The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1909-10-11
EARN CENSUS
!. economy 8 ] ]!
DIRECTOR pURAfin HOPES TO
SAVE SEVERAL HUNDRED
s6f,1g,.Ttou SAND DOLLARS.

1 WASHINGTON b. O., Oct. I'LL.
Is. Census Director E. Dana Durand
hopes to save several hundred thou
sand dollars In taking the census Of
and also to increase the ac-
|cIracy OF the statistics.
The Director stated today that at
the census Of 1900 the agricultural
data were handled. by means of punch
ed cards. For each farm large mum;
Der of cards had TO be punched, as the
number of facts recorded regarding
"a, farm was far, greater than the num-
Der ;oE facts required regarding an an:
diyidual n the population census.
Director ,Durand said the statistics
OF population, and OF agriculture are
collected 5hy.a different force from. that
employed in gathering the statistics
of manufacturers. The population and
agricultural data are secured by enum-
orators of whom there will be about
5000 at the present. census, they in
turn being appointed by the .superyi7
sors, of whom there are about $780,.
The dificulty of securing competent
and tafthG1l enumerators is very
great. The. length of service is very
short, is days in the cities and 80 days
in the country districts. The period
is too snort to justify a man who has.
a. good job IN. quitting. it, while on the
other hand 1t is too long in most cases.
to enable such men to get leave FROM
their regular work to take the census.
Moreover the pay is small, averaging
perhaps three dollars per day in the
country districts and trifle more In
the cities, practically the pay OF or
binary mechanics Not only, therefore
are most of those VINO seek to 'oe
men who are able to COM
rnand only moderate pay in their oc-
equations, but many of them are men
VINO can not command regular employ
ment and who are looking for odd
jobs.
Consideration has been given by the
census authorities from time to time
to the plan pursued in Germany and
some other European countries, b
which teh census is taken chiefly or
wholly by men serving without pay
who either volunteer their service
from patriotic motives or who are re-
auIred to act. He doubts whether con-
d+,ons in this country are ripe for
such a scheme. At any rate, nothing
Of this sort can be done at the pres
emit census. 1t may. however be
hoped that to some slight extent. and
possibly to considerable extent men
can be induced to accept the position
of enumeration from interest IN the
work rather than for the cornpensa-
ton involved. He hopes that a con-
siderable number OF the colleges and
universities OF the country man see
at to give lesve of absence to their
students for the short time required
tn 1o this work OF enumeration. The
college student Is very useinl
enumerator in some cases, but IL IS
exceedingly desirable that enumera-
tors should actually live in the dis
tricts where they work. and there are
multitude of districts where no col
leee students reside or where suc1
students are in institutions hundreds
or thousands of miles from their
homes. Another class who can render
good service as enumerators are
school teachers. but, with. the enumer-
alton taking place in April and May
instead of June as formerly, few school
teachers can be spared from their du-
ties to take the census.