The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1899-05-04

the Sixty Thousand Positions to he
Inquiries are Pursued.
The government is getting ready to
spend eight or nine million dollars on the
twelfth census of the United States, and
for the sixty thousand positions to be
filed hundreds of applications are alrea-
dy being received daily at Washington.
While the general plan of taking the
census will be the same as was adopted
in 1890, the government will profit by
past experience and will conduct it on a
much more practical plan than hereto
fore.
In preparing the reports there are
really two counts taken of the popula-
ton. The first is by enumerators, who
make their canvass from house to house
and from farm to farm. noting the num-
Der of persons to each family in connec-
ton with other information; the second
count is taken at the bureau. 1t would
be the task of years to ascertain the
number of people in this country if the
usual methods Of addition We're followed,
but the bureau brings into use device
which allows one hundred clerks to get
out the totals in a few days, This time
they will probably complete additions
within ten days.
One of the rooms in the census bureau
will be fitted up with electric tabulators
each of which is connected to a key
board regulated by one of the counting
clerks. Each tabulator is arranged to
register from one to forty. AS the re-
ports of the enumerators are received,
piles are placed beside the operator. he
picks up the first chances at the figures
marked in a certain corner, touches the
key on which that figure is marked and
the corresponding figures appear on the
face of the tabulator BY comparing
these with the ones on the report he
knows whether he has registered accu-
rately or not. At the same time the to-
tai number registered appears in anoth-
er space on the face of the tabulator. If
the family comprises seventeen persons,
that number is registered in addition to
the fifty thousand or more which may
have been counted. 1t is calculated that
no family will exceed forty persons, in
Guiding the children. brothers and sisters
and other relations who may be living
in the house. In case the number runs
above forty it must be added separately
but this seldom occurs When it is
stated that one hundred of these ma
chimes are being worked at the same
time by counters who finger the keys al
most as rapidly as if they We're working
typewriter, an idea may be gained of
the speed with which the work progress
es.
Rapidly of Population Count.
In the last census some of this force
counted forty-eight thousand persons
daily. They were among the women
clerks, however, who obtained much
better record for speed than did the men,
who ranged from twenty-five to thirty
thousand persons each daily. 1t is ex-
pected that this year fully ten million
persons will be counted daily, or at the
rate of nearly two million families,
which as already stated, ought to COM
plete the work within ten days.
The canvass from house to house will
begin at the same time all over the coun-
try. To carry out this part of the CEN
sus properly, the country is divided into
three hundred districts, each in charge
of supervisor, who has the appoint
about fifty thousand of these enumera-
tors will be needed. Any one who is
fairly intelligent and who can read and |
write is qualified for the position, and !
this army will be made up principally of /
those who have influence with the SUI
pervisors, either through congressional
representatives or otherwise.
1T is not an easy undertaking, as the
IL. .,,;I
many more families to visit than will
those in the rural sections. The limit is
supposed to be about four thousand
families, although in some portions of
the United States all of the time will be
required for an enumerator to visit fifty
or sixty families, owing to the distance
between habitations in the more sparse
ly settled portions. The pay will range
from two cents name upward, varying
according to the difficulties of the work,
and is largely at the discretion Of the SUI
pervisors.
Some of the Questions.
The government is very much interest
ed in knowing what proportion of the
people is not self supporting, also what
portion is insane or imbecle and it
keeps a careful record of the men who
have been in it's military service. The
report which is required to be made of
each family however, contains answers
to about thirty questions, which give
enough informa ton to furnish a fair ac-
count of every person who comes under
the enumerator. The questions relate to
the number of persons in the family Wis
tied; their names, relationship, color,
sex, age, condition, birthplace, number
Of children of the various parents; citi-
the school attendance of the ,
those who speak English and
those who speak a foreign language; if ,
the dwelling is owned or rented or mort {
gagged.
Ample space is allotted for this infor-
nation, and in conspicuous space in t
the corner of the sheet is place for fig +
ures representing the number of per- c
sons. In cities and larger villages the +
call a the principal factories 6
and business places, and thus obtain adj r
1itonal statements which tend to veri- +
~ those made in the dwellings. Sched- +
lies assigned to the country districts in h
,lude general questions about the num- +
Der of acres to the farm, acreage of Gull I
iva tion the aVera ge WELD of the Drinci- j