The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-04-22

made for appointing skilled mechanics, as
such. they are appointed as clerks and as
signed to duty as Indicated above.
The provision for the increase of the
salary of the chief. clerk of the Census
Office has been inserted so as to give him
additional compensation as superintendent
Of the building or buildings occupied for
Census purposes. In other departments the
chief clerks are allowed additional COM
pensation for acting as superintendent of
the buildings in which they are located.
and this is no departure from custom The
chief clerk of the Treasury Department.
who is also superintendent of the build
ing, is allowed $1,000 per annum, and in
the Interior Department the chief clerk is
allowed the sum of $3.50 as superintendent
of the Patent Office building. In the De-
partment of Justice the chief clerk is also
paid sac. in addition to his compensation
as chief clerk. for acting as superintendent
of the building. In addition to what has
been said. the Office OF chief clerk is one
OF the most arduous positions of its char
acter III all the departments in the District
of Columbia. because of the organization of
the new force. The committee recommend
the adoption Of section of the bill as re-
ported.
Section 8 Of the bill provides for an in
crease in the compensation of the Director
of the Census from $1,000 to $500 per an
mum. Under the law. and the opinion of
the Attorney General rendered shortly af-
ter the passage of the Census act, the Cen
sus Bureau is practically an Independent
branch of the Government. The Director
alone is responsible for the disbursement
of the large appropriations necessary to
carry on the work, for the purchase Of
supplies. and the contracts which are en-
tered into. He is charged with the ap-
pointmeHt and supervision of the large
force necessary to collect and tabulate the
Information required; and in view Of the
onerous duties imposed upon him, your
committee are of the opinion that the com
peusation allowed by the original act is
too small and should be increased to the
figure named in the bill
Every member of the House knows that
the position of Director of the Census casts
upon the incumbent responsibilities and
burdens not met with by other officials in
asmuch as he is required to organize an
entirely new bureau. while Others upon
taking charge Of departments. find them
organized with a trained and experienced
force. \ number OF officials and commits
soners in Washington are paid as high
compensation. or nearly so, as that named
in the bill. The Solicitor General is paid
81 600 and the Interstate Commerce Com
missoners $500 each. There are quite
number OF Government officers outside of
the city of Washington who receive as
large. or larger. salaries than that pre-
scribed in the bill; for example
New York Collector Of Customs, sl2,-
600: collector at Boston. $1,000; collectors
at Baltimore New Orleans. Chicago. and
San Francisco $1,000; Sub-Treasurer at
New York $4,000.
Section of the bill provides for an in
crease in the compensation of the super
visOrs OF census. Under the existing law
the supervisors are paid on the following
basis:
Section IL of the act. approved March g.
1899, provides that each supervisor shall.
upon the completion of his duties TO the
satisfaction of the Director of the Census.
receive the sum of $l25. and. in addition
thereto in thickly settled districts 81 for
each 900 or majority fraction of 900 OF
the population enumerated in such district,
and in sparsely settled districts $l.i0 for
each LOCO or majority fraction of 1000 of
the population enumerated in such district:
Provided. That, in the aggregate. no su