The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1899-09-29
CENSUS ENUMERATORS.
Qualifications, Duties and Compensa-
ton Outlined in a Communica-
ton from the Census Bureau.

John r. Edwards, the local super
visor of the census, has received from
the census bureau in Washington a cir
cular which throws o lot of light on
the duties of enumerators. 1t is as fol-
lows:
The Act of March 3. 1899 under the
provisions of which the twelfth census
of the United States is to be taken, pro-
vides for the appointment of supervis-
ors of census, one or more to each
state and territory, the District of Co.
lumbia, Alaska, and the Hawaiian
islands, to have general supervision
within their respective districts of the
enumeration to be made in June, 1900.
One of the duties imposed by the CEN
sus act upon these Supervisors is the
designation of suitable persons to be
employed, with the consent of the
director of the census, as enumerators
within their respective districts. 1t is
further provided that such persons shall
be residents of the enumeration dis
trcts for which they may be appointed,
and that they shall be selected solely
with reference to fitness and without
reference to their political party affili-
ations.
The appointment of enumerators will
be made with reference to physical ac
tiVity and to aptnesS, neatness, and ac-
Curacy in writing and in the use Of
figures. The census requires active, en-
ergetic persons of good address and
readiness with the pen. Only such can
do the work with satisfaction to the
government or profit to themselves.
Each person seeking appointment as
census enumerator must make a writ
ten application to the supervisor for
the district of which a resident giving
the Christian name and surname in
full; whether citizen of the United
States or not; present legal residence:
sex and color; age; place of birth; the
principal facts Of education and OF pro-
fessional or business experience, in
cluding a statement of all national,
state, county, or municipal offices held
at any time; nature of present occu-
patton If any; previous experience in
census work; physical condition, and
knowledge of English and other Ian
guages. This application (see form Z
2lO must be made in the handwriting
of the applicant throughout, and must
be certified to as such.
The enumeration required by the CEN
sus act will begin on the first day Of
June, 1900, and must be completed with
in two weeks in all cities for which
5000 inhabitants or more were reported
in 1890, and in all other districts on or
before the first day of July next there
afr.
1t will be necessary for each enumer-
ator, before entering upon his duties,
to receive a commission, under the
hand of the supervisor of the district
to which he belongs, and to take and
| subscribe an oath or affirmation that
he Will faithfully discharge all the
duties required of him under the law.
Under the provisions of Section of
| the census act, the enumeration in
June, 1900, is restricted to inquiries re-
lating to the population, to mortality,
and to the products of agriculture and
of manufacturing and mechanical es-
| adjustments, and, by the same Sec
tion, the schedules of mortality and OF
manufacturing and mechanical estab-
| lishments may be withheld from the
enumerators, in the discretion of the
| director of the census. In no case,
I therefore, will the schedules of inquir-
| les to be made by the census enumer-
ators exceed four in number, and in
| this respect the work of the enumer-
ators at the twelfth census will be
much more simple than that required
of enumerators at preceding censuses.
The compensation to be paid to
| enumerators is fixed by Section l6 of
the Act of March 8, 1899, and a mini
| mum rate of two cents for each living
| inhabitant, two cents for each death,
| fifteen cents for each farm, and twenty
| cents for each establishment of pro-
ductive industry is provided for all sub
| divisions where such allowance shall
| be deemed sufficient. In other sub
| divisions where higher per capita rates
are to be paid. according to the diff
| Guilty of enumeration, the maximum
rate will not exceed three cents for
each living inhabitant, three cents for
| each death, twenty cents for each farm,
and thirty cents for each establish
| ment of productive industry, while in
! sub divisions where per diem rates are
! established, having reference to the
| nature of the region to be canVassel
! and the density or sparsenesS of settle
| ment, or other considerations pertinent
! thereto, the compensation allowed to
| enumerators will be not less than three
| nor more than six dollars per day of
! ten hours actual field work each. EX-
! cept in extreme cases, no claim for
mileage or travelling expenses will be
| allowed to any enumerator, and then
| only when authority has been previ-
ously granted by the director of the
| census.
Any enumerator who. without justifi-
| able cause, neglects or refuses to per-
| form the duties of his position, after
| accepting an appointment and quail
| flying for the work, or who communi-
| Gates to any person not authorized to
| receive the same any information
| gained by him in the performance of
his duties, will be subject to a fine of
| five hundred dollars, as provided in
| Section 2l of the census act.
The provisions of the Act OF March
| g. 1S99 which relate to the appoint
ment, duties, and compensation of
| enumerators are appended for the in
| formation of all concerned.