statement made to the Associate
ed Press to-day by Director Merriam
and Assistant Director Wines. Diree-
tor Merriam started for minnesota this
afternoon, leaving Assistant Director
Wines in charge. On Governor Mer-
RAMS return Mr.. Wines will go home
to settle his private affairs Meantime
there will be no consideration of appro,
lpriations
1t viii be at least thirty days before
a selection of a staff officer is made.
with the exception of Professor Henry
Gannett of this city as geographer.
This is in accordance with decision
OF the director to-day that ill his alb
sence there must be no promises Of Of
nee nor assurances or encouragement
Tor anything given. Several officers Sc
lected Thursday night have qualified.
ana the active preliminary work will
begin at once. The statement OF policy
is as follows
AS TO prospective appointments to
once, the services of no more staff Of
hcers can be utilized at present. ana
there Wall be no others selected within
certainly thirty days. Professor Henry
! Gannett, the well known geographer OF
the Geological Survey, who was the DO
ltlcal and statistical geographer of the
iast census, has been asked to take
charge OF the same work for the com
ing census, and if the Geological Sur
Vey IS willing to spare him sufficiently
10 undertake this work he will be en-
trusted with 1T and given absolutely
free hand
Until the schedules come back to
luz once from the enumerators in July.
100, there will be no clerks wanted
save sucn a small skeleton force as will
pe necessary to take care of the cor
liespoilaence ana office work preliminary
TO the taking of the census. When the
lseneauies come back there will be a
/ large force of employees appointed. All
lappncatons for office will receive con-
lslderatlon, and large number already
nave peeh received and placed on 1le
While the impression has gone
abroad that the census is to he rafnoa
Tor lncompetency, the truth and the
|
De subjected to examination before an
pointment which will be as rigid as
the examinations before the Civil Ser
vice Commission. No political influence
VIII be sufficient to put an emnlove an
the census pay roll of whose compe-
tence to do the work to be ASSIGNED
MIN by the director is not satisfied IN
advance, and, Furthermore, if any EN-
ploye is found to be incompetent en
trial, such employee will be DISCHARGES
regardless of his or her political back
ing
/ The examinations of EMPLOYEES Will
De directed not so much for the testing
oi thelr general information as TO ca
paclty as it will be to their fitness for
the work to be done, as for example no
/ copylst who cannot write or spell salts
Iactorlly will be appointed, nor circula-
tors Who cannot calculate First of all
AFTER the general administrative off,
GERS are selected, there must be 300 su-
pervlsors appointed, and in their selec-
tlon consultation will be had with Sen
ators and Representatives in the re-
Ispectlve States. 1t may be announced
also that senators and Representatives
| VINO 90 not belong to the Republican
party will receive the same fair treat
ment and consideration along this line
tnat IS given Republicans These SIN
perVlsors will be appointed by the Pres
ldent and confirmed by the Senate.
None or these as now contemplated ara
10 pc recess appointments, but the list
VIII be ready for submission 10 the
senate at the opening of the next ses-
/ sion.
The supervisors in turn will appoint
4U,UOO enumerators to do the actual
work throughout the country, but the
list of appointments of enumerators
f1rst. must have the approval Of the
director of the census. After approval
| they will be Immediately furnished the
necessary blanks and instructions. This
will be no small task
Assuming the population of the
United States at this time to be in
round numbers 100000 people. there
must be 100000 sheets issued for the
populatSon schedules alone. Adding to
these the other schedules, there will
nave to be in the aggregate not less
than half million sheets in printed
form issued. All this mass of paper
will have to be manufactured and print
ed without delay.
/ In counting the population every in
olVluual VIII be represented by sep
arate card, and there will have to be
manufactured and printed not less than
lO0,000OO0 Of these cards.
''The probability is that a system OF
machine calculating, which admits of
counting facts in Combination. and
which worked so we'll in the last census.
will be adopted for that of 1900 The
officers will have to select from the va
rlous devices the one most satisfactory,
and sufficient number to do the work
must then be manufactured. The work
Will be pushed with all possible speed
consistent with accuracy. and every eff
fort made to avoid dragging the work
along unnecessarily.
| Taken all in all, the complete num-
Der of appointments that will be made
in the course of the census will be over
$4,000. These include Is or 20 staff
officers. 300 supervisors. 10000 enumer-
ators and about 5000 clerks and other
employees here
Kyrle Bellew has contracted to appear
with Sir Henry Irving at the Lyceum
rT,I,x fcr Eyo~fo,>