The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1899-03-23
TAKING OF THE CENSUS,

AAAlNG or THE CENSUS.
= The Preliminary Work is AIread,
Bcgun-The Policy to be Pursued
Ex-Governor Merriam, of Minnesota
Ia In charge Of the census to be tekel
in 1900, and the policy that will govern
the task has been outlined in an oi1icia
statement made to the Associated
Press. Director Merriam has gone Il
his homo In Minnesota, and during hi
absence for short time there will b,
1t Will be at least thirty days before an
other selection of u staff officer is made
with the probable exception of Prof
Henry Cannot, OF Washington, as
geographer. This is in accordance
with decision Of the director that In
his absence no promisesEof Of Office nor
assurances nor enCOuragcments for any
Will be given. Several OF the officials
already selected have qualified, and
the active preliminary work will begin
at once. The statement Of policy
follows:
AZ to tho prospective appointments
to Office, tho service of no more staff
officers can bo utilized at present and
there will bo no Ctners selected within
thirty days. Prof. Henry Gannett, the
well known gcographer OF the geolog
1cal survey, who was the political and
statistical geographer Of tho last con-
sus, has been asked to take charge of
tho Same wark for tho coming census
and II tho geological survey Is willing
to spare him sufficiently to undertake
this work no will DO entrusted with it
ana given an absolutely free hand.
Until the schedules come buck to the
oilice from the cnumerators in July.
l0UO, thero will be no clcrks wantc
save such u small sl1elcton force as will
DO necessary to take care OF tho CORES.
pondence and Office work preliminary
to tho taking Of tho census.
When the schedules come back there
Will be u largo force OF employees ap-
pointed. All applications for Office
will receive consideration, and large
number already have been received
and placed on file.
While the impression he's gonc
ab:oad that the census is to be refuge
Tor incompetency, the truth and the
actual facts are that all applicants will
DO subjected to examination before ap-
pointment, which will DO as rigid as
the examination before tho civil SER
vice commission. No political influence
will be sufficient to put an employee on
the census pay rolls of whose compe-
tency to do the work assigned him the
HoG SdblSllCN III ADVANCE.
And, furthermore, If any employee is
found to be imcomL Letcnt on trial such
employee will be discharged regard
less OF his or her political backing.
Tho examination Of employees will be
directed, not SO much for tho testing
Of their general information aud capac-
lty as 1t will be to their fitness for the
work to be done, as for example, no
person who cannot write or spell salts
factory will be appointed, nor calculat-
ors VINO can not calculate.
First Of all, aftor the general admin
fstrative officers are selected, there
must be 300 supervisors appointed and
| In thcir selection consultation will be
| had with Senators and Roprcsen tutives
| in the respective States. 1t may be
announced also that Senators and Rep
resentatves who do not belong to tho
Republican party will receive the same
fair trcatm Mt along this limo that is
given Republicans. These supervisors
will be appointed by the President and
confirmed by the Senate. None Of
these as now contemplated are to be
recess appointments, but the list will
be ready for submission to tho Senate
at the opening OF tho next session.
The supervisors in turn will appoint
10000 cnumerat0rs to do tho actual
work throughout the country, but the
list OF appointments of enumerators
first must have the approval of the
director OF the census. After approval
they will bo Immediately furnished the
necessary blanks and instructions.
This will be no small task. Assuming
the population of the United States ut
this time to be, in round numbers, 80,
100000 people, there must be 400, 600
shcets issued for the population sched-
ules alone. Adding to these tho other
schedules there will have to be in the
aggregate not less than 500, 900 ouch
shoots in printed form issued. An
this mass Of paper will be manufac
tured and printed without delay. Ir
counting the population every indi
vidual will be represented by q sepa
rate hcard and there will have to be
manufactured and printed not less thar
1000, 900 Of these cards.
The probability is that system OF
machine calculating which admits OF
counting facts In combination and
| which worked so well In the last con-
! sus will bo adopted for that of 1900.
The offlce will have to select from tho
| various devices the most satisfactory
and q sufficient number to do tho work
| must then be manufactured. The work
will be puahcd with oil possible speed
consistent with accuracy and every
effort made to avoid dragging the work
along unnecessarily.
Takcn all in all, tho complete number
Of appointments that will be made in
the course Of tho ccnsus will be over
! As, 900. Thesc'includos l8 or 20 staff Of
licors, 300 supervisors, 10000 onumera-
tors, and about 1900 clerks and other
employees hero.
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