Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-01-14
TAKERS OF CENSUS
Views of the National Civil Service
League.
HEARING BEFORE A HOUSE COMMITTEE
Appointments Should Be Based on
Merit.
I SITS OF EFFICIENCY

The House committee on the census gave
a hearing today to representatives of the
National Civil Service League upon the
proposition to place the appointment of
employees and officials of the next census
under the civil service
Mr.. +. l.. Sddons of this city as mem
Der of the delegation from the league first
addressed the committee. He said that the
league recognizes the practical difficulty in
the way of selecting enumerators for the
census, except under some rules provided
by the supervisors, acting in conjunction
with the director of the census. If, how
ever, the supervisors themselves were
chosen by reason of their especial fitness
for the work and not by political prefer
ment, the evils attending the finding of
good enumerators would be mirimized He
earnestly urged the application of civil
service methods. therefore in the appoint
ment of the supervisors.
Questioning Mr.. Siddons.
Under your plan" suggested Chairman
Hopkins, might not a New York man be
selected supervisor for Illinois?"
BY no means" repeated Mr.. Siddons
Fer Illinois, as an instance, an examina-
ton might be held for supervisors for that
state"
But We have nearly 100000 people"
said Mr.. Hopkins, and supervisor Sc
lected from Cairo might not be familiar
with the qualifications of enumerators to be
appointed for duty in Galena.''
Well" responded Mr.. Siddons. 'it is TO
be presumed that supervisors will make the
best selections possible. We think that if
q Obj ~
be safe to leave the selection of the enumer-
ators to them"
Would yoI require, in the examination
for supervisors, acquaintance with the COM
munfty in which they are TO serve?'
''Oh, yes, l think so. / would go further
in the case of the supervisors, and require
familiarity not only with the state, but the
districts. Special examinations should be
held TO test the efficiency of supervisors for
agricultural districts and for cities.''
How would you test the executive and
organizing capacity of a man?' asked Mr.
Heat~ole.
Il am not prepared to say what means
should be used said Mr.. Siddons. nor 20
say that a civil service examination does
test that completely, but l believe that an
examination would in measure show his
fitness"
Permanent Bureau Favored.
Mr.. Siddons said he desired to make the
statement to the committee that the civil
names of enough eIigibles to completely fill
all the clerical positions here in Washing
ton in connection with the taking of the
census. He thought the census bureau
ought to be permanent bureau.
I'VE object to temporary bureau" said
Mr.. Siddons, that is to be independent of
any executive department. If this is to be
an independent bureau it should be made
permanent.
Would you consider mans politics
havf h fiaf,.
Il would not like to say that. but We
think that if selections to office are made
on partisan grounds. the work of that office
VIII be colored to that degree Neither do
l think that bipartisan boards are success
full There should be no partisanship at
ALL
Two Important Considerations.
Mr.. William Reynolds of Baltimore then
addressed the committee. He said there
were two things to be considered-frst, as
to the efficiency of the officials of the CEN
sus; second, whether the public will have
confidence in the census.
If the officials were all of the same polti-
cal party, the country would not have the
same confidence in the census.
is it necessary to have it placed under
civil service to get a non-partisan body?''
asked member of the committee.
NO SIR
In regard to the supervisors, if the ap-
polntments are made any other way than
has shown that the appointments are made
by representatives senator's. 1t is not
reasonable to suppose that senators and
representatives have the facility for choos-
ing good men as a board of examiners
Furthermore, they would be subject to DO
lit1cal pressure to such an extent that they
cannot ignore it
Mr.. Reynolds said that if the appointments
are to be made solely upon partisan
81 ounds, the best results would come from
appointing them all from the same party,
than II the places were parceled out be
tween two parties Unless the civil service
can be applied it would be a sham to at
tempt to make the appointments non-par-
tisan.
ments you simply get a division of the
Spoils,' said Mr.. Reynolds. He Thought
the country would have very little conf
dence in census taken by men appointed
solely on political grounds.
Last Census Criticised,
Hardly any one has a good word for
the last census said Mr.. Reynolds THE
complaints were general that the enumer-
ators did not do their work correctly"
Mr.. Hopkins suggested that the dissatis-
faction might have t,en due primarily to
the low compensation paid the ennroera-
tors.
Mr.. Siddons, interruptfng. said that -.
large amount of complaint was leveled
against the work of the bureau in Wasb
ington. To such an extent was this tr1a
that a division of errors was Organized
consisting of seventy persons, to revise err
rors: IL turned out, however, that the peo-
pie in this division We're some of them ca
incompetent that the work of this division
had to be revised
Mr.. Reynolds, speaking of the work of tbe
supervisors, said that If their tenure of
office depends upon political favor thev will
do their work in the interests of the marty |
and the men to whom they owe their an
pointment.
Mr.. r. Francis Wood of Phfladelnb;a
said that the trouble with party annojnf-
ments Is that they involve factional strue-
giles and scramble for places.
do you think that If we cannot nlace
the census under the civil service it ought
to be given entirely in charge of the partv
In power: asked Mr.. Ridgely.
Il do, answered Mr.. Wood 'I do NOT
believe that bi-partisanship would give the
people more confidence in the census"
With this the hearing ended