The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1900-05-11
WHAT CENSUS WORK IS
People Who Think Enum-
orators Have a Cinch
Had Better Try 1t.

| Had Better Try It.
Census Supervisor John H. Weastell and
his clerks distributed the majority of the
\ portfolios, books of instructions and
schedules yesterday to the enumerators
who had secured their commissions.
separate room on the top floor of the Fed
eral Building is set aside for this para
phernalia, and huge stacks are visible on
a dozen large tables. The packages are
| neatly prepared, thus preventing the
slightest confusion in the distribution or
delay in allotting to each man the essen
tial stationery required for his.work.
The Supervisor wishes it stated that the
| appointees will be working in their own
interests in securing their books and
books of instruction as soon as possible,
/ in order to give them sufficient time in
which to peruse them and thoroughly
familarize themselves with the instruc-
tions contained therein.
Those successful appointees who are la
boring under the impression that the col
lection of data is to be sinecure, will no
doubt be very much surprised to learn
! that the task requires reasonable
| amount of intelligence and an unusual
amount of hard, persistent work. The
man will earn every cent the Government
allows them, and there will be small
| portion of the two weeks allowed for the
securing of names, left for enjoyment.
In each portfolio there are thirty-five
| population schedules, each containing
space sufficient for the registering of one
| hundred people These are not to be fold
| ed but allowed to lie perfectly fiat in the
books provided for the carrying of all
| schedules. Every schedule when properly
filed in is to be sent to the Supervisor of
the district where the enunferator IS de-
tailed for work These schedules are,
when taken account of, shipped to the
Census Department and bound in files and
place on record.
The population schedule contains list
of twenty-eight questions to be put to all
persons giving information. Some ques-
tions follow: Relationship of person to
head of family, color or race, sex, date of
birth, month and year, age last birthday,
whether single, married widowed or di-
vorced: mother of how many children,
number of children living, places of birth
of the persons enumerated, their father
United States, number of years here,
naturalization, occupation, trade or pro-
fession, education and as to the owner
ship OF home.
From this it will be seen that the popu-
lation schedule requires a vast amount of
work to be filled in correctly.
On the farm schedules there are forty,
six questions to be submitted to the own
ers of farms.
The blind deaf and dumb schedule has
but eight questions, and the live stock
schedule about twelve. The enumera-
tion for each class of names has been
published several times. On an average
enumerators should receive $50 for their
| two weeks services. Special agents and
clerks will be compensated according to
services rendered also, but this class of
employees will average more than
enumerators having more work to ac-
complish.
In many of the districts the mortality
and manufacturing schedules are retained
for special men. This is done because the
average enumerator could not, possibly
cover a factory district along with his
other work in the time allowed.
There are return postal cards provided
for each man. One card gose to Wash
ington each day, the other to the Super
visor.
This card will contain the number of
names taken each day and the exact time
employed in their collection. A final to-
tailed report will also be made by each
man. one for the department and the
other for the Supervisor. These when
compared at the department will be filed
and check mailed to the enumerator
Immediately. This check can be cashed
anywhere.
The book of instructions contains sixty
four pages. A careful perusal will give
any enumerator sufficient knowledge of
the services, expected from him 1t con-
tains every possible detail of informa
tion. and covers every point likely to
come before the men.
The rights of enumerators are clearly
defined in section twenty-five of the
census act. Men have right of admission
to every dwelling, Gncluding institutions)
and to every mechanical establishment
for the purpose of securing information
required by the department. Every ques-
ton of the schedules to put people must
be answered correctly. The men are eau
toned against unnecessary remarks in
the course of their duties. In case the
authority of the enumerator is disputed,
the showing of the official badge or COM
mission should follow. The attention of
persons refusing to give the desired in
formation should then be called to section
% of the census act Persons render
themselves liable to imprisonment for not
complying with the census act or a fine
of ten Thousand dollars.
Enumerators are especially cautioned
agaist communicating any information
| collected to persons other than those
Authorized by the Supervisors. Imprison-