The Green Forest tribune., 1900-03-22
CEN NSUS WORK.
Preparations for Taking It By
 the Departm cnt.


 the scene of bustling activity, the work of preparing portfolios for use by enumerators in the coming count of the population being fairly under way. These port folios, of whitish-br paste board, hinged together with black cloth, are eighteen inches long and ten wide and tied with four sets of tape. For conven- tent, accurate and rapid enum- eration the United States have been divided into 300 supervisors districts, and these in turn into about 50,000 enumeration dis tricts. or E. D.'s, as they are called in the census office. Each of the 50,O00 enumerators is yet to be appointed, so on the port folios a blank space is left for his name.
 The last census found the un- happy enumerator loaded down with from ten to thirteen sched- ules, each having volumnious instructions to master which required considerable mental ability and power of memory.
 Four schedules, not ten, cover enumerators' inquiries in 1900- schedules requiring information about population, vital statistics, manufacturers and agriculture. In cities the enunerators will seldom need the agricultural, or in rural districts the manufact- uring schedule, so he will in- frequently carry more than three.
 Frequent complaints and charges of inaccuracy in preced- ing censuses have arisen from distrust of the enumerators. Not infrequently the gross ignorance of an enumerator rendered his work valueless.
 Of the 50,G00 enumerators for whose appointment and work the census office must be held re- sponsible, it can have no di- rect knowledge, but it has pre- pared and will send out a test schedule which each candidate is expected to fill out according to accompanying instructions. From this schedule, when comnleted and returned. an idea of his ability to comprehend and follow instructions will be obtained. For his honesty and integrity those who recommend him must be held responsible.
 A general realization by American citizens of their per- sonal interests in successful protection of the canvass by which this white-tape army should arouse sentiments of local interest and pride, and in each enumeration district citizens would concern themselves about the selection of their registrar and local arbiter.
 The whita- tape army should be made of men who are quick, competent, courteous, tactful and truthful. Ten hours a day for two weeks in ur5in, and four in rural districts, they will spend in gaining entrance to those inn nreonable castles. the homes of American citizens. To prove their victory, correct replies to all the schedule questions must be recorded for each of these castles. Tae Wnite- tape soldier will have no chance for glory or preferment. lie must find cour- age in feeling that ''peace hath it's victories" and that "the world knows nothing of its greatest men," When he shall have completed his duties-incidentally making, enemies for life of village gossips, who did not want to tell their own ages, but demanded to read those of everybody else-he will receive a compensation which the director of the census is en- deavoring to fix at such a rate that each energetic enumera- tor may earn at least S6 a day under the conditions prevailing in his district.
 Now that the high tide of pros- perity leaves few men of the re- quired ability unemployed, the enlistment of this white tape army should awaken feelings of local and individual resp pJnsibil-