Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1910-10-17
CENSUS FRAUDS CHARGED
Director Dursnd Asserts Returns in
Several Cities Were Padded.
TACoMAs ATTEMPT IS WORST
Lists as Turned I'm Were Increased
wronEfuuy to an Extent of
Forty Per Cent-Other Ex-
pOsurcs Expected.


pOsures Expected.
WASHINGTON, oct 16-Msde suspicious
by the enormous growth shown by the re-
turns OF the new census for a number Of
western cities, Director Durand OF the Cen
sus bureau ordered an investigation, the
result OF which appeared in the announce
ment tonight that gross frauds had been
perpetrated.
Mr. Durand gave out also a letter from
President Taft, directing that persons i'm
plicated in the alleged frauds should be
prosecuted.
Cities specifically mentioned az being af-
fected by the frauds are Tacoma, Seattle
and Aberdeen, Wash; Portland ore; Min
neapolis Mimi; Boise. Ida. and Fort
Smith. Ark, but II is said that there are
many others
The result Of a second enumeration Of
Tacoma, Wash, was announced tonight.
The city shows a population of S2.972, an
increase Of 1926, or 100 per cent over the
population Of 1900
The first Figures turned In for Tacoma
we're 116,24S. In other words the actual
population was padded to the extent Of
Sc. 296 which would have meant a further
addition Of 40 per cent
These additions were made in thirty-four
out Of seventy-three enumeration districts
in Tacoma In some of these districts the
number reported proved to be several times
greater than the actual population. In ten
districts the first enumeration showed q, 1853
names, whereas the correct number was
found to be 11646
Taft Approves Action.
The statement issued by Director Du-
rand, consists in the main of a letter
from himself addressed to Secretary Nagel
of the Department of Commerce and
Labor, dated october s, n which the whole
case is presented and of brief letter
from President Taft to Mr.. Nagel of date
of October Il.
The letter of President Taft follows:
Beverly, Mass, Oct II, 1910: have
read Director Durands letter and agree
with him that it ought to be published
The cases of all those who appear to
have violated the law should be investi-
gated by the grand jury, and II sufficient
evidence is found to justify 1t, they should
be indicted and prosecuted Nothing will
so conduce to securing a proper census as
the prosecution Of those who attempt a
fraud upon the law. 1 am led to believe
that the present census has been much
freer from attempted frauds than any
previous census, but the instances cited
by Mr.. Durand are sufficient to require
the utmost vigilance to bring those who
have violated the law to justice and
proper punishment. Sincerely yours,
WILLIAM H. TAFT"
Fraudulent Slips Used.
Of
to Secretary Nagel also sets forth that
attempted padding" Of the census was
brought about mainly through the use of
slips printed by private individuals and
containing the census questions. These
were distributed very generally on street
corners and elsewhere and were filled out
by thousands Of people who either had al
ready been enumerated or who were not
permanent residents OF the city and not
entitled to enumeration. It is possible that
in some cases the names were wholly flo
tictous These slips were turned over by
the private individuals who collected them
through a special agent OF the census
bureau named Corwin. to thirty-four of
the enumerators, and they, under the in
structlons OF Corwin, added the names TO
the enumeration by assigning them as
"boarders' or dodgers to various houses
in their districts.
In other words, the director states. the
enumerators deliberately made the false
statement that these persons were resi-
dents at this or that particular street
number although the enumerators knew
nothing whatever with regard to the
names so fraudulently added. The d.
rector says the census bureaus work in
recheclNing or recounung the population
of these padded" districts in Tacoma was
done with the greatest care in order that
the full population might be ascertained.
Attempts I'm other cities.
The director declared also that more or
less extensive attempts at padding the
census had been discovered in other cities
mentioned, and he adds that Investigations
are in progress with reference to number
Of other cities.
Full information rgarding these cases
will be made public later.
In many instances, he states this pad
ding" consisted Of tho repetition OF visits
by the enumerator 10 hotels boarding and
lodging houses In this manner people
who came to the city after the census day.
nra ne MAJ