Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1900-06-09
Taking OF the 18th Census.

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Director Merriam Of the census Office is
ready. The big machine oyer which he
presides needed only the Ist Of June 10
arrive to be set in motion, and through
out this great country thousands Of emu
nerators began the task Of counting
the population Of the United States and
gathering statistics, the value Of which to
the material interests OF the country can
not be overestimated. All Of THE super
visors have long since received their COM
missions; the census Office has examined
and approved their appointments OF emu
rJerators; not a detail in the great work
which begun has been omitted, and.
TO sum it all up in three words, Every
thing is ready"
The taking of the census each decade is
provided by law. end there is not a boy
or girl in the United States attending the
public schools who does not know why
this is necessary. 1t is one of the funda-
mental principles of the Constitution, and
upon the returns representatives in Con-
gress are apportioned to the different
States. For nearly year now the direc-
tor of the census has been getting ready.
This seems long time, but heretofore
it has been inadequate to the demands
made upon the Office. Director Merriam
shortly after his appointment laid out his
comprehensive plan for the preliminary
work and before the first month had gone
BY the initial force had been appointed
and was getting under way.
Perhaps the greatest handicap in the
taking Of previous censuses was the in
competent assisting force. Politics in the
main had dominated work of this kind,
and the result had been that the office was
loaded with men and women who were
not equal TO the task laid out for them.
Director Merriam with judgment intro
duced an innovation in the appointment
of clerks.
The work incident to the commence
ment of the enumeration proper has been
of considerable magnitude. Nearly three
hundred supervisors have been selected,
81, 600 enumerators, something over two
thousand special agents; clerical force
now at work numbering over one thous-
and, and examinations are in force that
will provide some two thousond two hum
dred more. Over fifteen million of sched-
ules have been PREPARED and sent to the
different parts Of the United States for
use in taking the enumeration and acquir-
ing other facts in connection with the
manufacturing and agricultural inquiries.
In order to bring about these conditions
there has been spent up to the Ist of
June about $4,000.
Friday morning the small army of emu
merators sailed forth upon the COM
mencement of the most important census
taken during the history of the United
States. The preliminary work that has
been undertaken is but small part of the
task that confronts the officials of the
census bureau. The field work now COM
which will involve the use of all
the enumerators and special agents, con-
sisting of nearly ffty-five thousand men,
probably will not be finished until in Sep
TENDER. When the returns are made from
this vast aggregation of information
hunters the real work of the census will
begin.
The count of the population will be
hurried through so as to complete 1t by
the time Congress convenes, in order that
a proper apportionment bill may be pro-
vided for at the next session of the ma
tional legislature.
The work of compilation, tabulation
and printing will follow, and this alone
will be a work of a great magnitude. 1t is
hoped to finish the principal part of the
census work within the next two years.
That done, the special subjects connected
with the industrial and sociological IN
quiries will be taken up and disposed OF
as fast as possible.
The enumerators in Berkeley started
out this morning and by noon had cover
ed considerable ground. Messr. c. J.
Thomas and Cyrus Wable, who are the
for the city, report that they
are we'll started in their work and that
their questions are being cheerfully an
swered by the citizens.
The enumerators will be paid on the
basis of the amount of work done. For
each living inhabtant enumerated the
questioners will receive IS cents; for
farms, SI75; for each manufacturing es-
adjustment, IS cents; for each death, 5
cents, for each person defective in hear
ing, sight or speech reported, cents; for
each prisoner reported, 5 cents, and for
each proprietor reporting live stock, not
on farms or ranges, 5 cents.
The business of the census enumera-
tors, who began their work Friday morn
ng, proceeded very well and as yet there
has been no hitch or difficulty of move
ment reported.
The life of the census enumerator is not
a happy one. He is regarded with sus-
pcon by those upon whom he calls. He
is treated with GOODNESS at the door and
frost settles down upon him if he gets in
as far the parlor. He is not invited to sit
down and when his pencil breaks no one
offers him knife. Mothers cannot but
regard his questions as in the light of an
unfriendly act when he demands to know
the personal history of all the children,
and spinsters will all answer categorically
as to age: "Sir am between 10 and 80.
Following are the questions he asks:
What is yonr name
What is your relationship to the head
of the family
What is the date of your birth month
and YEAR,