Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-05-01
TAKING THE CENSUS.
How the Work VIII be Done in the
District of Columbia.

It was mentioned in yesterdays STAB thai
Mr.. Harrison Dingman, the supervisor Of the
census for this District, had divided the sixty
square miles Of territory into 1876 sub districts
instead of 100, as at the last census.
| II had two objects in view in increasing the
number Of the sub districts" said Mr.. Ding.
man to STAR reporter, 'the first and mosi
important being speed and accuracy and the
other to enable the enumerators to perform
their duties within the twelve working days
included in the time specified in the law,
| namely, from June l to June Is. The law
allows to July to complete the enumeration
| of the population in this country, except in
cities Of over 10000 inhabitants, under the
census Of 1880 In the latter cases the law re-
quires that the census shall be taken within
| two weeks from the first Monday in June"
THE LIST OF SUPERVISORY.
Now that the division Of the District is COM
pleted Mr.. Dingman is engaged in preparing
the list of 1856 supervisors who will be ap-
| pointed to take the census Each man will be
given a district and he will be expected to
complete his work in two weeks. The list that
/ is being prepared will be submitted to Super
intendent Porter within the next ten days and
by the middle of May Mr.. Dingman expects to
have his force of enumerators ready to receive
his orders.
| TO FACILITATE THE WORK.
While the actual work Of the enumerators
will not be begun until the first Monday in
June, yet Mr.. Dingman proposes to utilize
them for the distribution Of census schedules
| throughout the city. The object is to facili-
tate the taking OF the census by allowing the
heads of families and members Of households
| time in which to consider the answers to be
made in the several inquiries, in order that
hQftar nd r11nr late vox,,p ho Oh
| tanned. Mr.. Dingman will decide how, gen.
orally, this plan can be pursued.
The use OF the prior schedule would require
two visits OF the enumerators in all districts or
parts Of districts where it is carried out, and it
| ia a question to be determined whether the
time taken for the delivery Of the schedules to
| householders would or would not be more than
compensated by the greater facility with which
| the returns could be- secured 1t is thought
| that it would not be advisable to make use of
the prior schedule in sparsely settled districts,
where much travelling Is required or in closely
| settled areas Of the city, where the population
| is made up largely of foreigners and of those
who do not possess the experience necessary to
comprehend the nature of the inquiries without
the aid Of the enumeration. In districts chiefly
populated by the more intelligent classes of the
population there is reason to believe that the
statistics secured as the result Of "a family
council would have greatly increased value,
and that the work Of the enumerator would be
very much lessened and inpllhed.
SPECIAL ENuMERAToRs.
In addition to the subdivision Of the District
and the assignment Of enumerators to each
sub district there will be two special enumera-
tors appointed to take the census Of the Gov
ernment Hospital for the Insane and for the Sol
diers Home To all the educational snd chari-
table institutions OF the city prior schedules,
as they are called will be sent with the request
that the information called for be supplied by
some official or other trustworthy person con-
nected with the institution, who shall have been
previously designated as an institution" enum-
orator, duly sworn in and commissioned by the
supervisor Of the district in which such institu-
ton may be located. For the performance of
his duty he shall receive the same
rates of compensation allowed to the general
field enumerator for the same class Of work
The compensation to be paid to enumerators is
fixed by section IL Of the act Of March 1, 1889,
and provides minimum rate Of two cents for
each living inhabitant two cents for each
death, fifteen cents for each farm, twenty cents
for each establishment of productive industry
and five cents for each surviving soldier. sailor
or marine, or widow of a soldier, sailor or ma
rine, enumerated and returned for all subdivi-
sions where such allowance shall be deemed
sufficient.
The law further provides that it shall be the
duty OF each enumerator, after being qualified
in the manner aforesaid, to visit personally
each family therein, and each individual living
out of family in any place of abode, and by
inquiry made Of the head of such family or Of
the member thereof deemed most credible and
worthy OF trust or OF such individual living
out of family, to obtain each and every item
Of information and all the particulars required
by the act. And in case no person shall be
found at the usual place Of abode of such
family or individual living out Of a family COM
petent to answer the inquiries made in COM
pliance with the requirements of the act, then
1t shall be lawful for the enumerator to obtain
the required information, as nearly as may be
practicable, from the family or families, or per.
son or persons, living nearest to such place of
abode.
QUESTIONS TO BE ANSWERED
When the 1856 enumerators begin their house
toulouse visitation on the LIST of June next
they will ask at each house a number of ques-
tions. In the first place they will want the
Christian name and initial of each member Of
the family; whether the head Of the family was
a soldier, sailor or marine during the civil war,
either Union or confederate, or the widow Of
such person; whether the person is white
black, muiatto, quadroon, octOroon, Chinese,
Japanese or Indian; the age at the nearest biz
day; whether single, married, widowed or
divorced; mother Of how many children and
number living; the place of birth, place of
birth OF father, Of mother; the number of years
resident in the United States; whether natural
lzed or naturalization papers taken out pro-
fesslon, trade or occupation; months unem-
ployed during the census year; months of at
tendance at school during the year; able to
read, to write, to speak English whether
suffering from acute or chronic disease; whether
defective in mind, sight, hearing or speech, or
whether crippled or manned.
A SPECIAL SCHEDULE
will also be presented for the purpose of OBJ
tanning the rank, company. name of regiment
or vessel, date of enlistment and discharge and
length of service Of persons who have served
in the army, navy and marine corps of the
United States during the late war. and the
widows of such persons. willful failure or
refusal to answer truthfully the questions in
the schedule will make the person 50 offending
under the law, guilty OF a misdemeanor and
liable to fine not exceeding $780,
UNDER THE ROSE.
There will be no publication, in connection
with the names Of the persons, of the informa-
ton thus obtained. The facts will be used ex-
clusively for statistical purposes. Independent
of his connection with the Census Office MIR
Dingman is anxious that the coming census will
be complete possible. He believes that
the returns, il correctly obtained, will reflect
credit upon the District and show that til ere
has been a large increase in the population.
ANACOSFIA