The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1902-02-18

Washington. February 15.-During
the entire session of today the senate
had under consideration the bill estab-
nshing a permanent census office. Il
was not completed, but an agreement
was reached to take it up again imme-
eiately after the executive session that
- to be held on Monday next for the
consideration Of the Danish treaty.
The great contest of the day, Of
course. was over the tranfer to the
classified service of the employees OF
the census office who are to be retain
ed in the permanent establishment. It
involves the entire civil service ques-
tion. and the debate covered much VI
the ground that heretofore has been
gone over on congressional debates.
The pending amendment to the bill
was that OF Senator Lodge to amend
the paragraph relating to the retention
Of employees so that it would read that
all employees of the twelfth census
office at the date of the passage of the
act who are retained in the employ Of
the permanent census, above the grade
Of skilled laborer, shall, and they are
hereby. placed without further exami-
nation under the provisions of the civil
service act"
During the discussion Senator Till
man said laughingly that some senators
and representatives would get their
full share of the appointments. He was
sure the senator from Massachusetts,
dodge) would; and he believed he him
self would.
'T hope So" replied Senator Lodge in
the same vein. mo two senators are
more deserving"
SCI am glad. of course. said Senator
Tillman. ito be in such good company;
but am afraid that when the sharing
sp comes it will not be even.'
Senator Gallinger gave notice of IN
amendment declaring that persons who
had served as soldiers in any war in
which the United States has engaged
and the widows of such soldiers shall
have preference in the matter of certi-
6cation.
Senator Scott declared he was op-
posed to the civil service system from
start to finish," and that the whole sys-
tenn was wrong in operation and IN
principle. Very soon, he thought. peo-
pie in the classified service would con-
troll the government
Senator Lodge amendment then was
rejected without division.
Many Intellectual efforts were made
70 amend Section 5. the confusion arls-
ing from the attempts becoming so
amusing that Senator Tillman face
the chair that 'the senate is so mud
died that it could not pass a civil ser
vice examination and the members
therefore would not be eligible to re-
election"
1.-The chair Is in doubt" said the
president pro tenn (Frye), "aind will
have to submit the question TO the SEN
ate" tLaughter).
Finally, on motion of Senator Nc
Comas the nrst paragraph of section
was so amended as to read: That all
employees of the census office except
unskilled laborers, at the date or the
passage OF this act. shall be and they
are hereby placed without further ex-
animation. under the provisions Of the
civil service act"
On motion OF Senator Teller the bill
was amended so as to provide Ior an
assistant director of the census at a sai-
airy OF $4,000 per annum; and further
that the terms Of appointment Of both
the director and assistant director
should be four years
Senator Allison offered an amendment
eliminating the provision for the col
lection of statistics concerning the pro-
duction Of cotton as returned by the
ginners He maintained that cotton sta
tistics were now collected by the agri-
cultural department and the statistics
collected bv the census office would be
q duplication.
Senator Tillman opposed the amend
ment vigorously. He held that statis-
tics of the cotton production now col
lected were not accurate-"mere guess
work" I'm many instances. BY obtain
ing the statistics from the ginners. ne
contended. IL would be practically pos
sible to know by Christmas each year
Just what the cotton production for the
year was. He urged that either this