The sun., 1895-05-02
Tho Police Census Inaccurate.

Tho Police Census Inaccurate.
The April census of 1895, made by the Po-
lice Department, putting at 1,S49. 1855 the
present population Of New York. bears the
imprint of inaccuracy. 1t is an imperfect
enumeration. 1t mistakes by 10000 the
present population Of New York, which is
really in excess Of 100000.
The proof that this census is incorrect,
though several officials have written COM
PLEASANT letters to each other to defend its
alleged accuracy, is as follows:
by the Federal census Of 1890 there
were returned 747,5T9 male and 767, ,722
female inhabitants of New York city. The
totals given were not complete, but the
ratio of the sexes with 10000 excess Of
females, was correct In all large cities
there are more women and girls than men
and boys The rule is almost universal. By
the same census in which New York was
returned as having 10000 more female
than male inhabitants, the difference in
Philadelphia was $4,000, in Brooklyn IT,
900, in Boston 10000, in Newark 1000, in
Rochester 5000. in Troy 1000, in Albany
1000, in Utica 1000, in Providence 5000,
in New Bedford 1900, in Portland 5000,
in Camden 1900. in Newburgh 1000, and
in Syracuse 5000. There are actually
more women and girls than men and boys
in the United States in the proportion Of
100 to 95; though an excess of men is
found in the far West and particularly in
the mining States. In all big cities of the
country there are more women than men,
unless, as in Pittsburgh, for instance, the
demand for mems labor is abnormal. In
Pittsburgh there are 10000 more male
than female inhabitants. Though the dis
parity between the number Of men and of
women was correctly given as 10000 five
years ago, a ratio attested by all our previ-
GUS enumerations since 1850, and by the
ratio established in other cities, the present
April census reports / 900 more male than
female inhabitants in New York. In the
intervening five years there has been no alb
normal change in the male or female birth
rate. The death rate for both sexes has de-
clined. There has been an emigration to
Europe consequent upon the hard times,
but no doubt men rather than women have
returned, as the steamship figures show
The census figures submitted to Mayor
STRONG represent the male population Of
New York as larger than the female popu-
lation in every district below Fourteenth
street except one, the Fourth. This is pre-
posterous.
II.-But the inaccuracy Of the recent emu
meration is not proved merely by reference
to past census computations made by Fed
eral authority. A State enumeration was
made under the authority of the Democratic
Secretary of State in Albany in the spring
of 1892, and the substantial correct
ness of that census has not been dis
puted. Subject to the provisions of it.
and wholly irrespective Of the Federal cen
sus Of 1890, a division of the voters of the
city into districts was made, each having at
that time, as far as possible, the same popu-
lation. That was three years ago. Yet the
April police census of S95 shows such dis
PARTIES as these: The Fifth and Sixth AS
sembly districts adjoin each other on the
extreme east side of the city. The popula-
tion of the two is practically the same. In
1899 the Fifth had citizen population,
aliens deducted, of ,s4s, and the Sixth
citizen population Of 49,124. The police
census gives SO, 600 rs the present popula-
tion of the former and 81, 900 as the present
population or the latter.
HI.-The returns of last years election
certainly furnish a fair guide to the number
Of qualified voters in each district less than
six months ago. In the Second Assembly
district of this city, the total vote in No
vember was 9,9l6; in the Twenty-first As
sembly district the vote, at the same cleo
tion, was about the same, 9,llS. Yet
the police census now returns 1000 male
Inhabitants in the former and only %, 900
male inhabitants in the latter! In the
Twenty-sixth Assembly district of this city
there were l 800 votes cast in November
In the Twenty-seventh district, which ad-
joins it, there were 12,s0O. Yet. according
to the police census, there were 42, 900 male
inhabitants in the former and smaller Rne,
and only 35, 900 in the latter and largerOne
The plain truth of the matter is that the
taking of a census OF the city of New York
Is no part of the business of the Police De-
partment. It's uniformed members are en-
ployed by the people OF New York to main
tain order and to see that the laws are
respected; and service rs enumerators is
outside of the range OF their official employ
ment There is no moro reason why police
men, without extra pay, should make a
census of the city, than that the uniformed
fremen should be turned iuto inspectors
of trnancy or the park policemen called
upon 70 take soundings in the harbor. A
special police census was taken In 1890, and
a public eNigency demanded that this should
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