The weekly true Democrat. (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1905-1912, 1906-06-01
STATE CENSUS FAULTY.


Times Union. so fully covers the ground
that we take pleasure in reproducing it,
80 that True Democrat readers may
also have it.:
The Legislature assigned to the
State Agricultural Department the duty
Of taking the census Of the State. That
department, II Is not too much to say,
has made failure Of it, Here at home
IL is to be noted that the State figures
are far below those indicated by the
Health Board census and the directory
indications. They are also unreasOna-
BILE because they do not agree with the
combined igures Of the United States
census Of 1900 and the enumeration of
buildings erected since the great fire of
1901. In 1900 Jacksonville had 2S, 429
population In 1905, .. 100 buildings had
been erected since the tire-abOut =. 800
buildings more than had been destroyed.
As a proof Of the pressure for house
room in this city, due % the many new
inhabitants who had hOcked here, a
large number Of apartment houses were
bulIt-sOmething practically unknown
before the fire There we're several
new family hotels built, also. For these
reasons, Jacksonville feels disposed TO
quarrel with the census. The greater
volume Of business done by retail mer-
chants as we'll as the high rate of rents,
despite the great increase in the num-
Der Of dwellings, indicate such rate Of
growth IN population
1T is when we take the State at
large that we see how badly the depart
ment has fallen down on the census.
Three Of the most important counties
omitted! The excuse, for emitting Es-
Gambia county, with Pensacola its chief
city, and Orange. with Orlando its
county seat. and such other cities as
Sanford within it, borders, are very
poor; the excuse for emitting the cOun.
~ Of Dade, with Miami and West Palm
Beach. is lnadmissibe. In Escambia,
the returns were burned up, we are
told In such an important matter pre-
cautions should have been taken against
the constant danger Of fire. In Or
ange, the enumeratOr fell sick. Illness
is u danger against which the depart
meut should have guarded Think Of
bushes, firm exposing important papers
% danger from fire or unable 20 keep
It's contracts because a clerk was Ill.
But IN Dade county the State has suf-
fered a heavy loss because apparently,
the enumeratOr appointed had paid no
attention 10 his duties. Now the de-
paltment seeks 20 throw the whole
blame on the legislative delegation from
that county. What was the department
doing that il did not awaken sooner to
the fact that no enumeration was being
taken in Dade? The Legislature of
1907 will be remlss in its duties if 1t
does not call upon the State administra.
ton 10 satisfactorily explain why it
allowed what looks ike great wrong
to the whole State,
Just so, and "thc Legislature Of l9O1
,rW b" rcWjss IN tsdUtjes II II does not
r0H upon the Stotc administration to
satisfactorily crpiGiH why It aH0wed
,Chdt looks hkc GREAT WRONGS To the
choIe State" along a number of other
LINES this newspaper has been persist
emily calling attention TO, but which
most newspapers in Florida have kept
mum on such as selling |, |. lands for
a song; paying out attorneys fees
without authority; freezing out legiti-
mate competition on State printing con-
tracts that a pet might have those con-
tracts at outrageous prices for very
Inferior work; accepting and paying
for volumes of the Supreme Court, after
hey had been condemned by at least
some of the Supreme Court, denounced
by meetings Of the Bar Associations and !
Inder protest Of the Attorney General, !
"ho prepares the copy, reads proof on
{ and has general supervision of such
Supreme Court Reports work; abuse of /.
official power, Czarish treatment Of the 1
people and peoples interests repudiat- |
ng an honest contract and claim, when .
lonest, faithful work had been the .
means of saving and turning into the .
State Treasury large sum of money .
hat every Floridlan was doubtful the /
National government would ever pay,
md which never would have been Sc .
ured To the State had it not been for
he faithful and persistent work of the .
nan whose claim was repudiated.
'ryccy in pobic Affairs, etc. But
nough, TO put the Legislature of 1907
nd the whole people TO thinking just a
title bit. May he shrewd lobbyists
viii again prevent light being thrown
~ transactions Of recent years, also be
bic to stop the present outrageous eX-
enditures of l. |. moneys on the Gov
rnor's wildcat drainage farce, as now