The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-05-21
STAY AND GET COUNTED.
sAvANNAHEANs SHOULD NOT LEAVE
TOO EARLY THIS SUMMER.

The Census begins June 1 and Lasts
Two Weeks Ordinarily Several
Thousand savannnhinns Are Out
of the City by the Middle of June.
with Late season the Exodus
May be Delayed Somewhat This
Year-If Compelled to Go Early the
Information May BE Left with IA
Member of the Family or Mailed
to the Supervisor.
1t is to be hoped that there will be no
large exodus of Savannahans from the
city before June Is. The census count
begins on June l and will not be COM
pleted in the city untih the night of June
IA. The summer of 1890 was a very hot
one, and it is estimated that somewhere
between 1900 and 5000 of the city's popu-
lation were away at the time, the ma
jority of whom failed 10 get their names
on the census list. This accounts in
parts for the unsatisfactory showing
made for Savannah by the census of 1890.
Summer has been slow in coming this
year. and the annual exodus has hardly
begun. If the weather will continue pleas
ant three weeks longer the number of
ho< weather absentees will be compara-
lively small and the enumerators will be
enabled to get an approximately fair
count of the people hot wave early
in June, however, may cost Savannah
some 1000 to 5000 in the count. well
known minister said yesterday THAI the
effects of the summer weather upon
church attendance was already very evil
dent, and he estimated that 10 per cent
of the families which compose his large
congregation had already removed ou< of
the city or were preparing to do so. Many
of these, however, will still be within the
confines of the county and in reach of
the enumerators.
A prominent real estate agent, in speak,
ing of the matter, said: 1T is very IN
fortunate for Savannah that the count
could not have been taken two months
earlier. With an early summer the num-
Der of residents who will be out of town
when the census is taken, will not be
less than 5000. Our city has shown a
remarkably healthy growth during the
last decade and l should like very much
to see a full count of the population
Unless some arrangement is made to
catch the absentees, however, the census
VIII fall to do US justice.
The summe exodus is common to all
the cities Of the country, though natural
~ the Southern cities will lose most by
il, as the heated period arrives earlier
with them than with the cities to the
North. The director of the census how
ever, has shown an intelligent apprecia-
ton of this state of affairs and has pre-
pared to meet it, The following infor-
nation on this head has been furnished
the newspapers by the census bureau:
THE count of the people in The United
States will begin in all parts Of the coun-
try June /, and end in the cities two
weeks later ana in the rest Of the coun-
try before the close of the month The
people are to be counted at their places
of residence. but as many persons and
families will be away from their homes
during June there is some danger that
such persons will not be counted If they
are not counted The locality in which
they live viii be misre pr scented to that
extent. and in some cases this misreore-
sentation may be enough 70 affect the
representation in Congress Of the state
from which they come. Local pride and
state pride, therefore, should influence all
such absentees to take Reasonable rre-
cautions against being omitted from
enumeration in their places OF residence
Such omissions are most likely to occur
IN the large cities where families close
their homes and go elsewhere for the
summer. The occurrence of the Paris Ex-
position this year is likely to increase the
number absent from the country
In all cases of contemplated absence
the head OF the family is requested by
the census office to communicate with the
supervisor of the district in which he lives
He is also requested to leave informa ton
regarding his answers TO the questions
which are to be asked with some raspon-
sihle nefghbor who Will agree to see that
1t reaches the enumerator en- his rounds
Such information might better be left as
a memorandum in writing as in that case
x IS less likely 10 be overlooked. The cues
lions to which answers are desired apply
primarily to the population. but also to
all farms and manufacturing establish
ments. They are being published from
time to time in the press of the country
BY taking this trouble the absent citizen
will do justice to his locality and his state
and materially aid the census office in the
performance Of its duties"
Where q member of the family remains
in the city the information concerning
the absent members can very well be left
with him. Where il is not convenient to
do this il would he well for the head of
the family to address q note containing
the desired Information to Supervisor
Henry Blum at the Custom House AS
the character of the information desired
has been frequently stated in the news
papers, no intelligent person is likely to
so far astray in making such returns