Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1900-01-25
A. H. Fortune, of Bloomfield, Has
Been Appointed.
SUPERVISE WORK IN SIXTH DISTRICT
Work OF Taking the Census in cities
the Size of Ottumwa Must be
Completed During tho
Month of June.
From Tuesdays Daily

ask all sorts of questions about ones
race, color and condition of servitude
prior to his marriage, and it is high
time she public was being educated in
the nature of this great work UNDER
taken by Uncle Sam once every decade.
For the purposes of enumeration the
United States is divided into districts.
Director Merriam appoints supervis-
or for each district. and the supervisor
IN turn recommends to him list of
persons for appointment as snumera-
tors. The work of taking the census
will not be strewn out over a period of
great length this year, but will all be
completed within the month of June.
A special provision requires that the
census of all cities containing popu-
lation in excess of 5000 must be COM
Pieted during the first two weeks of
June, and an additional number of
enumerators is provided for the cities
for this purpose.
The compensation of enumerators is
made dependant OIL the amount of
work they perform and upon the nat
ural facilities offered by the density or
non-density of population in their re-
spective districts. The minimum pay
is two cents for each name recorded
and Is cents for each farm visited, and
the maximum is cents for each name
recorded and 90 cents for each farm
visited. As rule the country districts
Tor each enumerator, contain from
1900 to 1900 persons, and the city dis
trlcts, from 1900 to 1000. No enum-
orator is permitted to have district
containing more than 1000 persons.
1t is claimed the average days work
Will be 100 names, altho it is possible
Tor one to record $50 and even more
under favorable conditions. In the
country there is an advantage in the
fact that the farmers have larger IA
miles as rule but it does not COM
pensate for the additional distance hay-
ing to be Travelled in country districts.
who Make Good Enumerators.
In his instructions to his supervisors
Director Merriam recommends a GER
tain class of men as best qualified for
enumerators and prohibits the APP
pointmenS of certain others as ineii-
giple. In general way, the instruc-
tons from the Washington office adj
wise the employment of all having pre-
vious clerical experience. School
teachers; college students at home for
vacation, country physicians and coun-
try postmasters. 1t is held by Direct
or Merriam he has decided that there
IS nothing in the census act to prohibit
the appointment of postmasters and he
feels they are especially qualified for
the work The only class specifically
declared ineligible are those who are
interested in the assessment of taxes
and to whom the persons within their
immediate district would be 10th to re-
veal facts which mighr increase their
assessment but which are essential to
complete census. Those thus placed
under the ban are township trustees,
assessors, clerks and county officials.
1t would seem useless requirement
that enumerators may not be appoint
ed from localities outside ...e district
in which they are expected to work for
there are so many applicants in each
district, but this requirement is exact
ed IN all cases and an exception made
where there is no applicant from the
district, in which case nonresident
enumerator may be appointed.
All applicants are required to pass
an examination before receiving their
appointment. This examination is con-
Quoted by the supervisor for the con-
gressional district, and in most cases
will be held by mail. 1t will consist
principally in the filling out of dummy
census schedules and the fitness of the
candidate will depend on the neatness,
accuracy and facility with which the
schedule is completed.
In addition to the supervisor and
enumerators, each congressional dis
trict is allowed four clerks in the
Washington office. Director Merriam
hopes to break the record in the pres
ent census and have all the work of
tabulation completed within two or
three years. All of the 1900 clerks
provided for under the present ar
rangement will be kept constantly
busy during that time, so great is the
task undertaken. The director has an
nounced that he expects to be able to
announce the population by the end
of the present year.
A. H. Fortune Appointed.
A. H. Fortune, of Bloomfield has
been appointed supervisor for the Sixth
congressional district. He has already
received numerous applications from
the different enumeratorical districts
within his supervision and more are
constantly coming in. He is required
TO have all his Recommendation for
appointment filed with Director Merri-
am before the LIST of March. Mr.. For
tune is now allowed one stenographer
and more may be required during the
months of June and July when the
daily reports of the enumerators are
being received and prepared for for
warding to the head Office at Washing
ton. 1t is not known how long it will
take to complete the work in this dis
trict. 1t is understood that Albert
Long, of Highland, and Prof. Thomp-
son, of Eddyville, are candidates for
appointment as enumerators in their
divisions of the district. Just who are
the candidates in Ottumwa city is not
known.
Pratt's Collie Tablets.
NN1s r,