The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1900-10-30
Commercial Club Committee
Writes to Director of Census.
Shows Why Count OF Topeka
May Be Wrong.
MIR. RADGES' TASK.
viii Soon Make Enumeration
For New Directory.
May Then Take Census For the
Commercial Club.


The Commercial club committee on
the revision Of the United States census
report held a meeting at the Commerce.
club rooms last evening, when a letter
was formulated which is today beng
sent to the director Of the census AT
Washington. It is proof conclusive tLla'l
the census department is in error ana
that Topeka is justified in making the
demand that a recount be taken
The committee is composed Of S II.
Downs chairman. E H Crosby, A l.
Redeem ". H. Rossington, ana Joao
aIulvane. The text Of the letter foi-
lows: ~ .ooo
'sW r Merriam. Director of Census.
LAS special committee on the census
of Topeka, appointed by the Commercial
club of our city. we desire TO call your
attention to a few facts bearing upon
this subject In reply to the letter OF
T. J. Anderson, secretary Of the COM
mercial club, you make use of the re-
port Of our state board of agriculture,
and give the population of our city from
1880 to 1898. We beg to call your at
tention to the fact that such report IS
based upOn the assessors returns. Wnlch
can not be considered full and compete
Information upon which TO base an esti-
mate OF a full population OF a city IN
asmuch as SO many people are deslrous
of escaping making statements OF per
sonaI property. And now IN contraulS-
tiuction to that base for computing pop
ulation we desire to call your attention
to another fact.
"A safer basis for estimating popula-
lion is a carefully compiled directory.
A directory maker must make a search
ing inquiry after names and residences
to make his directory Of any value
hence few people escape d directory
makers canvass. We subjoin an abb
stract from the report of the directory
maker OF Topeka for 1899 who has had
charge Of the work for twenty years He
says: 1t is gratifying TO note a sub
stantial increase in the number OF names
over that of the previous issue The eX-
act number of men in this compilation
Is 1858. and il is customary in making
estimates of population 70 allow per
cent Of the entire number OF names FOR
firms. public institutions and such others
as do not represent individuals After
this deduction is made the lowest ap-
proNination is three to name, but to
avoid any possibility OF oVer-e st1T1at ting,
! have placed It at two and half, yet
this unusually low estimate shows our
population to be as follows. 1858 minus
563 equals 1905, multiplied by IA
equals 4O.040
1.-THE enumeration was not confined to
the corporate limit of the city, as it was
desirable to find persons residing in the
additions TO the city. As near as posi-
Bile the population residing in the en-
VirOns Of the city is 2.S56, deduct this
number from the total of 40.04O leaves
81 ,1S4 within the corporate limits
And now to further substanJiate Our
claims to several thousand more pOpu-
lation than the late enumeration has
given Us. we call your attention to the
registration of our city just completed.
which is 1919, allowing the safe num-
Der of four persons to each voter. we
have 40. 74S as the population of Topeka.
It is fair to deduct from this the addi-
tiOns to the city which have been an
neXed since the enumeration was taken
Ihese additions have 500 people which
leaves 80. GAS as the true population of
the city when the census was taken. AS
shown by the directory method. we beg
to call your attention to this fact. TIE
enumeration by the directory system
less the additions and environs was 81
1S4, since the publication OF the direc-
tory and up to the time the census was
taken. the population of the addition and
envfrOns annexed by ordinance and now
voting in the wards Of the city is 800
which added to the 37.184 gives us a
population at the time the census was
taken Of 3s9S4. which is practically the
same as evidenced by the registration
In view of this showing we ask your
consent for a recount OF our city under
your supervision. with the help of such
citizens as may be appointed by cur
Commercial club to aid in a careful can
vass-
IF the expense to the government of
a recount is in your judgment any ser
ious obstacle to granting our request, the
citizens of Topeka are willing to assume
cftys population set right before the
world But we desire the work to be
done under the superintendent of the
director Of the census.
Respectfully submitted.
IS. H DOWNS