New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-03-15
THE CENSUS INQUIRY.
w. J. X. KENNY GIVES HIS TESTIMONY.
SOME QUEER HEARShY EVIDENCE FROM MR..
SPEER-NO MORE WITNESSES EXPECTED.


sPEER-NO MORE WITNESSES EXPECTED.
The sessions If the Assembly Committee on Enume-
ration and Rcapportionmcnt were continued IN Part
H. superior Court, yesterday morning. Wright li"l-
comb the chairman, and Mess. liildrcth and Far
quhar were the only members Of the committee pres
crt. W. !. X. Kenny. supervisor 81 the ''N
Record was called to the stand, and wa examiner
by Franklin Bartlett the committees counsel NJ
Kenny said that if he had left the police returns of The
first five wards Of the cty with the secretary oil inc
Interior the Ccn,u, Bureau could have compared them
with the Federal returns, the election districts q"
the Assembly Districts in those waJdS we're the same III
1880 as in l5a9. The Federal authorities Mr. Kenny
said used Inc election districts OF l7o" whereas inc
police u.ed those of 1880 Before the police census
wa, begun the Census Bureau wa applied to scVeidi
times for nfuInatOn a. 10 the districts Whch III"
Federal enumcrat0r, mad used. but reply was re
ceved until three DAYS before the end of the police
count.
Mr. Porter was in error, therefore. Mr. Kenny sad
in saving that he could have discovered exact d's
crepances by comparing The complete police census
with the Federal enumeration, because the boundaries
Of the districts were not the same. Il IN" zen. II,
gurcau had Informed the city authorities that they hai
used the district, Of 1883 the police would have iol
lowed the same system. There were, however cree
ton district, with the same boundaries IN one 81 'nco'
in the Eighth Ward the Federal cnumcraior, had re
turned ST persons while the police had found nearly
5000 Thi, was one of the most dcn'eE pop"l''e"
districts OF the city ,.
In one Of the districts containing some large ho'c''
tbe witness said the police count showed over "oo
names less than we're found by the Federal enumet"r.
This was due to the fact that the enumcratoiS 'oPV"
the registers OF the hotels for the sake OF the '
a name compen >aon. The witneS, also knew" ~ S''''
~ Federal cnumerators who sat all day in saloons ava
got from those who came in the names oil su'h l"P'
a. lived in the immediate nechborllood W. hc'hH
ouoted from the police returns figures to show ha' INC
CITY cnunt largely exceeded that of the Census bureau"
Hohrring 10 his visits TO Washington VT. he"N
said that the secretary Of the Interior refused 10 com
pare the police returns because he appeHfeo - u"
offended bv the course pursued by Mayor "fah' ''"
Governor Hill When the witness went to Na~hInE' ~
fine second time and offered tO become SWORN "i"'''
Of the CcnSu, Bureau. for the purpose OF comp'fhI
thc poce and Federal reuruS Mr.. Porter deci"ed ''
Offer on The ground that II va, 100 "''' ""' ~
gave no reason why it was too late. MI he''' >''u
the Federal Census authorities seemed !" Oc 't""'''
If tbe boundaries of the state of New York, na,mnch
as they had returned names from EedloWN ana i"''
Islands. as part Of the population Of the c'y "i Ne"
yor, whereas those island, were in the state OF New
jersey. . $780,.
In reply to Mr. IIildreih's questions. Mr.. Kenny
said that there was many people in tine S''o"u
Ward in June when the Federal census was UHen, ~
there were when the police count was m'H'' +"'
however wa, merely an opinion. lie admitted tna'
there were no questions the police schedHirN "c
answers t. which would he CHECK against dupl'a'io!'
and the only safeguard again>! duplication "i names
was the intelligence Of the policemen. Nhch VIZ
Kenny was on the stand a few days ago be '>Ohcd
that one Of the Federal enumc:atorS, named M'p'N''
wa, unable 10 read write. ana had been c'nprl''i
70 tase another man with him 10 do the WHINE Nr'
Kenny admitted Yesterday that Mr.. Nclevlt had
called on him to show That he COnli read ana WFi'f'
and to explain that the reason he lEd taken an"rc'
man t. help him. was because he nal injured his
hand Th., made assistant necessary.
W. Mem. Spcer, the Mayors secretary. was called
70 the stand and asked by Mr. Bartlett If re had heard
last f, II certain schedules OF the Federal cnlnc
tion Having been destroyed. lie sa!d that ne haA lie
went 10 Washington 10 investigate. and al ne census
Bureau learned that a uUnihcr 81 the New l'ih ny
schedules had been taken al Old mil lh Na>Hlr"H
and burlrd. OF otherwise DESTROYED. Ihc'r >cro"H'
had r. achcd the reception h"Ae>. bul not ~" iI'h'
of populatiun me missing .clcdUl'>, ne N'~ t"tI'
made the total population Of the city l."-l.ooo -
duplicates had been Niadc 10 replace the one, DESTROYED
hi, inIormants but Mr. Bartlett objected, informing
that his informans cmpl0Sc> OF the Cch'i'c
Iur,au and would b willing t. testify 10 the iacl 81
the destruction Of the schedules. assured tlat ticN
would not be discharged fDr 80 dong 80,
some reporter then testified to ia" t1bulato Oh INC
police returns. after which the commute" adJouIH,l
10 meet again at II a. IN. Monday. The worA 90 tIe
committee Is practically finished. No more testimony
will he taken if i, aid and the session on M"hudE
will be the final oac in New NO:f.