Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-03-25
READY FOR HIS WORK,
But Sorry That the End of It
Isn't Already in Sight.
NO SNAP COUNTING NOSES.
Mr. Oliver Expects His Men to Cover
Districts in Ten Days.
POPULATION TO BE KNOWN IN JULY

George 7. Oliver, census supervisor for
the Ninth district OF Pennsylvania, got
down to real work yesterday. in the enum-
Grafton of Allegheny's population and re-
sources, and by the middle of June the
energetic supervisor expects to have his
work completed. He only intends to allow
his enumerators ten DAYS in which to COM
! plete their tasks. They will commence
work on June 2, and on the morning of
June 13, and not later than June Ia, all the
reports must be in the hands of the super
visor. Yesterday Mr.. Oliver rented rooms
in the Lewis block, Smithfeld street, and
by Saturday he expects to occupy them.
He will have there several clerks and a
typewriter-he having obtained his wife's
consent.
His first work yesterday was to order
big map of the two cities from A. Y. Lee,
the civil engineer, and also a map of the
entire county from the same architect. They
will each be about four feet square and
show every street, road and alley In the
county. These maps he will divide into
about 200 districts, and as nearly as possible
follow the election precincts. The maps
will be sent on to the Superintendent of
the Census for approval, and then the emu
merators will be appointed. 1t will be sew
eral weeks yet before such appointments
can be made.
A MASS OF WORK.
Although the special agents Of the Gov
ernment will greatly relieve Mr.. Oliver, in
that they will take care of the industrial feat
ures of the census, there is still such mass of
work before him that he is almost tired of the
position before he commences. The greatest
trouble he finds at present, however, is the
large amount of time the duties of the Office
take from his business interests.
When seen at his home last night Mr.. Oliver
said he had Just started in to the work Of num-
bering people and his only desire seemed to be
to finish it as quickly as possible. He said:
Il commenced work to-day in dead earnest
This morning ordered maps of the two cities
and the county from A. Y. Lee. l also rented
offices in the Lewis block, and will have my
off1ce opened up by the latter part of the week.
will have my assistants there and also type
writer. My plans are not well enough formu-
lated yet to tell much about them, and in factI
am at present just about as much acquainted
with the work of census taking as any other
mortal. Even this early, though, begin to feel
tired of the job, and wish it were through. 1t
is not that fear the work. for | can arrange
of it, but it is going to take too much of my
time from my other business interests. Like
Superintendent Porter, L want to make
record with my part of the work. and will push
it just as fast as possible. want to have my
report in by the middle of June. The last cen
sus. while good one, lost nearly all its value
in the delay in giving the results to the people.
WANTS TO EXPEDITE IT.
'Mr Porter also wants to push the work this
time, and expects to publish his report of the
population by the latter part of July, and all
the other reports will follow just as quickly as
possible, SO that all of them will be published
inside of the next Is months. In speaking to
me of this matter, Mr.. Porter said be did not
want to extend his time in office any longer
than possible. He had other business to look
after, and would be too happy to turn the key
in his office door and get back to New York.
II will begin at once the work of districting
the city. The map from Mir. Lee will be most
complete and will be about four feet square.
As far as possible will make my districts cor
respond with the election districts and where
they are small in territory OF population two of
them will be punched together. On each of
these districts will mark the vote of the last
general election. which will give some clear
idea of the number of people living in
each of them. This map will be forwarded to
Superintendent Porter for approval. 1t will be
at least two weeks before can get the Super
intendent's approval. and then ! will appoint
the enumerators, who will, of course, have to
be approved by the Superintendent.
comes hitch. To-day got a circular from
Mr.. Porter, requesting. or rather commanding,
that no person who had been, or was now, tax |
assessor a collector should be appointed as
an enumeration. In former circular he had |
recommended that such people would be the |
proper persons to appoint. In this. his last cir
cular. however. he makes an entirely different |
request He gave as his reasons that people not |
connected with the assessing or collecting of |
taxes would be able to secure more favorable |
and truthful answers to all the questions.
A JOB FOR AN ANGEL.
at takes almost an angel to tell the truth to |
a person who has anything to do with the taxes. |
Where it catches me is that most of the appli- |
cations for positions are from just such persons,
and will have to look out for different class |
of men.
The enumerators will commence work on |
Monday, June l. only intend to allow them |
ten days. The districts will be made small |
enough for them TO easily cover in eight days. |
and give them two days to get their reports in |
shape. All their reports will have to be in my |
office pot later than June IA, and inside of a |
week after that expect to turn everything |
over to the Superintendent and close the office.
/ believe the reports will be more accurate if |
done quickly.
Il only have to look after the population and
social statistics. The special agents OF the
Government will look after the industrial in
terests. James NJ. Swank, of Philadelphia, has
charge of the iron and steel. He is eminently
fitted for the position, being Vice President of |
the American iron and Steel Association. and |
is personally acquainted with almost every
IN that industry IN the country.
His work will be largely done through Giro u
lars to each of the mills. His report will not
be at all localized. The department of petro-
leum. coal and natural gas will be in charge of
Joseph D. Weeks. am not certain who has
Cargo of the glass industry.
I'm my work, too, l will be greatly aided in
the cities. One of the features to be embodied
in my report will be a list of all the deaths
during the past year. In Pittsburg we Will get
all that information from the Board of Health,
and in Allegheny it will be furnished to US by
Health Officer Bradley. Besides getting the
number of people we will have to learn their
age, the place of their nativity, their indebted
ness etc. In fact, do not know yet exactly
how much information we are to give, for |
have not received all of my blanks. The only
thing do see real clearly at present is a mount
ain of work."