The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1900-06-08
READY TO STRIKE.
Topeka Census Takers Think
They Are Unfairly Treated.
Supervisor Briggs Attempts to
Straighten Out TangIe.
is TOO MUCH TO Do.
Work Heaped Upon the Indi-
Vidual EnumeratOrs.
Allowance by Government Not
Increased Accordingly.
is TOO MUCH TO DO.

C s. Briggs. supervisor of the census,
came to Topeka Thursday to straighten
out a tangle in the Shawnee county
census enumeration. There was danger
Of a strike of euumerators. and Mr.
Pri@gs is trying TO smooth out the
troubled condition.
The enumerators commenced work on
June I. They were furnished with a
set of blanks to be filled out and were
Instructed how to do the work. On
June books filed with blank pages
arrived and were distributed among the
enumeratOrs and they were instructed
to I'LL out the blanks in addition to the
other work given them The book was
called a street book" and the name
and address of every person had to be
written in The enumeratOrs had taken
about 400 names, and they decided that
the government was asking too much
When they were ordered to go back and
do over five days work The govern
ment allows the euumeratOrS two and
a half cents for each name but nothing
Cor extra work
The enumerators started a strike. and
refused to do five days work without
4 extra pay, as it was the fault of the
/ government officials that the street
/ books were not given out at the begin
| ming OF the work. The enumeratOrs
| presented their grievance to J. E Lari-
! county.
A strike was imminent and Larimer
+ II-7nlediately telegraphed for C 5.
/ Briggs. superintendent of the census for
/ Kansas. Briggs arrived Thursday af-
I terno0n and met the enumeFators at the
I Copeland. He explained to the emu
! merators that the street books were
/ gotten out for the couve nience OF the
I e1umeratOrs so that a list of the peo-
/ pie might be had with their street
| number. and that the addresses We're
/ to be written in when the census blanks
were filled out and that the enumer-
atoTs would not have TO go back over
the territory they had covered but
could commence hlliUg out the book
and keep d record OF the addresses
from now on. This was satisfactory
to the enumerat0rs and all talk of a
strike was called of.
Mr.. Larimer said today. The matter
was misunderstood. and the enumer-
atOrs wished it explained. 50 Mr.. Briggs
came up to instruct them in the work
II has all been arranged perfectly sat
| isfacrOry to all It might be we'll tC
explain that the government has or
| dered Mr.. Larimer not to talk for pub
| LEGATION.
The story of the way the strike
started is different It commenced
| while Mr.. Larimsr was sitting in his
Oftice reading over some blanks and
wondering why the government cared
to know whether people ever had tbs
| collie or not, when in stepped one OF
the enuEnsratOrs-
Here's the books" said the man an6
: he slammed a set Of long, legal looking
books on the table.
What's the matter2t' asked the spe-
ciaI agent, who supposed that his only
: duty was to draw his salary He ex
{ posed his official badge in the form ot
; a breastplate and chest protector com.
bfned and took his feet from the sec
2 ord shelf on the uantel
? Natter Here I've taken the names
I ages. size. color. disposition and ful
pedigree of over 400 people, and nov
1 Uncle sam sends me another book t,
[ be filed out. and have to do this al
5 over again and get no extra pay jus
2 to find out a few more blamed foo
i questions
= What are you going to do?'
, Jim. I'm going to quit, throw up tn
! | sponge and go To farming.
5 We'll. now" said Jim in his per
suasive manner. 7 guess we can fl
= this up all right III see
J. Just then the door opened and Il
r, came another Infatuated enumeratoI
4 When ne had told his story in cam
another. and then more.
Then it was that c. s. Riggs wa
summoned TO come to t.CODeIan
h county" to quelI the disturbance H
2 arrived Thursday and met the enumer
r ators at the Copeland and explained
: The enurnera tors are once more plOd
. ding from house to house asking abOu
, ! marital relations. which most peopI
n think means something about the seq
d and explain that their great glea
a grandfather was eOxswain of the Fly
Z ing Polly