Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1901-07-16
RUSHING CENSUS WORK.
Director Merriam Will Have 1t Com.
p'eted by JULY 1, 1902.

Washington, d. c., July 1S.-Barring
fire or the act of Providence Director
Merriam says he expects to complete
the work of the 1900 census by the
first of next July. This means the
publication of ten volumes of stats.
tics on the subjects of agriculture
manufacturing, population, and vital
statistics. There will be other reports
following on few miscellaneous sub
jects, and there will be a small force
of clerks and statisticians who will be
kept occupied for several years; but
the great work of the census will have
been accomplished on that date,
| This will be record in census work.
Director Merriam is working for a rec
ord He is not permitting the hot
weather to interfere with the rate o
progress at which the labor moves
along. Just now the regular force is
depleted 20 per cent by illness, alb.
sences and vacation leaves. 1t was
found few weeks ago when the tor
rid spell commenced that the piece
work did not pile up as rapidly as in
cool weather; and as the bulk Of the
work is paid for by the piece, the
amount of accomplishment was cut
down. So the director gave orders tc
lrut on substitutes, and now there is 8
force of temporary employees number
ing nearly 500. Paintings and hea
prostrations are daily occurrence,th the
main building of the census being il
one of the hottest parts of the city
and constructed on the principles of ;
conservatory.
Population Figures Ready.
But, in spite of weather and resigna
tions, the work goes on at regula
fixed rate, which will wind it up Ii
just about year. The population sta
! tistics are now practically completed
and ore bound volume of some SO
pages has ben issued. This beats TIL
, record Of the last census by fou
!, years. The same statistics of tn
, census of 1890 did not appear unit
1895.
, The law authorizing this censu
, work contains clause requiring tina
, the statistics on the four main sui
. jects be completed July, 1902, but thi
, section was inserted in spirit Of jes
+ Such thing had never been approx
!, mated, much less accomplished an
q the members of congress had no ide
/ of seeing it lived up to. The joke
r now reacting on some Of them; fl
q with the completion of the work the
4 see lot Of their positions, and the
are already hearing from these co
stituents, who know that from now c
= it will be a question of the survival I
q the ores with the strongest pulls.
= The director is hearing from sen
!, tors and members of congress, wi
:, want to know why he is rushing Il
= work at such furious pace, and VIII
= he means by overworking his fore
= The director smiles and points to tt
y . time limit in the law which they pas
- ed.
% % There are now 3,O4S employees {
- the pay roll of the census. BY ne
70 January this force will be reduced
~ 500. The slaughter of the innocen
% will not begin in earnest until Mover
- Der, but already the men aud WON,
20 y, clerks are beginning to look for sc
~ place to fall. The designations a
=. coming to the director at rae of tx
20 a day.
~ Expense Is $1,000 Day.
ut Incidentally the clerks genera,
u. manage 10 uate tnelr TeSiSnaLlonS
10 the end Of thirty days leave of {
ed sence, with POSSIBLY few days
s. spare for Illness. This adds lit
n. to the expense which is now runni
1e ut about $4,000 day. The June p;
II. roll WAS $235,00O.
or The loss which would occur by
BY IRE in the census building is mat
OF which lis always present in the mi
ly Of Director Merriam. The results
of over years labor In punching car
IT, revising schedules, counting and tai
he lating--rot to mention the field We
is, which went to gathering the materi
,p- is nearly all assembled under
at roof Of the census building. In cost
US the government it represents millit
le- of money, and it is now in such sh;