Sunday Washington globe., 1902-01-26
THE CENSUS CLERKS
And the Methods by Which Chiefs
aud High Officials Have Created
Trust i'm the Family i'm Office
Business in Washington.


a Trust in the Family in Office
Business in Washington.
Editor Sunday Globe.
In the Times of January Is an old War
Department employe makes statement to
the effect: That in the event Of transfer Of
Census Office clerks to the Department Of
War the said transfer night be partly ac-
complished by reducing the force of War
Department female employees, and this step
could be taken without detrimeut to the
service He claims in his statement how
ever, that these female clerks, drawing sal
aries averaging 81, 200 and 81 400 are pro-
tected by the Civil Service regulations, and
while they are Of mighty little use in the
service yet are nevertheless protected. In
this latter statement / differ with him, how
ever. He will please remember that the
number Of female clerks as certified by the
Civil Service Commission to clerical posi-
tious in The Treasury, Pension, Agricultural,
barring few assistant tenders Of the mi
croscope,) State, War and Navy Depart
meuts, are mighty few aud far between. in
fact, almost as rare as hens teeth. Now
and then YOU hear Of a lone one being certi-
fed from some part of the United States
away from Washington, but this move is
apparently only to take the curse
away from the numbers who are
worked in on the straight-inAuence racket,
and upon every pretext under the sun.
While the female loafers and promenaders
which he refers to may be under some sort
of Matched .p sort of Civil Service protec-
tion yet they never went through the Civil
Service mill of honest competitive examin-
alton and consequent certi6catiou. Pos
sibly though, through their favorite chiefs
and departmental influentials, of both
sexes (the male sex predominating how
ever, some sort of an examination, cross
between skilled laborer, messenger aud
police force, was gotten up for the female
pets especial benefit, and they we're given
magnifed and loug-range ratings and were
consequently brought right under the
Swivel Service" and everything is all
right and so nice
Those Census Office clerks Of both sexes,
who were appointed according to their quota
from the different states, and we're given
positions only after passing examinations.
were more honestly appointed than those
scattered throughout the various depart
ments in Washington, and are consequently
faiFly entitled to transfer, especially to
such positions as require no auxiliary
qualifications, l. e.. nothing above plain
clerk.
1t has become an old saying of the resi-
dents of Washington That where they
had families of trifing daughters and lazy
soft-handed sons, il was but a question Of
/ time when this class were anchored at
| desks in the city departments, aud neither
| the so.called Civil Service Commission
/ nor any powers high or low, could tell how
/ they got there and escaped the examination
I mill and the route of certi6cauon." Just
one Of those modern miracles, that s all
Those men who are in the War Depart
/ ment who have risked life and limb for the
| Government in campaigns dating from the
/ Civil War to the late Philippine disorderly
/ racket are certainly entitled to a show and a
/ great deal Of preference Civil Service rat.
| ings or not, especially where they have
| families demanding their support.
The far greater portion Of those WHO get
the benefit of department employment,
| however are not those who ever risked
| life, limb. nor anything else for the Govern
ment: nor who ever intend taking any risks
beyond oafug and dawdlng around front
windows and steps on easy chairs after
days speut working they say) at a desk for
about 81. 200 per auuum. The Idle diversion
above given Is about the least harmful en-
gagged in by both sexes Of a large proportion
Of our younger generation Of Government
employes but the less said about their other
failiugs, by me the better as might be-
come eutrely-weli almighty. personal.
A large number Of the Census Office EN-
pIoyes, As above stated, are fairly entitled
to transfer. and are ia fact entitled to posi-
tious in the departments at large TO a far
greater extent than many whom now hold
such especially iu the family line.
Mark Hanna stated against W J. Bryan tc
the effect that there were no trusts in the
United States. Observing people are com
ing 20 tile conclusion, however that the
Washington departments are becoming
family trusts of the first water and that the
evil seems 20 20 be growing instead Of de
creasirg.
Please let IL be remembered that those
census clerks who we're appointed accord
ing 70 quota from the various states have nc
fathers. mothers brothers, wives, etc.
drawing Government salaries who have
helped them obtain a stolen appointment
either stolea direct Of manipulated by de
partmeug chiefs friends, ETC., IN the way o
putting some sort Of hocus-pocus cougiom
Grated examination IN their way for th'
purpose Of bringing the Civil Service pro
teclQu tdlAe- iulo tAhr anu lhithcilhB al
endless link for future progeny along th'
same line. including the coming generation
into the next century While all the Cen
sus Office employees cannot very we'll b
brought by transfer into the other depart
meuts. yet there are undoubtedly many
cases where they are more than deserving
aud should be AZ all eVeuts given the op
portunity especially where the Census Of
g.. ..astnrf nf ffasfa ffra ~ ff0ff ~ ~
ploymeut In future. X. y. h.