New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-06-01
STAND UP AND BE COUNTED
CENSUS ENUMERATORS BEGIN WORK
TO-DAY.
IT IS HOPED NEWCOMERS WILL DO ALL
THEY Can TO MAKE CREDITABLE
SHOWING FOR THEIR CITY

This is the day when army OF almost fifty
three thousand census enumerators will be
turned loose upon the public to count classify
and tabulate the men, women, children, horses
cows. mules. pigs. sheep and other created be-
ings within the dominions of Uncle Sam. For
the credit of New-York it is hoped that every
one OF her citizens will do all in his power to aid
the local enumerators to make free and ac-
curate census Of the inhabitants OF the greatest
city in the Western Hemisphere. Many large
towns In this and other countries have their
eyes upon New-York. are perhaps jealous Of
her growth and sceptical of her attractions and
tAey would not be sorry TO have some figures
70 back UP their assertions that New-York
city has not since the last census increased as
fast in population in area. They would like
TO be able to sheer AT this city in the same
fashion that Chicago has been sneered at for
including prairie lands within her borders and
then failing to draw people enough to cover
them. New-York has recently greatly enlarged
ner superficial area. but 1t is confidently expect
ed by many shrewd observers that the enumer-
ation which begins to-day will prove she is
growing 30 fast that no one can fairly assert
IN the tnelegant but expressive language of the
Bowery, that she has bitten off more than she
chew"
one good way to help secure an accurate
census is TO tell your servants or the ianitor or
your boarding house proprietor that the enumer-
ator will call this week. and you want him
treated with civility and attention. Spread the
Information that the questions he will ask
not impertinent but important and that
severe penalty attaches a refusal to answer
them. If subordinates see that those IN au-
thority over them take the census seriously
they too will take 1T seriously. and will be
so prone TO present to the enumeration hostile
front as they have been in the past Another
way TO secure accurate count, especially in
boarding houses. where the enumerator may
call when the boarders are away. and may have
20 rely upon the faulty memory of the pro-
prietor for details. is for each boarder to re-
quest the proprietor TO ask the enumerator for
an individual blank. This blank will be
left by the enumerator request. and be
filed out by each boarder for himself. The
enumerator will call again for the blank. and
thus be sure of getting correct data.
The enumerators will start upon their rounds
in this city at a. m. and thanks to the energy
and forethought Of Census Supervisor Wilbur,
ii is confidently expected that the complicated
machinery will be set in motion at the appoint
ed hour and run on TO the close without hitch.
The count must be completed within fifteen
days. AS two of these will be Sundays. the
enunerators will have only thirteen working
days in which to complete their immense task
They will be paid at the rate of two and a half
cents for each ordinary person enumerated, five
cents for stable owners with their stock and
five cents each for deaf, dumb or blind persons
as they generally give more trouble. The extra
rate is not paid for those speaking foreign
tongues because Interpreters are sent 70 aid the
enumerator in such cases.
There eleven hundred enumerators for
Manhattan and The Bronx, and each one carries
for his identification a commission signed by
Supervisor Wilbur. in addition TO a badge.
Preparations for taking the census have been
going for the last fifteen months. Nearly
three hundred supervisors have been assigned
TO as many districts. Two thousand special
agents have been selected for special work OF
various kinds over three thousand clerks have
been employed more than fifteen million sched-
ules have been printed, and it is not unlikely
that the entire cost will approximate $4,000 600