The herald., 1897-04-29
AQUEER STORY
Attempt to Keep Down
Census Figures
ORDERS TO STOP THE COUNT
WHAT THE CITY OFFICIALS
HAVE TO SAY
ORDERS TO STOP THE COUNT
DENY That They Have Given Any
Such Instructions-Meeting OF
the Fire Commissioners

There was considerable commotion
about the city hall yesterday over
story to the effect that certain OF the
citv officials were trying to keep the
census figures below the 100000 mark
>or the purpose of avoiding a possible
conflict with the state law in regard 10
cities of the first and second class. There
I. now no possible reason for believing
that the figures will fall below 100000,
nor has there been for several days past.
Tuesday morning the figures announced
by the letter carriers who are doing the
classifying were 1886, and it is CLAIMED
that when this fact became known some
rpeasiness was manifested among GER
tain of the councilmen and other city
officials. 1t is said that President silver
and one or two others called on Clty
Attorney Dunn for an expression OF
opinion from him as TO the consttu-
tionality of Senator Bulla's amendment
raising the limit of cities of the hrst
class. and the possible effect on Los
Angeles if the population was shown 10
exceed 100000. Mr.. Dunn. 1t is claimed
without giving decided opinion on the
matter, intimated that it would perhaps
be better to keep within the 100 OOO limit
and thereby avoid any possibility OF
controversy. as q few hundred people
less shown by the census would cut no
material figure. At any rate, Tuesday
night some one telephoned to the post
office telling the counters to stop with
in the 100 900 limit, and 1t was stated
that this instruction was on the au-
thority of President Silver and City
Attorney Dunn. Councilman Nickel,
chairman of the committee having the
census in charge, was notified and at
once went to the postoffice and told the
clerks to pay no attention to any or
ders to stop the count, but to go ahead,
and make a straight, fair enumeration,
accounting for every name in their pos
session. They were further instructed
to keep allsthe enumerators' slips un-
der lock and key, and return them IN
tact to the committee when their work
was done. On this statement the clerks
went ahead, and when the count closed
Tuesday night the figures stood 100,054.
Naturally the story caused quite
stir, and there was a general demand
for the name of the man who had ordered
the count stopped.
City Attorney Dunn was seen by
Herald reporter. and fatty denied that
he had ordered the count stopped by
telephone or otherwise. He said that,
in discussing the matter with President
Silver and one or two other gentlemen
on Tuesday, when some of them were
urging that special efforts be made to
secure the few remaining names to
make up the 100000 in his opinion it
would be much better TO have a fair
census even If it fell little short, than
to crowd it, and take the chances of
possible complications growing out of
the state law. Mr.. Dunn frankly stated
that while he did not anticipate any
trouble over the matter, there was al
ways the possibility of it, and he
thought it would be better to be on the
absolutely safe side. The most serious
trouble, in his opinion, was in ..,- mat
ter Of the police courts. The law under
which we are now operating provides
for police courts in cities of 10000 and
under 100 900, and there was absolutely
no law governing cities of over 100, 900,
San Francisco being provided for by n
special act.
President Silver also emphatically de-
MED that he had ordered the count
stopped, or that he had in any way in
rerfered with the taking of the CEN
sus. He had someelays ago asked the
city attorney to loAS up the law, and
that was all.
Councilmn Nickel said that on Tues
day night he had been notified that some
one had ordered the count stopped, and
he had at once gone to the postoffice
and countermanded it. He had instruct
ed the clerks to count every name in
their possession. and to return a fair
enumeration.
Postmaster Mathews said that he had
been told yesterday morning that orders
to stop the count had been telephoned
in Tuesday night, and that Mr.. Nickel
had been to see him and told him about
his coming down and instructing the
clerks to proceed. He believed that
there are from 103, 900 to 100000 people
in the city, and he wanted a fair census
made. The number already counted is
100, ,054, and new names are coming IN
all the time. He had himself received
thirty-eight during the day, and there
were yet the special lists to be gone
over and checked. He would not coun-
tenance anything like juggling with the
figures.
And so the matter stands. No one
seems desirous of discussing the busi-
ness, but more will probably be heard
from it. In the meantime, Messrs. Nick
ell and Hutchison of the committee say
that the work will be prosecuted to its
logical conclusion, after which it will
be turned over to the council for such
action as they may deem necessary.
ErnE 0rrrnrccrDx,---