The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1909-11-24

| graph is OF tnc now semi = automatic
card punching machine.
has two new semi-automatic electrical
machines which are the nearest APP
proach to "A human mind of any ma
chine ever decised. They will be used
census.
Card punching and tabulating
methods which will greatly reduce the
margin of statistical error in the COM
pilatlon of the thirteenth census popu-
lation data have been adopted by Di-
rector f. Dana Durand.
The card punching machines to be
used at the present census differ very
radically from those employed before,
and will, it is believed, not only in
crease the rapidity Of the work but
! tend to reduce the number OF errors
| on the part Of the clerks doing the
| punching. With the old punching ma
chine, If an error was made in a single
item, even though it might be the last
item to be punched on the card, the
entire card had to be destroyed. This
consumed time and also resulted in "A
temptation TO the operator To let the
1error go uncorrected.
It was not found possible at the last
cehS's to check all OF the cards to
the schedules, and it will probably not
De feasible to do so at this census.
Fart OF the cards punched by each OPP
orator are selected at random and
compared back, aud if any appreciate
| percentage OF erro~ is discovered i'm
those thus compared the other cards
punched by the same opesator are like
wise compared.
The semi-automatic elcetriesl tabu-
lating machines to be used AZ the
present census will also result. il is
believed, i'm a material increase %
rapidly and reduction of errors This
is principally brought about by the
fact that the results OF the count for
each unit of area are automatically
printed whereas formerly, they were
registered on dials from which read
inss had to be taken and recorded by
hand. The reading of these dials took
a large AMOUNT of time, during which
the machine was idle, and inaccurate
readings were not uncommon.
The new method of punching and
! tabulation employees a small manila
card. about 6 by inches i'm size. to
| represent each individual composing
the population April Is. 1910. For this
| purpose alone. 100000 600 cards have
been purchased. A gigantic card in
dex system indeed.
| In collecting the data. a schedule Is
carried by the enumcrators and qucs-
lions In ii concerning each individual
will AL for the name. relationship TO
head of family, color. sex. race. age
conjugal condition, place of birth, place
of birth of parents, number of years
| in the United States. citizenship. oc-
cupation, whether or not employer or
employe, and. if employe, whether or
not employed at the date of enumera-
ton, and the number of months UNI
employed during the preceding calen-
| dar year, whether or not engaged in
agriculture, school attendance, literary
and tenure of home, and whether or
not survivor of the Union or Con-
| federate army or navy.
| The surface Of the population card
is divided by printed lines into what
is called fields" or divisions contain
ing certain figures, authorizations OF
words and combinations of letters,
which are used as symbols to corre-
spond with, or represent the details
or items of data as reported on the
| original schedule by the enumerator
Taking the card as the representa-
| tive OF an individual, it then becomes
necessary to transfer to the card, all
| the data on the schedule referring to
| that individual. This is done by
punching out the corresponding SYM
bols, leaving open holes at those points.
The semi-automatic electrical punch
| ing machine, which will be used. is
built on the plan OF typewriter with
n keyboard very similar in appear
ance, but having 2iO different keys.
The machine. in it's operation. differs
from typewriter in most important
respect. AS is well known. i'm operat-
ing the typewriter, every timc a key
is depressed. letter is printed and If
mistake is made. the letter must
be crossed out or corrected, with con-
siderable loss OF time and disfiruripg
Of copy. The new card punching ma
chine obviates this as the operator. in
stead Of punching one hole at a time.
can depress into position for subse-
duent punching as many keys as are
10 q
Each key is Independent of all the
others and can be released at will
Before pressing button, which
turns on the electric current for oper- |
south by the republican party. Head-l