The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1900-12-25
School Census.

Each year when the census of school chill
dren is taken in this state there is more OF
less trouble over the matter. There has
been so much padding of the lists in order
that some counties might be materially
benefited when the funds are apportioned
that strict watch is kept to remedy this
evil. Postal inquiry is made and where it
is thought there has been fraud an investi-
cation is instituted A recount was re-
Gently ordered in Passaic and there bids
fair to be some discussion before final
settlement is reached. The first man sent
in list which contained 900 more names
than the second enumerator could find.
The Passaic Board of Education upholds
the man it selected and Superintendent
Baxter is equally certain his appointee
has done the correct tabulating.
The census business is one which has
given trouble to more than one commun-
ity, Northampton included. In 1899 an
enumeration was appointed In his list he
included the inmates of the Children's
Home which was against the statute, al
though the enumeration was innocent in
the matter. The supervisor also claimed
to have discovered other names which
should not have been on the list and they
were crossed off. There was no redress
in this case. The evidence, according to
the supervisor, was plain, and Mount
Holly was accused of being among the
towns that deliberately padded their list.
This year an enumeration was selected
and after he had completed his work it
was discovered that he had omitted at
least 80 names. This was found out by
simply running over the list from memory
and verified by actual inquiry. This fact
was reported to the State supervisor.
The law is very plain and says where an
enumeration fails to make proper return
his sheets must be sent back to him and
and if he refuses or neglects to correct in
10 days new enumerator must be ap
pointed. The young man did neither of
those things. A new enumeration was in
sisted upon, but the State supervisor cody
informed the authorities that they must
show an omission of at least two per cent
of the entire lists before he would do any
thing. When the original omission was
reported it was over two per cent, but the
names were sent in with the complaint
and when the returns were received here
another person took hold and sent in the
names already in possession. Of course
they did not count in the required two per i
cent. Long correspondence followed, the
supervisor went on his annual vacation
and when he returned the matter had |
grown so old it was allowed to die natu !
raj death and the census with the 80 names
slightest doubt had the supervisor follow
ed the law we would have had still more |
names which we were legally entitled to.
In the case of Passaic it seems to have
been different. There the enumerators
AEere supposed to have sent in too many
names and the promptness with which
new enumerator was appointed was amaz-
ing. The excuse in the Mount Holly case
was that the law does not provide any
money to pay for the extra work. If that |
is SO the Legislature should make some
make some provision for this sort of a
case 1t is poor system which provides
for new enumeration where the list is
supposed to be padded, but will not af
ford relief where the list is known to be
short and it is absolutely certain the school
will suffer from the neglect of the enum-
orator.