Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1899-11-16
THE POLES PROTEST.
They Do Not Want to Be Called Rus
slams or Germans in the Census.

Milwaukee, Nov. 10.-The census bu-
reau is now engaged in acting as an
immense press bureau for the spread of
information in rgard to the taking of
the twelfth census. The idea is to ed
ucate the people of the country in re-
gard to what the enumerators will
want when they come around next
June to gather the facts needed for the
census. Each census supervisor is now
sort Of a press agent and he is in
Structed to work the press much like
theatrical agents do The department
in Washington is also sending out cir
culars directly to editors asking their
cooperation with the department in
keeping the people informed Michael
Kruszka, editor Of Kuryer Polski, has
received one Of these circulars and it
has brought to his attention the mat
ter of classifying the Poles as to ma
tionality.
For about a century there has been
no such country as Poland, the coun-
try being divided up between Russia,
Germany and Austria. There are said
to be about 100000 Poles in Eu-
rope, of which 100000 are I'M
der the Russian govern
ment, 100000 under the German gov
eminent, and 100000 under the Aus
trian government The Poles of Mil
waukee do not wish to be classified as
Russians, Germans or Austrians, but
want to be put down as Poles the same
as Irish are classified as Irish and not
as British subjects. To census enum-
orators in Milwaukee all foreigners are
apt to be put uown as Germans: at
least great many Poles are put down
as Germans, and the Poles do not like
it. The Poles wish to be counted ac-
cording to the language which they
speak, which they say is done in Ger
many and Russia. In those countries
the governments. wish to know just
what kind of subjects they have and
how many, and consequently Poles are
Poles. In regard to the favor shown
the Irish in this country in the count
it is stated that there are 1900, 900
Poles in Europe, while there are but
100000 Irish.
Senator Kruszka, in reply to the cir
cular he received, wrote TO the census
department in Washington as follows:
There are about 100000 Polish
people in this country, most of whom
read Polish only. There are also five
Polish daily papers and about 70
Polish weekly papers in this country
Next to the Irish and Germans, the
Poles are the most numerous national
ity in this country. But they are not
known to be so, because the usual
American system of taking census is to
count the former subjects Of the vari-
Gus governments without regard to
their nationality, instead of trying
to establish the correct number of
people speaking one certain language
as their mother language and belong
ing to one certain nationality. Thus,
though there are 100000 of Poles in
Europe-which is admitted to a certain
extent in the official censuses of Rus
STA, Germany and Austria-there would
be more in existence according to the
American way of counting nationali-
ties.
There ought to be a separate col
umn for Poland just as we'll as for Ire
land, so that people of Polish nation
atty could be recorded as such, and
not as Germans or Russians. There is
usually great deal of trouble be-
tween the Polish people and
the enumerators, because the Poles
desire to be recorded as born in Poland,
while the enumeratOr insists On nam
ing them as born in Germany or Rus
STA. Unless the enumerators are IN
structed to state the place of birth as
given them by the people, we do not
know what to say in order to make
their wish easy"
| Owing to the cosmopolitan nature of
the population of Milwaukee it will be
necessary for the census supervisor
here to employ as -enumerators men
who know several languages or else
engage some talented interpreters to
assist them in their work.