The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1890-10-12
10000 INHABITANTS.
RICHMoND'S POPULATION COR
RECTL.Y COUNTED.
Hut IL Was Not Done bv the Census Emu
merators-The Times, with ITS Usual
Enterprise. Presents Accurate Figures
An, Isnrsorfauf


merators-rhe Times, with ITS Usual
Enterprise. Presents Accurate Figures
An Important Ma. ter.
The correct census OF Richmond is an ini-
portant matter. In the next Federal GEN.
sus Richmond will appear with popula-
ton Of $4,000 and about thrty-second
among the list Of thirty-four cities OF 10000
and over. This will hardly give general
satisfaction. II is due to the city that the
actual number OF inhabitants should be
made known. There is now good propo-
sition before the City Council to have
careful police census taken.
THKTMEs' with its usual enterprise, after
considerable trouble and expense is en-
abled today To- place before the public some
important facts on the subject. New York
city il now taking police census and up
10 date an increase Of sixty-two thousand
people is shown and forty-eight more cleo
lion districts are to be added before the
count is completed. In Brooklyn they are
about 10 take a police census, and say there
is shortage there of over fifty thousand
persons There seems, however. to be more
cause for dissatisfaction here than In New
| York. They are given 1,jl3,50l, which, COM
pared in the usual way with their CITY
directory, gives multiplier OF over four.
Taking this city's directory for 1870.
which contains 29,ill names, multiplier
of less than three is obtained. Three is re-
| parded low multiplier, and many cities use
| .bree-and-a-half and four. Taking three.
however il would indicate population OF
| 8. 233. while four less than New York has
would show ll7,64i. The last census OF
Petersburg. Va, as compared with their
| city directory, gives a mui'iplier OF over
three. This is not all. IL has been found
that the total population OF this city In
1888 was Dos times the number OF polls
found and assessed. The commissioner OF
revenue gives the full tax returns for
1889 at 1908, which, multiplied by Dos,
would give population of S,OlS. This Is
n very conservative estimate.
The readers of THE TIMES are familiar
with the efforts of the Chamber OF Com
merce TO secure justice to the city IN TINS
matter. When they first began to stir up
the Census Department Richmond was only
credited with a population of about l4,OOO
II may be safely estimated that the Cham
Der succeeded in having not less than DON
people who had been skipped, placed III the
enumeration. To assist them at the time
the Chamber had the cooperation OF the
police department They undertook to FIND
neople who were not enumerated, and did
their work In q few days. At the same
time a rough census was taken OF people
residing i'm dwelling houses in the city,
This census The TINES has undertaken
TO tabulate and count, and now makes
public for the first time. There were many
thousand blanks 10 90 over, and II t0Oh
good accountants long time, but the re
sult is here. The actual total number o
persOns in dwellings was sl,OOi, whicl
shows that the police found in few day
TOl more people than the Federal enumera
tors. although tho latter took many week
in which TO do the work, II must be re
membered that allowances are made II
+ every census for persons skipped. II mus
also be borne in mind that residents O
hotels, stores, etc, are not included II
the police count. Besides man.
of the blanks were not filled up on accoun
OF people being away from the city ior th'
; summer Taking the number OF blanks
} without definite information, and allowing
fair average. the total would certainl,
reach at least 10000. careful police cen
sus is calculated TO ensure population o
not less than this number.
The mistake in the taking of the censu
here and possibly elsewhere was the lack O
system. Ii would hardly be reasonable I
: expect enumeratOrs to take up such dlilcul
l work in one day and proceed SATISFACTORY
without proper instructions or supervision
But that was the way it was done, and not
withstanding this fact, some Of the emu
meratOrs appeared TO have madQ a yer.
{ careful canvass, while others, however
were less successful and in all prObabllit
caused the larger percentage OF loss in th
names reported.