Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-04-21
Proposed Printing Department.

The report of the House committee on the
census. on the bill to amend the census act,
says:
Proposed Printing Department.
Section 1 of the bill confers the di-
rector power to appoint superintendent of
printing. One of the chiefs of division Is
now acting as superintendent of the census
printing office. 1t seems proper that the
head of the census printing office should re-
ceive the compensation fixed in the bill,
when comparison is made with the salaries
paid at the government printing office. 1t
is not the intention to enlarge the census
printing office to a greater extent than it is
now being operated The clause authorizing
the director to employ such number of skill
ed mechanics in the census printing office
is inserted simply for the purpose of giving
him power to pay the employees of the CEN
sus printing Office the same compensation
as is now paid at the government printing
office.
pointing press feeders compositors, rulers,
stereotypers and other mechanics required
in such work as clerks, and paying them as
SUCH II mechanic in the printing office
is required to work overtime, there is no
power vested in the director to pay him
for such work. At the government printing
office there are fixed rates for various class
es Of work, as well as for overtime, and it
Is proper that the mechanics employed in
the census printing office should be placed
on the same footing with those in the gov
eminent printing office. This contingency
was overlooked, and. as no provision was
made for appointing skilled mechanics as
SUCH they are appointed as clerks and as
signed to duty as indicated above
1.-The provision for the increase of the
salary of the chief clerk of the census
office has been inserted 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
compensation for acting superintendent
5y,t hi tI.,, -
and this is no departure from custom
The chief clerk of the Treasury Depart
ment VINO is also superintendent of the
building. is allowed SO 900 per annum and
in the Interior Department the chief clerk
Is allowed the sum of $3.50 as superintend-
ent of the patent office building. In the
Department of Justice the chief clerk is
also paid $3.50. in addition to his compen-
satlon as chief clerk, for acting as super
intendent of the building. In addition to
what has been said, the office of chief clerk
Is one OF the most arduous positions of its
character in all the departments in the
District of Columbia, because of the or
eanlzation of the new force. The COM
mittee recommend the adoption of section
OF the Dill as reported
| Increase of Directors Salary.
i Section 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. ana the opinion of
after the passage of the census act the
census bureau is practically an indenend
eht branch of the government The di-
rector alone is responsible for the dis
pursement OF the large appropriations nee
eSsary 10 carry on the work. for the pur-
chase of supplies and the contracts which
are entered into. He is charged with the
appointment and supervision of the large
force necessary to collect and tabulate the
information required and in view of tho
onerous duties imposed upon him. your
committee are of the opinion that the com
pensatlon allowed by the original act is
too small and should be increased to the
nsure 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 officiaIs
| inasmuch as he is required to organize an
entireiy new bureau, while others, upon
o cananS charge OF departments. find them
organized with trained and experienced
Aorce. number Of officials and commits
Slohers In Washington are paid as HIGH n
Goiipehsa,ion; or nearly so. that named
III III me Dill The solicitor general is maid
$1,000 and the interstate Commerce cow
nissioners $500 each. There are uuite :.
NUMBER OF government officers outside of
the city of Washington who receive DC
large or larger salaries than that nrasorib
ed i'll the bill. ~ N'ei III
Payment of Supervisors,
Inc compensation provided by the origin
al act mas been found to be entirely inada
qudte lor the services which are being rem
ueleu ny the supervisors under the act pro-
'idins Tor the taking of the twelfth census
anu lhuch complaint has come to the di-
rector from the various Supervisors on ac
tailed upon them. Gil
The supervisors of census for the tskip,
OF the twelfth census were apponted nd
IN the active discharge of their duties oI.ar
SIN months In advance of the time they
h4 oil II
OF 29I supervisors in the twelfth census
2}6 We're appointed in the month of JuIv
ls's' and forty-three in September 1889, and
correspondence was Immediately oDened re-
garding the various questions in cnnnactiop
with the work. Their early appointment
enabled them to thoroughly fariliariza
themselves with the conditions existing i'm
their respective districts but at the same
time placed upon them burden of corres-
pondence with the persons DESTROYS of Sc
curing positions as enumerators.
In the eleventh census the SUPERVISORS
were only required to submit to the drec-
tor a list of those persons whom they de-
slred appointed as enumerators. In the
t"eftn census each applicant for a posi-
ton as enumerator has been required Ia
hle formal application with the SUPER
visor of his district, and, further, to fill out
a test schedule to disclose his ability to
fill the position. There are over $50 600 an
plicants who have already complied with
these requirements, and it will be seen,
without further comment. that a large
amount OF additional correspondence has
been imposed upon the supervisors under
this system.
Your committee entirely approve of the
plan adopted by the director of the census.
and believe that it will secure in the CEN
sus service much more efficient enumerators
than would otherwise have been obtained
The additional compensation is fixed at two
per cent Of the amounts paid to the enum-
orators"
-<N <
In Favor of Complainant.
In the case of Mary ]. Pattison against
Edward G PRYOR others In Ia