§ MR. BIGGARasked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury, Whether any young men employed on the Census work of 1882–3, whose services were dispensed with at an early date, were subsequently recognized as men copyists, without any further test of literary competency other than that prescribed for the Census; whether young men engaged on the Census attended, unsuccessfully, examinations for men copyists, and were subsequently recognized as such; and, whether young men retained in the Census Department to near the close of the work, on the ground of their efficiency, have applied to the Civil Service Commissioners for recognition as men copyists, and been refused; and, if so, the grounds for such refusal, seeing that they not only possess the literary qualifications of those already recognized, but also the practical qualifications of efficiency and experience?
§ MR. COURTNEYIt appears that as the subjects of examination for clerks in the Census Office and for copyists are 1162 nearly identical, although the standards are somewhat different, the former examination has been recognized as qualifying persons to be men copyists when, and only when, it afforded evidence that such persons had reached the standard fixed for copyists. It has happened in a few instances that persons engaged on the Census attended unsuccessfully the examination for men copyists, but were subsequently registered as such, when the Commissioners had learnt that they had, in their Census examination, reached the requisite standard for copyists. Several clerks who had been employed in the Census Office have been refused recognition as copyists on the ground that they have not in any examination reached the standard of proficiency applied to copyists.