The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1902-02-15
CENSUS BUREAU BILL
BEFORE THE SENATE
Mr.. Lodges Opposition to
Civil Service Provision.
INTERROGATED BY Mr.. PETTUS
Service an Ex~eIient Test of Fitness.
New APPOint1len Made Even In
Face OF Wholesale Discharges
From Present Force.

The Senate took up the permanent Cen
sus Bureau bill Immediately after the
morning business today, and Mr. Lodge
resumed his argument against the pro-
visions Of the bill that the entire force
Of the bureau be covered into the classi-
fed civil service
Why Mr. Lodge Objected.
Mr. Lodge, with other civil service ad-
vocates. considers it an imposition on tbe
Civil Service Commission and its laws ani
the long list Of eligible candidates who
have been examined BY the Commission
and are now entitled to positions in the
Government service.
Mr. Lodge introduced ar amendment to
the census bill yesterday afternoon.
which provides that only the permanent
force Of the Census Office shall be put
into the classified service
The point made by the friends OF the
civil service law is that II this force Of
from 1000 to 1900 temporary clerks is
covered into the classified civil service IL
viii I'll al the vacancies which may oc-
cur in the Government service for an
entire year. and viii shut out entirely the
classified list OF the Civil Service Com
mission.
Senator QuarIes, the chairman OF the
Census Committee Of the Senate. is in
favor Of putting the entire Census Bureau
force into the classified civil service. and
he will make a fight against the Lodge
amendment.
MIR. Pettus Makes Enquiries.
Senator Pettus Of Alabama asked Mr..
Lodge II he does not consider The two
years or more Of service OF the Census
Office employees as good test Of fitness
as an examination Of the Civil Service
Commission would be, and II for this rea-
son it would not be advisable 10 give
these clerks, as they are discharged,
pr ference as new clerks ara, wanted in
tie departments. over persons on the eli
gible list who have merely taken an ex-
animation but had no experience
Mr. Lodge answered that he did con
slider such service an excellent test Of
I fitness He made the interesting state
ment, however. that nineteen clerks have
been appointed n the Census Bureau dur
ing the present month who viii come IN
der the provisions Of the bill and that
$50 have been appointed during the past
year. These clerks, he said. have taken
the places Of experienced clerks. but have
not themselves had much experience.
Views of Mr. CuIIOm-
Mr.. Cuiom interjected the remark that
he knew Of a number Of instances where
clerks who had passed the examination Of
/ the Civil Service Commission have after
ward failed TO pass the examination Of
/ the Census Bureau. he said that evil
! IDENTIFY the examinations for admission 20
! the bureau are a pretty good test Of ft-
/ ness for ordinary clerical work
Mr. Lodge. in answer to a question,
| stated that any clerk who has been COW
! cred into the classified service by the bill,
| If il becomes law, Will when discharged,
| during a year be given preference in ap-
| pointment over all persons on the eligible
\ list Such discharged clerks, are. by the
| civil service law, considered TO be still
in the service Tor transfer TO other depart
ments. fl they have been discharged sim
ply because OF lack Of work.