The times., 1899-03-15
A CIVIL SERVICE CENSUS.
The Possible Adoption of n PureI,
Merit system,

1t is not improbable that the Director
| of the Census Bureau and the Civil Serv-
ice Commission may cooperate in the Sc
lection of Census employees. Speaking for
the Civil Service Commission last night.
NJ Proctor said:
The Civil Service Commission will most
cheerfully cooperate in any way it can to
aid the Directors of the Census
In the same connection the Assistant
Director of the Census, Mr.. Wines, said
yesterday: We want the good viii and
| assistance of the Civil Service Commits
sion, especially in the preparation of our
examinations.
Mr.. Wines gave out the following official
| statement for the benefit of those desiring
| employment in the Census Office:
Thee are, under the Census act, not
more tnan sixty places provided for above
the grade of a cerkship of class one, in
which the maximum rate of compensation
| is 81 200 year OF these sixty places. one
| fourth are what may be termed staff ap-
! potntments. which can only be filed by
| experts, and none others need apply. APP
/ plicants for clerkships of higher grade
| than class one will be expected to enter
| the lower class and await the chance of
| promotion; otherwise promotion in the Of
| flee as a reward for efficient service would
| be impossible and the Director would be
| deprived of tho opportunity to select from
| his force of clerks those found upon trial
| to be best fitted for the oversight and COM
mand of the large number of men aud wo-
men to be governed and disciplined. The
| highest wage will not be paid in the first
/ instance to clerks of class one, but they
will be requested to earn their promotion.
! All employees OF the Office receiving more
| than $500 per year will have to submit to
| an educational test. Comparatively lew
appointments to clerical positions will be
made before June, 1900.
"It h useless to forward to the Direc-
tor applications for appointment as emu
merator. The enumerators will be select
| ed by the supervisors; the supervisors,
who must under the law be nominated by
the President and confirmed by the Sen
ate, will not be appointed before Deem
ber of the present year, on the conyenng
OF Congress.
The place of supervisor is worth $1,000;
that OF enumerator about $50. The term
OF employment of an enumerator will not
exceed thirty days.
Special agents will probably not be
needed before the enumeration OF Juno,
1900. The number which will be needed
thereafter is not now known. The pr.n-
cipal. if not the exclusive, demand for
special agents will be in the division of
manufactures. They will be paid not to
exceed Sc day together with their nee
essary travelling expenses, and when alb
sent from home an allowance will be made
them in lieu of subsistence not grea -er
than SO a day. They should possess some
business experience and knowledge of tee
world and their general grade of qualih-
cations should be as high as that OF q
commercial traveller for a wholesale house.
''All applications for appointment are
filed, doc-eted, and indexed in the office
and viii receive consideration in due
course of time. Nothing is gained by un-
due haste in forwarding them. Applica-
tions should state the age of the applicant
the degree OF his education. the character
and duration of his present employment
or length of time employed. the amount
of salary or wages paid him in his present
or last place of employment. the minimum
salary which he is willing to accept in the
Census Office, the character of the position
sought, and if qualified to render special
service in some particular direction. the
nature and evidence of such qualification
All applications should be accompanied by
testimonials, references, or recommenda
tions. They should be in the applicant
own hand
1t is believed that the number Of appli.
cants will prove TO be ten or a dozen times
as great at least. as the number of clerk!
needed, and that therefore very larg,
| majority
disappointment. Assuming that the mum
Der to be employed in the Office at Wash
ington will be approximately, 5000 includ
ing laboreTs mechanics, messengers. anC
scrubwomen, this will be at the rate of on,
employe to every q. 900. a little more thar
one to county. if distributed on tina
geographical basis.
Regard will be paid to geographical dis.
tribution. but only within such limits az
> | Of
work to be done. Poiit.-.l consideration!
| will be wholly subOrdIu4 ted to those o
capacity and efficiency on the part of IN,
applicant Young and vigorous men il
the prime of life will have the preferenc,
over the aged and decrepit. whose poyer.,
may move compassion, but whose prac
tical utility for the purposes OF the Census
Office is on the wane or at an end"
Mr.. Proctor denied last night that ther
was any but the friendliest feeling for tn
: Census officials on the part OF the Ciyi
Service Commission.
Il am satisfied he said. that the Pres
dent has been very fortunate in the Sc
lection of two gentlemen to place at tn
head of the Census work, and from what
, can learn it is their intention to get al
| excellent staff of experts to aid them il
taking the Census. There is. however.
difference between pass examinations an
: appointment from the registers of the Civ
il Service Commission. In the pass ex
= animation any person who obtains an el
, igible average may be appointed. For in
, stance. if 10 is made the minimum 70
passing a person can be appointed VIII
attains the average of 40, whereas whe
appointing from the register of the Com
mission persons are taken from the top c
the register and few are appointed t
, | clerical positions who obtain less than S
T in the examinations. and a great man
=, are apDOinted nj 90"