Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1890-06-25
NEW CENSUS ORDER.
SPeClAL-cLERK RAGLAND DIRECTED
TOCLOSe HIS OFFICE.
Supervisor Young Says There IL No Au-
thority Under the Law for Keep
ing IL Open.

The Office OF the special clerk for the
examination of census schedules has been
closed.
The order came yesterday morning from
Supervisor Young. in Petersburg. VINO
wrote Mr.. Ragland that he had no authori-
ty under the census-laws to keep special
Office open in Richmond for thirty days.
Sir. Ragland continued with his work
until 8 o'clock, and then proceeded to
make out his reports for transmission to
Mr.. Young.
While the Office was open there. were
about seventv-fve or eighty complaints.
These represent several hundred persons,
though some of them were found to be
already enrolled.
THE coMPLAINANrs.
The complanants were both white and
colored, and represented nearly every sec
ton Of the city.
When person called TO say he was not
listed his name and street-number were
taken down, and then it was ascertalned
which enumerating district he resided IN.
If the lst-sheet3 for the district had been
returned from Petersburg they were exam
ined. and if il was found that the person
or persons were not enrolled the census
taker 'or the district was sent TO the mouse
70 lis. the names of those not enrolled:
A few of the enumerators have not nm
ished their work, aud some Of the sheets
which were returned to Mr. Young have
not been sent back TO Mr.. Ragland.
A PEW GRoUNDLEss COMPLAINTS.
As It was learned from the papers at hand
that many of the complaints were ground;
less il is believed that the Others would
show a like result.
However. Mr.. Ragland ascertained that
hundreds of citizens had been missed
though IN nearly every case the fault was
not the enumerators.
In some cases the territory IN which the
officer was TO work was not clearly de-
fined. and in Others the census-takers were
not given the names OF all persons resldlns
In a house when he called to enroll the
residents.
Mr.. Racland SAYS there are many cases
whore a person has been enrolled twice
/ This is especially true of cOlored servants
In some cases their names were given by
their parents. and an enumerator IN an
other district listed the same person n
the house where he or she was employed
BELLE ISLE MISSED.
None of the residents on Belle Isle have
! been enrolled. The enumeratOr IN whose
/ district those people live thought they be
| longsd to Manchester.
/ Where the enumerator has not sent hi'
| sheets to Supervisor Young 1t IL not too
/ late for him 10 make additions, but nearly
| all the census-takers have completed then
worl. and made final reports. IL seems
that such have no authority 10 send IN the
nam,s Of any persons whom they have
missed.
WHAT srrpFRyIeOR YOUNG SAYS
T-1der instructions from the Dispatch It's
Petersburg correspondent last night called
upon Supervisor Young and telegraphec
as follows:
Supervisor Young was busily engaged in
writing a telegram TO Mr. ). b. Rag!Gnd
when the Dispatch correspondent called al
his residence tonight.
The STATE of tins afternoon" he said
announces that | have instructed Mr.
Ragllnd to close his Office at once and tC
discontinue any further enumeration
Thisis an error. ! have given no such IN
situations, although. of course, can
not say what orders Mr.. Rag
land may have received from Wash
inqtDn. but 20 be very frank il will
not be possible TO hold the paper:
in Richmond much longer, and ! think
shal have To send them off 10 Washington
Saturday. If there are any persons Whose
names have not been taken the omissions
can be supplied up to Thursday evening
l hare no warrant whatever for holding
the enumeration open for thirty days; an'
it is vitally necessary that the schedules
shoZd be forwarded TO the Census Bu
reaa. Two days remain in which all omis
slons nav be supplied and complaints IN
vestigated. Then the work must clos'
without further delay
Mr.. Young will 60 over to Richmond to
morrow morning, arriving, there at yu
o'clock. He will spend the day III thu
special enumerator's Office in the custom
house. The reports made to him by Mr
Ragland. he said showed that number o
the complaints were trivial and resteC
upon very slender foundation.