Evening star., 1909-04-20
KILLED BY BES|EGERS BARS THE DISTRICT
American Was Leading Sore Senate Insists on McCumber
From City OF Tabriz. Amendment to Census Bill.
TRYING TO GET FOOD TO LIMIT APPOINTMENTS
Recently Teacher in the Residence Prior
Presbyterian School, animation REQUIRED.
CONSENTS TO ARSTICE CONFERENCE REPORT REJECTED
Action Avert Threatened
Consuates
ing People Officials Holding Positions.
TO LIMIT APPOINTMENTS
Fears Actual Residence Prior to Elk.
animation Required.
CONFERENCE REPORT REJECTED
Sensational Charges Of Abuses in Ad-
Officials Holding Positions.

Being unwilling to agree to the elimi-
| nation from the census bill OF the Nc
Cumber amendment requiring actual res
| idence in state for one year prior to
| taking the civil service examination for
any branch Of the government service.
| when applicants claim residence in q
given state. and requiring the examina-
tion to be taken in that state or territory
the Senate today sent the bill back to
conference by a vote Of 80 In the affirma-
tive and 43 In the negative upon the
question OF adopting the report of the
conferees.
This provision which the Senate by its
action today showed a determination to
keep in the bill will shut out all resi-
dents Of the District Of Columbia Dom
securing civil service positions in the fu-
ture II it should become q law. This
would be due to the fact that the District
quota is always filled to overfiowing.
When the motion to adopt the report
had been defeated Senator Bailey. one
Of the conferees. refused to serve longer
in that capacity and Senator Taliaferro
/ was appointed in his stead
The discussion Of the report was filled
with sensational charges against the pres
ent method Of administering the civil
service law.
Abuses in Civil Service.
Senator McCumber began his fight
against the adoption Of the conference
report by charging that his amendment,
which had been eliminated by the con-
ferees. was for the purpose Of carrying
out the spirit a. we'll a the letter OF the
civil service law and to correct the
fraud and 6bHI5 BY which residents OF
the District claimed legal residence in
states where they may never have been
or from which they have been absent
for long periods OF time without any
intention OF returning. He also at
tackled the civil service law and its
administration generally. He charged
that I'm one section Of the bureau OF
manufactures" there are employed al
present the wife Of secretary to
member Of the House. the wives OF two
officials Of the War Department. the
wife of a travelling man and a wife of n
young boy who does not support him.
SELF besides two widows.
Ninety per cent Of the government en-
ployes in this city are residents of this
city. he charged. and the states only have
| 10 per cent here. AS matter OF fact. he
said, Washington should have about =
per cent of the employees in the govern
ment
'If the law is not q good one." he con-
tinued. I'VE ought to repeal II: but so
long as 1t stands it ought to be enforced"
Senator Gallinger, chairman OF the Dis
| trict of Columbia committee. also took a
| rap at the civil service. He said that 1t
| was well known that in all the govern
| ment departments there are two or three
| members Of the same families employed,
which was not right at all. and which he
had tried to correct by an amendment to
| the census BILL. which had failed in con-
| ference. He charged that he had once
| discovered a family of which the husband
| and wife and three or four nephews or
| nieces were employed by the government
| in this city.
had run across an elevator conductor in
| one Of the government buildings not long
ago who said ne was from his state.
him what part. and he didn't know. Then
1t developed that the man had son-in-
law who had taken up a homestead in
| that state and had in some way been ap-
pointed from that state.
"Washington Is going to be city Of Of
fetal families holding positions in the
government" predicted Mr.. McCumber.
He told how a man might come from
New Hampshire and enter the govern
ment here, and how his children and
grandchildren, might claim New Hamp-
shire as their home, and all get into the
government service.
Qualifications Of Employees.
The North Dakota senator then read
extracts from several newspaper edito-
| rails. among them some from The Even
ing Star. In support Of the action Of the
conferees in eliminating his amendment
from the bill. and claiming that the peo-
pie of the District Of Columbia were bet
ter qualified by their bringing up to do
the work of the government. He said
this might be the case. but the law was
the law, and Furthermore he believed
people from the states didn't take any
more sick leave. and were just as good
workmen on the whole as the District of
Columbia people. AS the government
paid to many of its employees double the
salaries paid for similar positions on the
outside he thought the good things ought
to be distributed over the country.
Here Senator Tillman jumped into the
fray. demanding to know whether Mr..
McCumber was attacking the civil service
commission.
After some sidestepping Mr.. McCumber
admitted that perhaps he was.
When Mr.. Tiliman wanted to know
what he proposed as q remedy. Mr.. Nc
Cumber told him about his amendment.
II hope the senator then will force
a vote on this question: declared Mr..
Tillman. Il would like to know whether
he wants us to vote on this proposition,
or whether he is just talking SO that We
can hear his mellow voice."
Before Mr.. McCumber could reply to
this sally. Senator Lodge OF Massachu-
sets got the floor. and added q few more
words against the very important
abuse" He asserted that the arguments
against the McCumber amendment were
all wrong. The District of Columbia, he
thought. ought to get it's proper quota,
but 1t was actually getting much more
He considered n gross iuiustice IA the