Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-03-07
A PERMANENT CENSUS
The Bill Signed by the Presi-
dent Today.
INSTRUCTIONS GIVEN
LETTER TO SECRETARY OF INTE.
RIOR AS TO APPOINTMENTS.
After July They Must Be Made
Through the Civil Service
Commission.

President Roosevelt today took decisive
action on the bill creating permanent GEN.
sus bureau. After conferences with Attor-
ney General Knox, Civil Service Commits
sioner FOulke and members OF his cabinet
President Roosevelt signed the bill. but
mega tived an important portion of II by
sending the following instructions to SEQ.
retary Hitchcock. directing that no ap-
pointments be made in the permanent cen-
sus force except those to be permanently
Employed:
Instructions to Secretary Hitchcock.
WHITE HOUSE.
WASHINGTON, March g.
"Sr: I have signed the act providing for
a permanent census bureau. Section 2 Of
this act provides that the work pertaining
to the twelfth census shall be carried on by
the census office under the existing organ
ization until the 1st day Of July, when the
permanent census office herein provided FOR
shall be organized by the director OF the
census. Section provides that, with your
approval. the director of the census may
appoint into the permanent census force In
two ways: In the first place, from the
present employees Of the census office; and,
in the second place. all new appointments
to be made in accordance with the civil
service law After any Of the present em-
ployes OF the census office have been ap-
pointed upon the permanent force they be-
come part of the classified service.
II have been over these two sections very
carefully with the Attorney General and
their construction seems to be perfectly
clear. You will please inform the director
Of the census that his office will continue to
be administered as it has been administered
until the 1st of July. On that day he will.
with your permission, appoint such mem
bers of the present force under him as Will
constitute the permanent census force. ap-
pointing only SO many as are to be perma-
nently employed. After that date all ap-
pointments will be made under the regula-
tions Of the civil service act.
Very truly yours,
"Hon. z. A Hitchcock. Secretary Of the
Interior"
After Consultation.
This step of the President. as stated in
the order to Secretary Hitchcock. was
taken after consultation with the Attor-
ney General, whose Interpretation OF the
census act has evidently been that there
Is nothing In the law clearly directing that
persons now employed in the census Office
are eligible to transfer to other depart
ments.
The effect of the Presidents interpreta-
ton Of the law is that from 1000 TO 1900
people now in the census office will lose
their positions in the service between LOW
and July and will not be eligible to trans
fer to other branches Of the government
service The number will be fully 100 II
the rolls now contain 1900 employees. as Is
claimed, inasmuch as the permanent bu-
reau will contain only about 500 people.
The President has all along held that the
transfer Of SO many people to .he civil
service rolls was not fair to those who
have passed civil service examinations
throughout the country.