The evening times., 1899-03-31
CENSUS BUREAU
FLOODED With MAIL
Ten Thousand Applicants for
Three Thousand Places.
Few appointments to Be Made Be-
fore 1900.
Director Merriam Perfecting the
system for the Various De-
partments.

Since the return of Census Director Mer-
riam from his visit to St. Paul the work
OF forming the skeleton of the bureau has
progressed rapidly, so that now everything
is reduced as nearly to system as it can
be until the whole working force of the
department is taken on. Only the frame
work OF the various departments of the
| bureau has been planned, and in some CASES
the heads have been appointed but as yet
only small number of clerks have been
selected
Preparations for the work OF the enumer-
ators. supervisors. and special gents are
going on as rapidly as possible. This is
being undertaken at this time so that the
work in these departments may be gotten
out of the way for other business which
will occupy the attention of the census
officials later. Nothing in this line will be
undertaken until the spring of 1900 at the
earliest. At present only about twelve ap-
pointments to the clerical force have been
made
There seems to be misunderstanding
among persons seeking employment in the
Census Bureau as to the time when selec
tions for positions will be made. Many
their application in the earlier their ap-
pointments will be made, but this is not
the case as by far the greater number of
appointments Will not be made until late
next spring or early in the following sum-
mer.
Ever since his return to this city Di-
rector Merriam has been besieged by hosts
of eXpectant ofiice-seekers Every morn
ing. upon his arrival at the temporary Of
,,fr rl, h. 81,
ing, the director is greeted by crowd of
people who come to urge their especial
fitness for this or that position. The
greater number of these persons are from
the District or from the nearby towns in
the surrounding States. However, many
have come from places located at consid-
erable distances from the Capital. The
ante-room Immediately of the director s
rooom is scarcely ever free from indiyid-
uals seeking employment during office
hours.
Since the appointment of Director Mer-
rian fully 10000 letters have been received
by him in which formal applications for
positions are made or questions asked con-
ceInlng appointments. The letters con-
tinue to come in an undiminished volume.
From two 10 three hundred epistles are re-
ceived daily, and the work of filing the
applications and answering the enquiries
is becoming a serious burden.
force of lady clerks whose salaries
amount TO about $50 a month, has been
employed TO take care of the correspond
ence. Those who have written making en-
quiries, no doubt have serious intentions
OF making application later on. The num-
ber of applicants at this early day is un-
precedented. Mr. Merriam stated TO A
/ Times reporter this morning that there is
no parallel in the history of previous emu
merations
The director is inclined TO discourage the
making OF applications until later. He said
that there are only about seventy-five po-
sition TO be filled during the next four
months and the remainder will not be pro-
vided for until next spring. The total
number of positions in the bu-
reau 10 be filled will number about
three thousand. Applicants with few ex-
ceptions will be subjected TO an examina-
tion. The examinations will simply be a
test of the fitness of the person for the es-
pecial position which he seeks. The pass
ing point will be seventyfive per cent and
those who do not attain that average will
not under any consideration be eligible to
appointment.
At the present rate at which applications
are coming in, there is every reason to be-
leve that the field from which appoint
ments will be made will be very large.
There are already more than enough appli-
cants TO fill all the available positions in
the gift OF the director.