The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1900-11-03
THE MAINE CENSUS.
Bangor Paper Tanks itIs Inaccurate.
fBaneor oommsrc,al.l

Bangor Commercially
Publication OF the census returns relat-
ing to population has given rise to many
comments, especially as regards the popu-
Iation of our own state in which we are
naturally more Interested than In the
population of the country ct large, al
though we have our full share In that
degree of pride which results from a CON-
temptation of an increase of over one
million In population, per year, during
the past decade.
est In the question OF retaining our pres
emit representation In Congress, and this
largely comes down to local question in
volving matters in which we have per-
sonal knowledge. So far a. Bangor Is
concerned, we know that the city has
largely increased within the past ten
years. During that time whole streets
have been built up In new quarters and
land that was then vacant or only used
for cow pastures, 10 now covered with
houses which are homes OF prosperous
people. 1t Is always the prosperous,
growing city or town that Is sought out
as places OF residence and whose credit is
People who wish to change their location
always go to the prosperous, thriving,
enterprising city. growing In population
and wealth. At such places they find
good schools, churches, avenue a, for en-
ploymsnt and all the evidences OF pros
perity.
We believe no city in Maine has shown
n sf.adtar sfroxxrkh In, alfh and xaonula.
ton during the past decade. than has the
city of Bangor. Tho same Is true OF
many other places In Maine. And when
the general government goes to the vast
expense which 10 does to take the
enumeration of the population and wealth
of the country, every municipality Is en-.
titled to q fair count and just census of
every factor entering into the country g
material strength and growth. That
such an enumeration has not been kmade,
there are many instances to show, even
In our own localities. We can cite In
stances where families In this city
were not called upon by the census emu
merators; where houses on given streets
were not visited, while the Commercial
has 1t from the best authority that the
entire growing and thriving place of
Millinocket, where over $500 are engaged
in the development of its vast water
power, and in the manufacture OF pulp
ana paper, WIS not even Vlblbou py Oen-
sus enumerator and consequently fails OF
having its just share in the growth OF
population in Maine during the past
decade, which would to that extent help
us toward the necessary increase needed
to hold our present number of represen
tatiyes in Congress.
These things are most disappointing,
the more SO now that the census enumer-
alton has been closed and that there is no
remedy for them. II in any matter CON-
nected with the administration Of govern
ment, with any development OF the, civil
service, or any work Of expert value un-
dertaken by the nation. accuracy and effi-
cheney is called for, 1t should be demand
ed OF the. census snumerators. Every city
and town Ia entitled 70 have just enum-
Grafton OF it's population recorded that
such municipalities may share In the
benefits which would come to them from
such fact. And 1t would appear that
after all the experiments in census meth
DDS which the nation has acquired in the
pas twelve decades of doing this work,
census enumerators ought to have been
of so intelligentsand competent charac.
ter that no such question could srise re-
gardIng their work as has come up since
the census OF the present decade was
made public.