The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1889-07-10
This Time the First Dis
trict School Census
WiCkedneSS Is Ex-
posed.
TWENTY-FIVE PLACES VISITED.
At Twelve Of Them the Fami-
lies Named as Residents Do
Not Liye---Every Family That
Exists Enlarged.

The investigations which are yet being
made into the school census enumer-
alton show fraud in almost every record
which has be enenquired into. The result
of the comparison of County Superin-
tendent Houghton's returns with the
facts as learned at the houses of those
whose names are on them is calculated to
wipe out all confidence in the enumera-
tors honesty. and to show the figures of
the enumeration to be utterly worthless
for State uses.
METHODS OF INVESTIGATION.
In order that the value of the enquiry
that THE JERSEY CITY NEWS is making
may be thoroughly appreciated, it is
proper to say that no attempt is made to
verify each and every return made by
the Assessors. That would mean a visit
to nearly every house in the city, and con-
sumo time to gather data and space for
their publication that cannot be spared;
So the reporters who are on the detail
have been instructed to take from the re-
turns of each enumerator twenty-five or
thirty names of families that are reported
upon them as having children within the
school age, with their addresses and the
number of children the enumerator cred
us bIeuu Will. anu ny IudkluR ptIoOudI
enquiry at the places to verify the enum-
orators figuaes and statements.
These names are picked out at random,
and the result thus obtained is sufficient
to show the fraudulent character of the
whole record.
FIRST DISTRICT FRAUDS.
A week ago THE JERSEY CITY News
published an article showing the gross
frauds perpetrated ON the city by the man
who took the enumeration in the Fourth
district. The reporter, who has extended
his enquiries over the First district, finds
even greater frauds.
Upon Mr.. Green's report to Superinten-
dent Houghton, J. Reddy, of No. 279
Grand street, is credited with children;
j. Meyer, of No. 294 Grand street, with 4;
J. Cronsky, of No. 20 York street, with 4;
s; ;4, Johnson Of No No. 81 York 20 N street, t,
Grand street, with s; j. Anderson,
of No. 81 Grand street, with z; J. Ambury,
of No. 26 Canal street, with Z; A. Booman,
of No. 81 Grand street, with 8; j. Alexan-
der, of No. 297 Grove street, with s. A.
Grobholz of No 56 Sussex street, with 4;
j. A Mclaughlin, of No 1876 Grand street,
with 5, and j. Rafferty,, of No. 253 Van
Worst street, with 5.
AT all of these places the reporter was
informed that no family of the name
given lived there. Where A. Barmon is
said to live is a stable.
CHILDREN ADDED.
J. Ferrigan, No. as Grand street, who
is credited with four children, has only a
babe less than one year old.
]. Worrell, of No 81 Hudson street, is
marked down on the census report as
having five children of school age He
had only two girls at present attending
school, as two grown up sons are at work
and one daughter married
Mr.. J. Reilly lives at No. 254 Washing
ton street and has three little children,
only one of whom is old enough to go to
school. The report says he has three of
school age.
Mrs. Morris, of No. 1s9 Essex street, who
is down for five children, only nineteen
years of age, and has not been married
long. When | asked her how many chill
dren she had who were of an age to go to
school she laughed and said "Nixie." She
advised me to come around in ten years.
time and she would be glad to talk the
matter over.
S. E. Hickey, of No. 2s7 Grand street, is
credited with six children. He has but
two.
J. Bennett, No. $50 York street; J. Duke,
No. III York street; F. Lowery, No. 240
York street. and j. Waters, No. 271 York
street, each credited with four children,
have but three.
Entwistle lives where Andwater is said
to reside with four children. He has
three.
j. Cummings of No. 14S Morris street,
credited with five children, has seven of
school age
j, Ryall, of No. 267 Grove street, credited
with five children, has one.
At the Home of the Homeless, when the
records show seventy children of school
age, there are thirty-four only. The rest of
the colony there consists of twelve
babies.
A STARTLING RESUME.
These details show that twelve of the
twenty-five families whose names appear
on Enumerator Green's returns are mere
products of Mr.. Green's greedy imagina-
tion. Out of 1S0 children whom he emu
merates, only 81 have an actual existence
at the locations stated in his report.
1t is fair to assume that the same pro-
portions run all through his reports. and
on that basis the first district enumera-
tion must be enormously overstated.
The figures at any rate show the utter
worthlessness of his returns as basis of
official action.