St. Paul daily globe., 1890-08-09
WON'T Be SCAPEGOAT
Supervisor Smith Replies in
Vigorous Terms to His
Critics.
He Says It Was Physically
Impossible for Him to Ex-
anime Schedules,
And the Census Authorities
Refused to Furnish Him
Proper Assistance.
If Any One Is to Blame, He
Thinks That Person Is
Robert P. Porter.


at which considerable criticism has
been leyeled in the recent discussions
over the census troubles. He replies to
his critics in the following letter, ad-
dressed to the editor of the GLOBE:
l was appointed supervisor of the
Third district Of Minnesota, embracing
all Of Minnesota north of the southern
boundary of Ramsey county and east of
the Mississippi river, which includes
twenty-one counties.
The duties of the supervisor as de-
scribed by the census law are as follows:
Sec. 5. Each supervisor of census shall be
charged with the performance, within his a
own district OF the following duties: To
propose to the superintendent of census the
division of his district into subdivisions most
convenientfor the purpose of enumeration;
TO designate to the superintendent OF census
suitable persons, and, with the consent OF
said superintendent, to employ such persons
as enumerators within his district, one for
each subdivision and resident therein. who
shall be selected solely with reference to fit
ness, and without reference to their political
party affiliations, according 10 the division
approved by the superintendent of census.
Provided, That in the appointment of
enumerators, preference shall in all
cases be given to properly quail
flied persons honorably discharged
from the military or naval service OF the
United States residing i'll thel1 respective dis
tricts; but in case it shall occur in any emu
meration district that no person qualified to
perform and willing to undertake the duties
of enumerator resides in that district, the s1-
pervisor may appoint any fit person, resident
in the county, to be the enumerator of that
district; to transmit to enumerators the
printed forms and schedules issued from the
census Office. in quantities suited to the re-
quirements of each subdivision; to com
municate to enumeratOrS the necessary in
StructionS and directions relating to their du-
ties, and to the methods of conducting the
census, and to advise with and counsel emu
merators in person and by letter, as freely
and fully as may be required to secure
the purposes of this act; and under the
direction of the superintendent of the census,
and to facilitate the taking of the census
with as little delay as possible, he may cause
10 be distributed by the enumerators, prior to
the taking of the enumeration. schedules to
filled up by householders and others; to pro-
vide tor the early and safe TRANSMISSION TO
his Office of the returns of enumerators, en-
bracing all the schedules filled by them in
the course of enumeration. and for the due
receipt and custody of such returns pending
their transmission to the census Office; to
examine and scrutiniZe the returns of emu
merators, IN order to ascertain whether the
work has been performed in all respects in
compliance with the provisions of law, and
whether any town or village or
integral DOrtlOn OF tlo ulSIr1CJ udS
been omitted from enumeratiOn; to
forward to the superintendent of census the
completed returns OF his district in such
time and manner as shall be prescribed by
the said superintendent, and in the event OF
discrepancies or deficiencies appearing in
the returns from his district, TO use all dill
gence in causing the same to be corrected or
supplied; to make up and forward to the
superintendent of census the accounts re-
quired for ascerlaining the amount of com
pensation due under the provisions of this
act to each enumeratOr OF his district. When
ever it shall appear that any portion of the
enumeration and census provided for i'll this
act has been negligently or improperly taken,
and is by reason thereof incomplete, the
superintendent of census. with the approval
such incomplete and unsatisfactory enumer-
alton and census to be amended or made
anew under such methods as may, in his
discretion, be practcble.
Porter Recommended.
In compliance with the above subdi-
vided the territory into 256 districts,and
recommended them.to Robert P. Porter,
which action was approved. Mr.. Por
ter then sent me the blank forms to be
filled by applicants, one for each sub
division, which l gave to each appli-
cant. These forwarded to the depart
ment at Washington and they were ap-
proved.
On May 2S. with the advice and con-
sent of the superintendent, l transmit
ted through the mails a commission
with book of instructions to enumera-
tors, printed by the bureau at Washing
ton, and all other printed forms and
schedules issued from the census Office
in quantities to suit the requirements
of each subdivision.
There were appointed for the city of
st. Paul 126 enumeratorS. l notified all
st. Paul enumerators to be present at
the chamber of commerce on the even
ing of May 81. to receive instructions.
Having just completed the canvass
for the st. Paul city directory, | was
familiar with each district and COM
municated to the enumerators instances
of the difficulties the directory COM
pany had encountered, and gave them
all such general and specific inStruc-
tons as would secure full and correct
enumeration of the city of st. Paul.
During the entire time the enumerators
were engaged in st. Paul L was at the
supervisors Office between the hours of
Z a. m. and 10:30 D. m., fulfilling the
duties of the office and to advise and
counsel with the enumerators, except
ing one halliday on June and one half
day on June 16. when | went to Duluth
in obedience to telegraphic instructions
from Supt. Porter. The labor of giving
instructions both by letter to and per-
Sonal visits from enumeratOrS fully Oc-
cupied
NV Entire Time,
the correspondence from outside dis
tricts especially requiring much
consideration and occupying fully
six to eight hours each day.
1t was my intention to have the st.
Paul enumerators report to this Office
daily, in person, and to have the work
examined as it is done by the directory
company. With the view of having one
experienced clerk to take charge of each
their returns in order to ascertain
whether the work was complete and
correct, and to call their and my atten-
ton to omissions and errors, / sent the
following request by telegraph:
ST. PAUL, Mimi, June L, 1S9O-Robert P.
Porter, Superintendent of Census, Washing
ton, d. c.: Accuracy of enumeration in st.
Paul would be greatly increased by having
returns examined daily. Will you allow $50
per day for ten competent clerks to do the
work? THEODORE +. SMITH,
Supervisor of Census.
To which l received the following
reply:
WASHINGTON, D. c., June 1, 1s9O-T. f.
Smith, Supervisor of Census, St Paul. Mimi.
You will be allowed an additional clerk from
tomorrow for general purposes but no such
special and extensive allowance as you re-
quest can possibly be made. such scrutiny
as is necessary in your office will not require
anv large force, for no tabulation or compila-
ton whatever is supposed to be undertaken
before schedules are transmitted to Washing
ton. ROBERT T. PORTER,
Superintendent of Census.
"rFhe work of enumeration In ST..
Paul thus proc eded to completion. each
enumerator retaining in his own posses
sion the schedules filled by him in ac-
cordance with the instructions issued
by the superintendent of the census,
and found on page II OF the Book of
Instructions. On June IL, G. S. Boudi-
not presented a letter of authority,
signed Robert P. Porter, superintendent
of census, advising me that Mr.. Boudi-
not was one of the most
Trusted Employs
of the department, and directing me to
acquaint him with all the methods used
at This office Mr. ROudinOt examined