The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1909-09-29
TWILL Be A HUGE JOB
Takinq the Thirteenth Census of
the United States.
e. 600 FNUMERATORSA AT WORK

An Army of Inquirers Will Soon
Cover the Land. Machinery Will
Pinch 10000 Cards Day, and
Aid in Securing Decennial Report
For Uncle Sam. Facts Will Be
TabuIated.
To count the 1OO,OO0,000 of in
bab;tants which is the advance es-
innate made by the census bureau
of the population of the United
States in 1910, and then to reckon
nm their manifold activities will be
an enormous task. There will be
920 supervisors, appointed by the
nresident, to look after as many geo
oraDhical districts, and in Washing
TON alone at least 5000 additional
clerks will be employed, writes Rene
Bache
These clerks, three-fourths of
them women, will be appointed
through the civil service commission,
which will hold examinations for the
purpose before long in every state
and territory. And there will be a
scramble for the jobs, which pay
from $500 to $1,000 per annum.
When the first census of the coun-
trv was taken, in 1890, the work was
done by $50 employees. To gather
and put together the data of the CEN
sus of 1910 will require the services
of an army of nearly 10000 men and
wOmen-a number much greater
than the entire population of New
York and Boston combined at the
time of the taking of the first cen
Sus.
A Comparison.
If one were to put side by side
the figures of the census of 1890
and 1910 (as the latter will present
themselves when assembled), the
most striking single fact shown by
the comparison would be the disap-
pearance of the children. A CEN
fury ago one-half the population of
the United States consisted of boys
and girls under 16 years of age.
Today the proportion is only one
third.
If the average family in this coun-
try today were as prolific as in 1900
there would be 100000 more
children living in the United States
than there actually are. In 1890
there were in this country $50 per-
sons over 20 years of age for every
1000 girls and boys under Is. To-
day there are 1900 such adults for
every 1000 children. Thus it APP
pears that whereas in the early days
OF the republic there was large
proportion of young persons, at
present the percentage of children
in the population is comparatively
small
Nevertheless, a baby is born every
II seconds, and, thanks to this fact,
about 100000 fresh citizens will
be added to our population in the
census year 1910. The passing bell
Will toll every 23 seconds, ushering
I35O,O00 Americans out of the
world during the twelvemonth
take place
SO huge has the population grown
mat the taking of the census of
lSIV would be a job nothing short
Oh appalling were it not for the re-
cent Introduction of machinery into
tne business. 1t is reckoned that the
mere tabulation of the sex, age, ma
uFlty and occupations of the people,
Il made by hand, would consume,
Ior those four items alone, the en-
ure time of 100 clerks for eight
q Years. But most of the work is now
uone by machines, which may almost
oe said to think, and which, when
'he Facts are once gathered by the
tnumerators, attend to the task of
putting them together.
3 Punch 10000 Cards a Day.
The machines are run by electric
tE' ana SO perfect is their operation
ulaI II the clerk makes a mistake
t 1ne contrlvanee stops automatically.
me tabulating machine will handle
az many as Ais cards minute, but
.Ie average speed in actual work is
"oouI $50. This is an average of
$4,000 or 10000 cards in a working
way OF seven hours, including stop
pages for reading dials, etc.
AS the census returns come in
mom the enumerators all over the
IGI o,y in the shape of filled-in
panks the facts they contain will
De transferred to cards-each card
ii1epresenting one person The facts
l iu question are copied on the cards
oy punching holes, and the position
OF each hole indicates it's significance.
~ fo 'nat no writing is required. Thus
tS ~. example, few. holes will tell
c onay me individual represented by a
o oI5u IN white, of male sex, 10 years
otT' married., teacher by profession,
Ii ole TO read, write and speak Eng
'Su--with the additional informa-