Evening star., 1899-02-02

Ject, and found upon investigation that
those most conversant with the operation
/ OF previous censuses practically concur in
the opinion that separate bureau is in
every way desirable.
u nder the Senate bill the Secretary of
he Interior is practically the head of the
census office. He is selected for that great
office by the President of the United States
not with view to any special qualifica-
ions for organizing bureau and man
aging the same for the taking of a census.
n fact he may be a great Secretary of the
interior and still the most undesirable per-
son that could be selected for the head of
a census bureau, whereas a director of the
census will be selected by the President
with special reference to his fitness for
such work. Such a man should not have
his hands tied by a Secretary of the In
terror who may have little or no knowl-
edge OF such matters. If the bureau is
made separate and independent office
there will be no divided responsibility In
the selection of a director of the census the
President will appoint a man who has not
only the requisite knowledge, experience
and ABILITY for Such work, but will select
a man of great executive capacity as we'll
To insure the greatest efficiency in the
work Of taking the twelfth census the Sem
ate bill, well as the substitute prepared
by your committee, provides for in addi-
tion to the director, an assistant director
of the census, who shall be an experienced
practical statistfcian. The bill also pro-
vides that the chiefs of the five general
divisions of the office shall be persons of
known and tried experience in statistical
work. The bill also provides for a geos-
rapher, whose duties it will be to aid the
director of the census in dividing the coun-
try into suitable districts for the work of
the supervisors and enumerators. The of
nee organization under the bill of your
committee will be more compact and will
afford a better distribution of the burdens
of responsibility than any bill relating to
the eleventh or tenth or previous censuses
Ihe aggregate compensation of the force
hon Iarly- a. a
is much less than in the eleventh census,
and the changes made will in a large meas
ure add efficiency to the work.
As to the Civil Service Law
Your committee accorded a hearing to
representatives of the National Civil Ser
vice Reform League on the question as to
whether or not the employees of the census
office shall be placed under the civil SER
vice law as now administered in the various
departments of the government. The rep
resentatives of this league stated that the
most numerous class of employees in the
taxing OF the twelfth census, namely the
enumerators, could not be selected under
the civil service law. They frankly admit
ted to your committee that the law as it is
administered would be impracticable and
inaDpicable for the selection of such Off
GERS, but argued that the Supervisors of
census and other employees could be and
that 1t would be wise to select them from
'He e-iS4Dle llSt prepared by the civil SER
vice commission
Your committee believe that a supervisor
selected by the civil service commission at
washington, ID. c., would be less qualified
10 designate to the director fit persons for
tne enumeration work and the discharge of
all the other duties imposed in the accom-,
pahylhs pl1 upon the enumerators than a
supervisor selected by the President from
the iocailty in which the enumeration work
Is 10 De done, and whose choice will he
indue from his known fitness for the worl,
!norough knowledge of the district in which
ne nVeS, from which he is to be appojnted
ana IN which he is to perform his duties
. ny pelleVe also that the examination pro-
sioeo ior the other emp'oyes of the Office
IN section seven of the accompanyine hiI
VIII secure more efficient class of clerks
lor the discharge of the duties connectad
with the taking of the twelfth census than
~ would be possible to secure by taking the
cierical force from the eligible list as now
prepared, or as hereafter might he nra-
pared, by the civil service commission
Each empioye In the clerical force will he
selected for his special fitness for tho ,uor,r
ana must pass an examination provided for
by the director of the census as To bis
auanflcatlons for such work before the ap-
pointment Will be made. This method IF
testing the qualifications of each applfcant
for clerical work in the census bureau is
such, your committee believe will com
mend itself to all fair-minded mon ,rra-
spective of party.
The SupervfsOrs.
In the preparation of the bill for taLipy
the twelfth census your committee hava
followed the outline of previous bills as far
as relates to the creation of the office Of
supervisor, but have largely increased the
number. In the tenth census the law pro-