The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1900-07-20
NOT HIS FIGURES, He SAYS.
CAPT. HENRY blum, JR.. EXPLAINS
THE $4,000 ESTIMATE.

Was Taken by t1ty E<1np1oNes III
1897. Showing 4S.274-From This
He Surm4sed That the Isovernmen +
Census WoDId show From $4,000
TO $4,000, Els Assumption Having
Been That the 1897 Census Was
Correct - Mayor Myers Believes
some Fnzra orators We're IncOmpe-
tent-25 Per Cent. of City Employees
Not Included. He Snys--Or. Drummer
Gives a word of Explanation of
Excessive Estimates.
II have never given my estimate Of the
population of Savannah as 52e99, said
Capt. Henry Blun, Jr. supervisor Of the
census. Yesterday. What ] did say was
that the populatbou might be from 5000 to
HCo0. but those figures were not given
from any government census returns
They came from another source an Off
cial census Of the city of Savannah that
was taken in 1881"
For some ame Capt. Blum has known
that there was such a census taken in
1897. but he had said nothing about ii.
simply assuming that it was practically
correct and that the population shown by
u was what the CITY W dS JhS-49 CiAtAAANN ~
at that time. This was 1921.
Please note that the census was off
ciaI, continued Capt. Blum, ''having been
taken by sanitary inspectors. The accred-
tied representatives OF the health officer
and the city government 1t was from
this 1924 that I drew my estimate Of
from 5000 to $4,000, and not from the gov
ernmenr returns. which have now gone on
TO Washington, there TO be checked over
and added up. l have not the slightest
idea from those returns as 70 what the
official showing Of the city's population
may be. That will remain with the peo-
pie at Washington. For all l know, the
population may be considerably more or
considerably less Than 5000.
Il have exercised every pTecaution and
worked hard to secure correct census.
] am convinced that the enumeratcrs did
their WORK conscientious.y and correctly.
and that the census will be exact. At the
expense OF considerable trouble and no lit
tie pains, I adopted the precaution of
checking the schedules furnished by the
enumerators using the house numbers
for the purpose. l visited the Mayor in
the hope of securing some cooperation
from him in this matter as the house
numbers We're at hand. and the city might
easily have furnished them, but my eff
forts were unavailing. / had 10 have re-
course to the city directory from which
I managed to get the numbers. The
checking was very effectual. and I am
sure that no more accurate a census could
have been taken.
about the Mayors charges of the cen
sus enumera lors having been incompe-
tent, Capt. Blum said he had but little to
add to his statements as to their efficiency
and competency that have already ap-
peared He explained that not the slight
est political influence could have been ex-
ercised in the selection of the enumer-
ators, and that the entire list was made
up of those whose application schedules
had been satisfactorily flied out. there
having. therefore. been no necessity for
including any whose abilities were shown
as being insufficient for the work The
two colored women included in the list.
he SAID. are teachers in the public schools
thoroughly capable of taking a census
and who did tho Tork we'll
Mayor Myers was seen by representa-
tive OF the Morning News. 20 whom he
said that he did not expect of his own
initiative, TO order a census taken by the
police force or other city employees The
Council. he explained. might undertake
such work in the effort 10 verify the re-
turns of the government census, but he
templated I rather think it would be
Useless for any practical purpose he said.
for the government would certainly not
recognize IL, and all the satisfaction that
could be gained from it would be that of
the citizens in knowing that Savannah has
more than the census shows Offlcially,
he said che population of Savannah viii
be known by whatever figures may be
given by the enumeration taken by the
government.
Il am convinced" said Mayor Myers,
''that the census will be incorrect. Fully
q per cent of the city employees, l have
ascertained, were not included at all
among the names taken by the enumera-
tors. This was due to the fact that
some of the men employed We're incoR-
petent. l believe the population is be-
tween $4,000 and $4,000"
Just at this stage of the interview
Health Officer w. F. Drummer dropped
into the Mayors office. do you know,
Mr.. Mayor" he asked that a census
was taken by the sanitary inspectors I'M
der the last administration and that it
was never made pubuc?" The Mayor did
not know it. well, that is true" contin-
ued DR.. Drummer. The population shown
by /, was $500 and some hundreds, but
il was never given out.
I'll len you where the trouble lies Mr..
Mayor. and where so many persons make
their mistake in figuring upon the popu-
3ation. Now take the east side Of Whea-
ton street, running right along the city
line. You have no idea how many people
there are living just on the corporate
limits. They are hick for they live
crowded together. Then along the Waters
Read there are about 2.5C0, and in other
localities contiguous TO the city there are
a great many who might be understood
as Savannah c,tizers ard who are yet lv-
ing ia Chatham county. l will venture to
say that Chatham county will show at
least 10000 by the official census Many
will be surprised TO find chat there are so
many living in the county beyond the
corporate limits
THE trouble is that we have not grown
single foot geographically since 1890 The
population has increased, and there have
been many people TO remove to Savannah
from the country and other places, but
large percentage has had TO find homes
on the outskirts. Other cities have ex-
tended their corporate limits. taking in
thickly-populated communities that have
sprung up beyond where they form DIV
extended. but Savannah has done none of
that"
The census schedules have gone on to
Washington. All from the city are in
though they were a little delayed owing
10 the checking system that was adopted
by Capt. Blum in the effort 10 insure ac-
chracy this delay, by the way, having
caused the census bureau at Washington