Evening star., 1901-11-12
FUTURE OF CENSUS CLERKS
EFFORT TO TRANSFER THEM TO
CLASSIFIED SERVICE.
The Members of the Civil Servfc,
Commission VIII Oppose
Such n Law.

From present indications it is not un-
likely that there will be clash between
Congress and the civil service commission,
which may take up considerable attention
Of the members of the former body during
the coming session.
The army of clerks employed In the
United States census bureau was not re-
quired to pass an examination prepared by
the civil service commission, and many, if
not all, received their appointments through
influence. Although it is three weeks be-
fore Congress conveneS, there has been an
impression given out by certain representa-
tives and senators who have visited
the national capital recently that effort
will be made to have law passed that
will permit the clerks now employed in the
census bureau to be transferred to the clas-
sfied service without requiring an eXami-
nation.
Commissioners Will Oppose.
Members of the civil service commission
who were seen today were reticent when
the subject was broached to them. 1t Is
believed, however, that they are unit in
demanding a thorough adherence to the
rules governing the civil service, and will
combat in every way possible any effort
on the part of Congress to ignore existing
laws. In insisting upon an enforcement of
the civil service rules the commission will
have, it is said, the unqualified approval
of President Roosevelt, who has been for
years of the most pronounced adyo-
Gates of civil service reform, and who was
himself for number of years member of
the commission during time that the ser
vice was criticised the most.
In this connection it will be remembered
that President Roosevelt as a delegate-at-
large from New York to the last republican
national convention in Philadelphia, made
a strenuous effort to have interpolated in
the platform a plank renewing the faith
of the party in the principles of civil serv-
ice. 1t is pointed out that the President,
then the governor of New York, formul ated
the plank himself and intrusted it to Lem
uei E. Qugg, who was the New York
member of the committee on resolutions.
Whether the resolution was Smothered by
Mr.. Quigg, OF by Senator Fairbanks of In
diana, who was chairman of the committee
on resolutions, has never yet been ex-
plotted in the public prints. 1t is under
stood, however, that President Roosevelt
was greatly chagrined over the failure OF
the committee to make his resolution part
of the platform.
Probable Conference.
The appearance of President Proctor of
the civil service commission and the newly
appointed commissioner, William Dudley
FouIke, at the White House last evening
as the guests of President Roosevelt at
dinner was discussed today by those who
claim to foresee an unpleasantness between
Congress and the civil service commission
over the question of disposing of census
clerks who will not be needed after about
the first of February, and the consensus
of opinion was that the President had
called the gentlemen there to talk over the
situation and to assure them of his hearty
cooperation In insisting upon fair and
impartial enforcement Of the civil service
laws.