Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1900-08-16
Census Rrtarn. of cities.


The Washington correspondent Of tho
n. \. Evening Post says that the Cen.
sus Bureau, 10 pursuance Of its policy
to carefully count the population OF
cities at the start, and then make tho
result public, hns already announced
the population OF six cities, aud as soon
as tho leading thirty have boon tabu
lated bulletin OF the Subject. sum
marking The results up to that time,
will DO issued
But 10 spite 81 this effort Of the
Census Office, the public seems des1
tined to hive two sets Of figures
to struggle with. There is the
Official count, ms announced 10 Wash
ington, and the unofficial" which In
one city after another is Leaking out.
presumably from the supervisors
Office In this way so many announce.
mcnts have been made tina. II will sur
prise most people to know that only
Washington. Cincinnati, Louisville,
Milwaukee, Buffalo and Providence
have been officially counted. The Pitts
burg newspapers have set forth the
population OF that city by wards. &C.
cording TO the census Just taken, and
probably with substantial correctness
Chicago Is already the subject of
sympathetic editorial comment 10 other
cities on account Of the s'ackening in
the rate Of its growth said to be TO-
veaied by this census. Figures for New
York, St Louis, and n number OF other
cities, protesting to be accurate, have
also been given ont. Only few days
ago Detroit aud Indianapolis joined the
procession 10 anticipating the findings
of the Census Office. ~
In Indianapolis the form OF the an
ncuncement was such as to throw some
suspicion upon the supervisor, who
promptly announced, in an interview,
that he was guiltless. II the figures
prove to be correct, however, his bureau
onght at least to be Investigated. No
one in Washington, 1t Is said at the
Census Office, could possibly give out
the population OF indianapolis. for the
returns have not yet been tabulsted
there. II would be possible for the
supervisor there TO give them out, or
for somebody in his confidence. Besides
the laws prescribing a fine of $500 for
any empioye Of the census who disclcses
anything, a supervisor must take oath
that he will not divulge any Of the
results OF his work. And yet the In,
dianapolis newspaper In effect assignt
this as the source Of its information,
saying: 1.-THE returns were footed ~
very carefully here, and it is not be
lieved the officials at Washington viii
find many mistakes in the supervisor
works.
Whether the Census Office will orde
an investigation in the indianapolis
case is not now known. II it fails h
do so, the law enJoining secrecy il
other cities will henceforth have littl
effect, for the pressure upon the super
visors to ''give up" will be redoubled
Assistant Director Wines has stato'
that II the facts showing that the lea
had been through the supervisor wer
brought to the attention of the ofiic
some action would be taken, but tina
he did not believe the census establish
, ment would spend its time bunting u
evidebce. II Director Merriam assent
to this view, the matter seems 10 bt
. come one purely of the personal ID
! teRrity of the supervisors, and this
7 probably about what it amounts to.
The six cities already counted sho
the following results. the returns fc
this year being placed beside those
1880, with the percentage of increase:
: 1 =,