Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-02-17
Entered as second class mail matter at the POS
once at Washington, L. {,
The District and Apportionment

In Tho star statement yesterday an
nouncinS the reduction Of the census
force on the 1st of March occurred the
following sentences:
All but three of the l16 employees who
will be dismissed are from III District
of Columbia. The District employees have
been singled out for the coming reduc
lion, 1t i explained, simply because the
District of Columbia received number
of appointments in the census bureau far
in excess of its proper apfortionment I'M
der the law, which provided that the
states and territories should receive ap-
pointments according 10 the size Of their
populations"
1t appears that the director of the cen
sus was compelled 10 take advantage of
a clause in the act and make appoint
nlents from the District to supply his
needs, inasmuch as the states did not
furnish enough clerks. There is no suS-
gestion that the overplus of District en-
ployes did not come up TO standard.
There has never been a hint in any of
the government offices that the local
workers supplied we're not fully the equal
of those from the states. In point of
fact, other things being equal, the aver
age department official prefers a District
man or woman for service In his bureau,
in part for the reason that such clerks
have no political backing and stand
strictly on their merits without recourse
TO influence when in trouble or con-
fronted with possible reductions in pay
or dismissal.
The whole apportionment-of-of Offices sys-
tenn is wrong. 1t is contrary to the spirit
of the merit principle. 1t assumes po-
htical obligation on the part of the gov
ernment. and 1t involves the federal ad-
niinistration in system of office broker
age which at times interferes with the
proper performance of the public work
The government is not getting the best
available people for its service for often
it must pass capable applicants to one
side in order to alot offices to states
whose quotas are not filled, perhaps
through lack Of competence on the part
of those who have applied and perhaps
because of political conditions
This spectacle of scores of District peo-
pie brought into temporary service such
as that at the census office and then
dropped at the first need Of force reduc-
ton is familisr here in Washington. 1t
is 4 distressing experience. 1t empha sizes
the lack here OF suitable occupations for
capable young people who have not found
their way into the professions and have
aspirations above drudgery. There are
a few industrial establishments and there
is limited commercial field. Under
proper conditions. with the merit principle
developed to its logical point, the youth
of Washington would be regarded as the
natural recruits Of the government for its
work. trained in schools especially adapt
cd to Yield the particular products re-
quired by the United States for its de-
partmental service, nlatured in an atmos-
plIere Of departmental organization, spc-
cialists highly trained and glad to devote
themselves to government work as a ca
reer, just as the youth of other cities
enter business occupations for life.
Washington has appealed repeatedly to
The conscience and the good sense OF
Congress to abandon the apportionment
principle in favor Of a true merit system
But 1t has always been met by the force
of the patronage tradition, which in point
of fact is a handicap rather than q help
10 practically every member of the House
and Senate. 1t probably must wait for
the federal administration itself. realiz-
ing the illogical nature of the apportion-
ment law and the disadvantage of filling
Offices, after competitive examination, ac-
cordinS to the mathematical rule of popu-
lation, TO seek relief from the burden of
clerical selections according to the political
geography. When Uncle Sam reaches the
point of business development where he
will select his helpers strictly according
TO their merits the District may be spared
the humiliation and the suffering of spas
modic temporary employments followed
by wholesale dismissals.