The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1909-12-23
Census Director Sends Out
Communication in Regard
to the Enumerators
POLITICAL PULL DON'T HELP
Men Must be Selected for Their Fit
ness Rather Than Any Political
Pull That the Men May Have
With the Supervisors.

United States Census Director Du-
rand today issued a statement defining
the qualifications, duties and compen-
sation of census enumerators. He
states that one of the duties imposed
upon the supervisors by the census act
is the designation of suitable persons
to be employed, with the consent of
the director of the census, as enumera-
tors within their respective districts.
It is further provided that such per
sons shall be selected solely with
view to fitness, and without reference
to their political party affiliations.
"The census act provides that the
enumerators of population and agricul-
ture shall begin on April Is, 1910, and
that each enumeration shall complete
the work required in his district within
thirty days in the case of rural dis
tricts and small towns, and within two
weeks in the case of any incorporated
city town, village, or borough which
had 5000 inhabitants or more under
the census of 1900.
|'It is desirable where possible that
the enumerator shall live in the dis
trict he is to canvass. He should be
familiar with it's territory and the gen.
eral character of it's people.
EFThe census requires as enumerators
active, energetic persons of good adj
dress. They must be thoroughly
trustworthy, honest, and of good hab-
it's. They must have at least ordinary
education and be able to write plainly
and with reasonable rapidity. In
general, preference will be given to
former enumerators if they are at
present physically able to perform the
duties of the position.
"Each person seeking appointment
as census enumeration must make a
written application to the supervisor
for the district of which a resident,
and said application must be made
throughout in the handwriting of the
applicant, and must be Endorsed by two
representative business men of the
community in which the applicant re-
sides.
"All applicants for appointment as
enumerators will be required to take
an examination, to be prescribed by
the director of the census, to deter
mine their fitness for the work. This
examination will be of a practical
character, consisting chiefly or wholly
of the filling out Of sample schedule
of population from data furnished, and
in the case of enumerators whose work
will be in rural districts, the filing out
Of sample schedule of agriculture.
"The compensation to be paid to
enumerators is fixed by the census act,
and an allowance of not less than two
nor more than four cents for each in
habitant, not less than twenty nor
more than thirty cents for each farm
reported, and ten cents for each barn
and inelosure containing live stock not
on farms, is provided for all subdivi-
sions where the director of the census
shall deem such remuneration sufficient.
In other subdivisions the director may
fix mixed rate of not less than one
nor more than two dollars per day, in
addition, an allowance of not less than
one nor more than three cents for each
inhabitant enumerated, and not less
than fifteen nor more than twenty cents
for each farm reported, while in sub
divisions where per diem rates are
necessary, because of the difficulty of
the enumeration, the enumerator may
be allowed, in the discretion of the di-
rector, compensation of not less than
three nor more than six dollars per day
of eight hours actual feldwork each.
Except in extreme cases, no claim for
mileage or travelling expenses will be
allowed to any enumeration, and then
only when authority has been previ-
ously granted by the director of the
census"