Show I TESTING CENSUS ENUMERATORS ENUMERATORS FOR EFFICIENCY 1 W Washington D C Oct States Slates Census Director El E Dana Dur stated today loday that tho ho primary primar rc Fe for fOl securing c enu must rest Iest with the super supervisors visors of lie cc It has been heen suggested from time limo timeto to time said the director that inure nor efficient enumerators might ho he ec III ed b by competitive ho examination open to everybody There If no doubt douht that If th and time required wore wor not prohibitive it would be advantage otIs to lo hot such an examination al ai although though It Il would ho IO necessary of merely merly selecting those whose rank ranking Ing In tl the was the high highest est lQ t refer ill l candidates Who passed to tho and allow him to 10 elect elc those hse personal I t uch Ie e tested iy I any e were nero most suitable The difficult with such an open examination 15 l the expense and It h i probable that for tor the tho places whore where there would be several hundred thousand mid and the grading ot of their would require u a large for fora a long time At sonic future census this plan might be worth trial hut but It can scarcely be b attempted e at the present census the ot or tinie timo and set sel b by law lass Tile The Census Bureau d es of oC Course undertake to p ho co continued against such Incompetent enumerators os as the sup up I through at influence or through oversight ma happen to At the last th con enu recommended b by th the super supervisors visors were all to lo a test ex examination and the sam same p bo be pursued this Me Um tim l OUt h hor or ot of th by br the supervisors wore Yera as asa a of this test In 1900 Il It way may mayb waybe b be wise to make the test at the pre preem pros em census a trifle more severe than at the twelfth census At lOst how such mch an examination n can do dono dono no more than elIminate te those thoC who cannot write plainly and who are arc clearly locking lacking In iii an understanding of oC their duties Jt It cn do lIttle lQ t assure the or of men or of In I try tact or honesty rho fhe Judg g meat ment efficiency and integrity of oC the supervisors must bo be the tho prima primo roll rollance rollance ance for tor securing enumerators who cho possess these lions I an and believe that the super supervisors visors at the present census arc on the whole H L higher type lypo of men than those at al an any g Census The compensation offered to 10 supervisors Is before but It is 15 nore not really an ait Ye re for men of the charac ter needed I 1 believe that a very cr con considerable proportion of o the ors org who have been appointed are aro men who In their regular occupations or professions lons are arc ablo abio to earn much moro more than the pay and who have hae accepted the positions be because cause causa of the honor and r responsibility involved or from patriotic I There Thelo has however been no new de with respect to the tho general method or of selecting SUII sui save sac only onh that In large cities or most of them selections ha have YO been heen II made independently or of political recommendations It may not be Inappropriate hero here hereto to lo explain the reason why political recommendations must be In the Iho appointment of super supervisors supervisors visors In mo most t of the The supervisor In order to do hI work properly must he a resident of the tho dIstrict over which lie he has hns charge The position is if not one which can be filled by civil service examination A flU should he a man of executive ability such as no examination can lost and he should ho be a man well known in his community Indeed men of tho type desired not nol In Inmost inmost most instances be willing to lo submit themselves to lo a civil service atlon Neither the director or Of the census his superior the Secre Secretary Secretary tary or of Commerce and Labor nor the president can possibly have havo personal acquaintance throughout the country with men to fill these post nor even with men outside of oc political positions whose advice they can seek seck The of the district In congress or the party part leaders In the have the tho sarI knowl knowledge of local conditions and loc local l men and It is not only na natUral torah tUral bitt practically necessary as a matter mattel of good administration that they should lie he shed to male make for positions or of thIs char character acter acler Fortunately members of congress and parl leaders are coming more and more to appreciate the Import Importance importance ance of accurate census statistics The spoils Idea of appointments Is grow grov growIng lug Ing constantly less dominant rhod dh rector of oC the census has bas done dOllo every everything thing possible to upon tho thoe o whose opinions asked regarding the tho the Importance Of o othe the necessity of having men of I marked executive ability anti of ab absolute absolute solute integrity rue fhe information fUr fUrnished furnished b by members of congress and aud party leaders regarding the candi candidates dates whom thc they have haYe recommended I has been supplemented by br till full per personal personal I statements required from each candidate in most cases b by nu no letters of Indorsement from Crom I business anti and professional m men n nIn In Iii the tho laige cities the tho tion Is i less dependent than thanIn In the country districts members of congress con gross and party part leaders for fOl ion in information formation regarding mater maler lal for such positions as that o of so JI pen Iso I of the census and the pres president ident and the secretary of I and labor have joined with th the dired tor of the census In iii establishing imp policy of making selections whenever the Information on which to act was available without depending ott on the recommendations of oC J ers I |