Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1909-07-08

these matters and also about the return
Of all the papers within fixed limit Of
time.
The Maine supervisors will be expected
to have the enumefators for their dis
|trlcts appointed by the beginning Of the
new year at least and must devote con-
siderable time to making sure that these
are staugh9 yhow to take the
census ana ask the pfescribed questions.
A vast amount OF stationery must be dis
tributed for this work for the blank
forms, all alike. are essential 20 the ex-
petition Of the work in the census once
When these reach the census ONCE much
OF the work Of compiling and tabulating
is done by machines. but this has TO be
inaugurated. OF course. by clerks.
Precautions must be taken that all the
people are enumerated and In all the
states precautions are also taken TO pre-
vent the duplication of names or the
padding of the census returns. Such
precautions as to padding are hardly
necessary In the old settled Eastern
states but ambitious Western communi-
ties have occasionally practiced ingenious
schemes upon unwary supervisors ana
epumerators by which the population was
made larger than 1t actually should be.
The taking of every census for many
years has been attended by numerous
complaints about INSTRUMENTATION and
alike of over-enumeration.
The final figures of the population Of
Maine will probably be known within
a year. These totals will be one Of the
first announcements made from. the
census bureau. Possibly they will be
Of greater interest In Maine than In
any other state of the Union because Of
the very keen concern among Maine
people lest the State lost one of its rep
resentatives in Congress when the next
apportionment is made. The population
of Maine has been increasing but slow
ly during the last 80 years-more slow
ly than the population of the country
to the West.
1t is generally believed that Names
growth in people. Aas been much slow
er for the last 10 years than the growth
of many other states and If that proves
to be the case 1t is almost certain that
after 1912 the State will have three, in
stead of four representatives in the Ma
tional House Some earnest friends OF
Maine have not yet given up hope on
that matter, but at best. the prospects
are none too bright.
TIE Guotient of population for q
member of Congress had to be reduced
materially following the last census to
allow Maine four members and, as Is
well remembered in Maine, was due
very largely to the efforts. of Repre-
sentative Burleigh. The quotient was
then made SO small that. the number
of representatives was increased to the
full capacity of the naif OF representa-.
tives. The number of representatives
was fixed at 1856 and by the admission
of Oklahoma, with five members Of the
National House, is now 391. That took
up all the seating space in the hall, so
that there has been great difficulty in,
accommodating the delegates and COM
missioners respectively from the terri
tories and from the Philippines and
Porto Rico.
j, Undoubtedly an effort viii be made
to increase the number of representa-
tives under the next census and If It.
put up to 400 or more there may be a
chance for Maine to continue with four
representatives. One thing favors such.
an effort. 1t is the decision of the
House at it's last session to take out
the desks, remodel the hall SO that 1t
will be smaller and to put in seats.
without benches for members. That's
work of remodelng is to be begun next
year after Congress adjourns and Will.
destroy the oldtime and very effective
argument against increasing the num- .
Der Of representatives on the plea that
there is no room to seat them. But.
there are other arguments against in :
creasing the number Of representatives.
They are now so numerous that 1t isl
more and more difficult to transact
public business and most of the states
are averse to making the House larger
than it is now