The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1909-12-31
CENSUS ENUMERAToRs.
First Interview to be Given Out by
Supervisor.

feDruary does not take away the
supervisors right under the census
law to designate suitable persons fof
such Positions" says Supervisor OF
Census John Baird Of Saginaw.
1T is designed to aid the super
visors in the exercise of that discre-
ton and to enable the Census Dh-
rector intelligently to use the power
of approval of the supervisors des-
ignations conferred upon him by
law.
1T is very we'll understood that
President Taft, Secretary Nagel, and
Census Director Durand all hold the
supervisors responsible for the en-
umeration. There is no doubt,
therefore, that our first and most
important duty is the selection OF
honest, capable and active persons
to make the count.
THE Census will be taken, not by
the Census Bureau officers or the su-
pervisOrs, but by the enumerators
They are the ones who come in con-
tact with the people and get the
facts. Unless every single enumer-
ator does his whole and proper duty
there can not be correct census.
There cannot be anything of great
er scientific value to this country
than accurate statistics as the basis
Of study of the existing conditions
regarding our population, agricul-
'ture, manufactures, and mines and
quarries.
"All persons, unless specifically
disqualified, are entitled to apply te
take the test. Only those under Is
years of age and over 20, and those
who have not become citizens of the
United States, are barred. Other
wise, all persons, regardless Of sex
and political Affiliations, are eligible
1t is left to my judgment whether IL
is wise to appoint women in my dis
trict. They can do the work, I have
no doubt, especially in certain parts
Of the district. There were a gooa
many employed all over the country
in the Twelfth census.
THE time for closing the consid-
Grafton of applications is January
25. Those received after that date
will have to be ignored. Applica-
tions should be addressed in writing
to me at this Office and not to the
Census Director. | will send in
quirers the necessary form and in
structions concerning it.. Afterward
] will send those on the list, prior tO
the test, set of directions for filling
out the test papers. This will en-
able everyone to come will prepared
Nothing could be fairer or better cal
culated to insure a satisfactory ap-
plicant passing the test.
THE test itself need not deter
anyone. Any person with common
sense and a common-school educa-
ton can pass it. All it consists or
is giving the candidates sample pop
ulation and agricultural schedules,
upon which are to be written liz
the proper columns the required de-
tails, which are found in printed de-
scriptions, in narrative form, of typ
ical families and farms supposed To
be in a district. There will be some
instances requiring the exercise OF
Judgment to decide whether given
entry should be made under one col
umn heading or another. You can
see how simple and elementary it rs.
THE test will be held all over
the country and in every supervisors
district February 5. There will be
several places in each district for
taking it. One place would be in
sufficient. 1t would not hold all the
AS supervisor, | shab
have the direction Of all, and the
test examination at each, no matter
under what official agency it is held.
will be that sole and simple one
prescribed by the Census Director
'I am given until February 90 to
rate the papers in very simple way
and to gain an idea Of the qualifica
tions of those rated as having pass
ed. Next I will forward the papers
of the successful candidates, with
my recommendation or designa-
tions, to the Census Director. He
will, if satisfied that suitable persons
have been selected, give his consent
to their appointment, and they will
be commissioned. The middle or
latter part OF March should see
everything settled, and the selected
and commissioned enumerators viii
be sent more circulars and books OF
relative to the interpre-
tation or meaning of the questions
on the two schedules.
April / 5 the Census Army will
move forward in the enumeration.
Certainly the federal Census
taking is as necessary and as honor
able as jury duty, and, as all good
and useful citizens do not hesitate
to respond to the call for such duty,
I therefore ask the same high grade
to come forward and
help me have the census taken ac-
curately and expeditiously.
"As President Taft has said, the
pay is not large but the work Is
worth while doing well, and some
day we shall all feel proud in the
al