The Ward County independent. [volume] (Minot, Ward County, N.D.) 1902-1965, 1909-11-04
Farm Census Economy

Director Durand Hopes to Save
Several Hundred Thousand Dollars.
Washington, D. G. 1901. S. Sen
sus Director E. Dana Durand hopes
to save several hundred thousand dol
lars in taking the census of agricul-
ture and also to increase the accur-
acy of the statistics.
The Director stated today that at
the census of 1900 the agricultural
data were handled by means Of pun
ched cards. For each farm a large
number of cards had to be punched,
as the number of facts recorded re-
garding a farm was far greater than
the number OF facts required regard
ing an individual in the population
census.
Director Durand said the statistics
Of population and of agriculture are
collected by different force from that
employed in gathering the statistics
of manufactures. The population and
agricultural data are secured BY en-
umerators OF whom there will be
about $1,000 at the present census,
they in turn being appointed by the
supervisors, Of whom there are about
$50. The difficulty of securing COM
petent and faithful 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 short to justify man
who has good job in quitting It.,
while on the other hand it is too
long in most cases to enable such
men to get leave from their regular
work to take the censuA Moreover
the pay is small, averaging perhaps
three dollars per day in the country
districts and a trifle more in the Cit
les, practically the pay of ordinary
mechanics. Not only, therefore, are
most of those who seek. to be enum-
orators men who are able to CON-
mand only moderate pay in their oc-
equations but many of them are men
who can not command regular en-
ployment and who are, looking for odd
jobs.
Considerable has been given BY the
census authorities from time to time
to the plan pursued in Germany and
some other European countries, by
which the census is taken chiefly or
wholly by men serving without pay,
who either volunteer their service
from patriotic motives or who are
required to act. He doubts whether
conditions in this country are ripe
for such scheme. At any rate, moth
ing of this sort can be done at the
present census. 1t may, however, be
hoped that to some slight extent, and
possibly to a considerable extent, men
can be induced to accept the position
of enumeration from interest in the
work rather than for the compensa-
ton involved. He hopes that con-
siderable number of the colleges and
universities of the country may see
fit to give. leave of absence to their
students for the short time required
to do this work of enumeration. The
college student is very useful en-
umerator in some cases, but it is ex-
ceedingly desirable that enumerators
should actually live in the districts
where they work, and there are null
titudes of districts where no college
students reside or where such stu
dents are in institutions hundreds OF
thousands of miles from their homes.
Another class who can render good
service as enumerators are school,
teachers, but, with the enumeration
taking place in April and May in
stead of June as formerly, few school
teachers can be spared from their
duties to take the census.