Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1908-03-07

ia ps..a by the spring of 1910. 1t is
III proposed to take the soldiers
lzzz--@= of this army and train them
and drill them with great care
for the important work that will con-
front them. 1t will number about $4,000
able bodied American citizens recruit
ed from every school district in the
land. 1t is not to be mustered in for
the purpose of invading other lands.
neither is IL to be called into existence
to repel a foreign foe from our shores.
1t is an army of peace, not of war. IT
is the great census army, called into
existence to furnish Uncle Sam q snap
shot of himself. He likes 70 know how
he looks every ten years. He likes to
take stock and let the world know once
in while the size of the clothes he
has to wear. And in these decenniaI
views of himself he does not stand
back on account of the expense. Last
time 1t cost him some thirteen million
dollars, and ii will cost about mill
lien more this time. for he has grown
some since then.
The taking of the thirteenth census
will be the biggest job of its kind ever
undertaken by man. To get careful and
accurate Information about the more
than 90000,00O souls who will then be
living in this country and to get all OF
that information together within the
thirty or forty days allowed by law
viii be a gigantic undertaking, But
there are indications that the thir-
teenth census will be the most accurate
and the most complete census that has
ever been taken.
Conditions will be vastly different
with the taking of the thirteenth CEN
tfada
ating the permanent census bureau
was passed. Through it there has
been kept together the very cream of
the workers under the twelfth census
by this time every one of the 400
workers in that bureau has become an
expert in his line. They will furnish
the nucleus of the big force that must
be gathered together. The director has
had years of the most valuable train
ing, and each of his staff has enjoyed
like advantages.
Instead of a nondescript. bargain day
lot of things to start with, like Cover
nor MerrimaD had. Director North will
start in with bureau fully equipped
with every sort of appliance that can
promote the work of census taking.
All that he will have to do will be to
spread out. In addition to these adj
NdANdSCSB TIC Will start out III Ills III Cd l
work with law passed year earlier
than that under which Governor Merri-
man operated. 1t win give him oppor-
tunity to have the $50 supervisors come
to Washington and learn their duties.
1t VIII give the enumerators some three
months to acquaint themselves with
the work they are to have in hand.
And II is upon these enumerators that
the real value of the work must de-
pend. The preliminary work may be
likened to the preparation of meal,
the enumeration to the eating of 1t,
and the tabulation to the assimilation
of the food thus eaten. 1t all depends
on what is eaten in this case. If the
enumerators do -ot do their work we'll
there can be no accuracy nor any OPP
portunity to rectify. the errors.
Another feature of the thirteenth
census will be the omission of the coll
lection of data relating to vital stats
tics. The permanent census has been
collecting this line of information every
year, and this covers about one-half OF
the population of the country. Instead
of vital statistics there will be infor-
nation gathered about mines and min
ing and quarries. The field work will
also be done earlier than heretofore
Much difficulty has been experienced or
many people would shut UP their homes
and go to the mountains or the sea-
shore about the time of the enumera-
ton. To obviate this the count will
take place beginning April Is, 1910. The
tabulating will be done by electrical
machines. Millions of cards will be
punched on electric machines not dis
similar from an electric typewriter
These cards will then be put through
another machine, which will tabulate
the returns. These machines are the
invention of DIR. Herman Hollerith OF
Washington. They are said to reduce
the work of tabulation so per cent
This year the machines Will be made
by the census bureau in it's own shops
There are now seven experts at work
perfecting the new machinery which II
| is proposed to use.
| In taking a census the government
| can never attain to the ideal conditions
| for the enumerations. In getting to-
gether some $1,000 enumerators there
are always sure to be some who are
fond of the dollar to such an exten
| that they will resort to rather ques
| tionable methods to get 1t. II compen
| sation Is made on the piece basis there
is always q tendency to make an over
| count. If it is made on per diem
| basis there would be enumerators whit
would loaf on their jobs. But with the
| safeguards that the bureau is able t
| throw around the work. 1t is believed
| that the piece basis of compensation
| will be the more satisfactory. and ina
| has been adopted, as heretofore. Emu
merators win get from to cents FOL
| IA