The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1909-02-06

message VeCOlng the census Dill. He
says:
To the House of Representatives.: |
herewith return. without approval,
H. R. 1884, entitled AN act to pro-
vide for the thirteenth and subsequent
decennial censuses." l do this with
extreme reluctance, because fully
realize the Importance of supplying the
director of census at as early date
as possible with the force necessary to
the carrying on of his work. But 1t ia
of high consequence to the country
that the statistical work of the census
shall be conducted with entire accu.
racy. This is as important from the
standpoint of business and industry
as from the scientific standpoint. 1t
/ is, therefore, in my Judgment, essen
tial that the result should not be open
to the suspicion of bias political
and personal grounds; that it should
not be open to the reasonable suspi.
cion of being waste of the peoples
money and a fraud.
Section Z of the act provides in eff.
feet that appointments to the census
shall be under the spoils system, 70,
this is the real meaning of the provi.
sion that they shall be subject only to
non-competitive examination The pro
Iviso is added that they shall be Sc
Ilected without regard to political party
affiliations. But there is only one way
to guarantee that they shall be Sc
lectcd without regard to politics ana
on merit, and that is by choosing them
after competitive examination from
the lists of eligibles provided by tho
civi! service commission.
There is only one way to guarantee
the selection without regard to poll
tics, and that is by choosing them aft
er competitive examinations from the
i list of eligibles provided by the civil
service commission. Both the last
census We're taken under the provision
/ of the law excluding competition.
Every man competent to speak accur-
ately says the result was to produce
extravaganza and demoralization'
| The President quotes Frederick H.
Wines. Robert P. Porter, Carol G.
{! Wright, connected with the census b,l-
! earu at the various times Wright es-
timated over two million and a years
time would be saved if the census
course had been under classified serv-
! ice. Roosevelt adds: Il also recon-
ment that if the provision be made the
census printing be done outside the
| government printing office. strictly pro
the eight-hour law is applied in an
effective fashion to these Offices
The evil effects of the spoils sys-
| tenn and of the custom of treating ap-
pointments to the public service as
personal perquisites of professional
politicians are peculiarly evident in
the case of a great public work like
/ the taking of the census. work which
should emphatically be done for the
whole people and with an eye single
to their interest
The Presidents veto of the census
bill was today referred TO the census
committee Of the house. Parsons of
New York, suggested instructions be
! given the committee to report the bill
back after striking out 'non-compet-
tive" before the word examinations"
so as to meet the recommendation of
j the President. 1t was not adopted.
May Pass Bill Over Veto.
| WASHINGTON, Feb 6.--The de-
cision as to the action taken by the
house regarding the census bill We
toed by the President NAV not be
reached until Tuesday or Wednesday.
Many members are a ay on Monday
and it is the desire to have full men,
| bership present. If unable to muster
enough votes to pass the bill over the
Presidents head, it will be delayed UNI
! til the special session.