Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-04-03
Practically Everything Ready for
Taking the Census.
SUPERVISORS HAVE BEEN SELECTED
Pains Taken to Insure a Corps of
Competent Gnumerators.
CNUS UAL PREPARATIONS

When the first day Of June arrives d.
rector Merris m Of the census office will
touch the button which will st in motion
the complex and extensive machinery for
taking the twelfth census Of the United
States
II j. safe to say that thSre never has been
such Il definite plan nj action and such
preparation as Director Merriam has pro-
posed Practically everything is ready. and
all that is necessary iOy the wheels to begin
revolving is the arrival If the day when the
work IF taking the census begins
All the supervisors have been appointed
and confirmed ami mos OF the enumera tors
hay" been selected. Thousands of pounds
Of material are being shipped every day to
the different parts ot the United States for
the practical use of the men in the field.
aud it is expC cteI that before the 10Th of
TIN present month all shipments will have
been completed ana the cnumeratOrS ap-
pointed. Realizing the Importance of hay
~ an Intelligent corps OF assistants in the
important work Of taking the census Di-
rector Merriam insisted Is condition prec-
e,i"ut to appointment the passing of prac-
j'dt examination for all clerks. This has
enabled him to select a corps of clerks who
can He depended upon 10 give to their work
The requisite intelligence required for so i'm
Pprtant an undertaking.
Selection OF Euumerators.
NJ less important in the collection of
statistics is the selection Of a competent
force Of enumerators. and Director Merriam
insists that the men who are u do this
work shall be competent. 1t is estima ted
that there will be 5000 enumeration dis
trirts, and at least that number Of enurner-
atprs.
To aid them in their selection. each ap-
plicaHt for these positions has been required
-v-f+b
district written application setting forth
his name. age, sex. occupation. length of
residence and linguistic accomplishments.
Each applicant then received population
= h"ciule, same form Will be used in the
enumeration, properly hlled. with full in
StrUctions to enable him to comprehend
what was expected He also received a
blank schedule. and the facts surrounding
twenty-one persons in narrative form, and
he required TO fill out this blank sChed-
ul- from the narrative. following the Sched-
III, properly filed. This enabled each super
visor to judge as to the legibility with
which the applicant will fill his schedules
if appointed, and to his ability to COM
prrhend the instructions he had received
and will receive
A number of supervisors have submitted
samples of the test schedules which have
b. en- filled out and the director is thor
oughly convinced that not only in general
education but in every way the corps Of
eEumeratorS who Will be employed in the
twelfth census will be far superior to those
employed in any previous census.
These appointments, however, are not
made upon the examination of these
schedules by the supervisor The applica-
zion blank and test schedule of each appli-
can't is forwarded to Washington. and they
will be closely sCrutinized by a corps of
clerks especially trained for this purpose
Each of these blanks must be handled and
checked three times before final action is
taken, and an idea of -he amount of work
involved can b. gained by the fact that
seventy-five Clel-s in six sections will be
employed fifteen days upon this work.
Instructions to Enumerators.
These appointments will be completed
by the 18th of April. which will enable the
euumerator to receive full instructions as
To- his duties and to more thoroughly famil-
iarize himself with all the blanks which he
Will have to use. The accuracy of the
census. the director says, depends almost
entirely upon the enumerator, and every
IreCdution that was practical has been
taken TO prevent incompetent persons from
obtaining an appointment. and he feels as
>ured that results will justify his expeCta-
tons. that the twelfth census will be far
r'ore accurate and satisfactory than any
aI4r iy1f no United