Daily new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1897-1906, 1902-12-27
WANTS TINE LIMIT.
Senator Scott Thinks Civil Ser
vice Employees Should be Ex-
amIned Every Six Years.
MINES AND MINING STATISTICS.
Director of the Census, With the Co,
Operation of the Chief of the Geo
logical Survey, Will Ask Pointed
Questions of Mine Operators.

Washington. Dec. 21.-Senator
Scott. of West Virginia. has intro
duced a bill amending the civil ser
vice laws so that appointments under
the civil service will be for a period
of six years. At the end of this term
each employee must be re-exaLasled 20
determine his fitness for rear point
ment. In discussing his bin Senator
Scott said:
"The bill is not intended to destroy
the civil service as it is today but to
correct or cure great many evils,
such as | found when | was commits
sioner of internal revenue and such
as have been found by every execu-
tive officer in the departments. There
are a great many incompetent clerks,
sons. The only way to rid the ser
vice of them now is to prefer charges.
This is a step which any chief of di-
vision hesitates to take. Under the
present system civil pension list is
being built up that within the next 10
or Is years will be as large if not
larger than the present system Of
pensioning old soldiers. Every clerk
in the departments expects to be
taken care of until he dies or is un-
able to work.
Nov, this bill of mine gives de-
partment an opportunity every six
years to weed out its incompetent
clerks and fill their places with those
more energetic and vigorous. A clerk
may be re-examined and appointed as
often as the department and the needs
of the service require. In this way
the best service can be secured.
Gives Opportunity to All.
"The bill gives every American citi-
zen an opportunity to enter the gov
eminent service. As it is now, many
persons who have as much right to
be employed by the government as
those now employed are shut out
Take the case of West Virginian,
for example. There is an old soldier
who has passed the civil service ex
animation and stands almost at the
head of the list of West Virginians
He cannot secure an appointment as
messenger because there are 80 states
that are behind west Virginia in the
percentage of appointments, and on
the list from which his name would
be certified were a messenger called
for, there are over 800 names ahead
Of his. Should my bill become a law
every two years there would be re.
examination of one-third of the clerks
and the incompetent ones could be
dropped and new ones put in. In this
way the young man or the young
woman would stand some chance OF
securing an appointment"
Will Ask for information.
The director OF the census, with the
cooperation of the chief of the geolog
ical survey, is preparing to take the
statistics of mines and mining in the
United States Instead of sending
agents to the various establishments
schedules will be mailed after New
Years to the secretary of every cor
poration engaged in mining, with a re
quest that information be supplied
requiring postage. 1t is thought this
method will expedite the work and re
suit in publication of the reports
sooner than if a field force were sent
out. 1t may be necessary later or
to send agents out to gather up odds
and ends. The law requires the re
ports to be published not later than
July I, 1904
Schedules intended for the coal in.
dustry will call for the amount OF
bonds issued and interest paid on
them; the preferred and common
stock authorized and issued with divi
dends, if any; the assessments levied
since the organization of the com
pany; the royalties or rent of mine or
plant; the total quantity of market
able coal mined during the year, and
the average capacity OF each mine
car in pounds.
In addition to these questions there
will be the general ones relating to
number of employees, wages, miscel
laneous expenses. cost Of production
value of product per ton at the mine
and kind and quantity of power used
Special mention is directed to the sep
aration of employees employed below
and above ground. The information
should cover the business year most
nearly conforming to the year ending
Dec. 81, 1902.