The Daily Missoulian., 1910-11-21
GREAT FALLS COUNT
CAUSES STRIFE
DIRECTOR DuRAND AND CAS-
cADE COUNTY SEAT ARE FAR
APART IN THEIR VIEWS.

OF all the Montana news items of the
fortnight SINCE election the one of sur
passing interest is the census report
for Great Falls. The two sides of this
question are far apart in their views OF
the merits of the controversy which
has risen between the census enum-
orator and the Montana city. The
comment of the director of the census,
which accompanied the statement of
the result of the second enumeration
of the people of Great, Falls, is as fol-
lows:
The original schedule of the enum-
orators for Great Falls showed a total
of 23.324 inhabitants, but investigation
showed extensive frauds and on re-
enumeration the correct population was
found to be 13,94S, or 1916 less than the
original returns.
This population of 1898 shows de-
crease as compared with the reported
population of 1900, which was 1880.
Examination of the schedules for 1900
in the census bureau, however, indi-
Gates almost beyond doubt that there
were also extensive frauds in the CEN
sus of 1900, which, however. We're not
disclosed at that time, so that the pop
sulation was incorrectly stated in the
official reports. There is no doubt,
from the facts ascertaincd by the Off
cial representative of the census
bureau who was sent to Great Falls,
that there has been a considerable in
crease in the population during the
past 10 years. 1t is, in fact, matter
of common opinion in Montana that
the census of this city was padded in
1900.
",The frauds in Great Falls were con-
fined to three enumeration districts out
of a total of IL districts. In these three
districts more than 60 Der cent OF the
names originally returned were fraud
nlent. Four enumerators We're con-
cerned in the enumeration of these
| three districts. an enltmeratOr from
another district having been employed
to assist in the completion of one of
them. Prosecutions We're brought
against these four enumefators. Two
| ,f them pleaded guilty to the indictment
and a third was convicted in the trial
| before a jury Two Of the men We're
| imprisoned for "a hours and fined $3.50
and the third received 4S hours in Jail
and 5000 fine. The fourth enumerator
concerned escaped on a technicality,
. namely the fact that for his work in
! this enumeration district he had no
i commission or oath of office. He had,
as already stated, been. commissioned
as enumerator in another district, and
1 the supervisor had authorized him,
4 without formal commission or new
| oath, to assist in the completion of the
!. work in the district i'm which the
+ frauds occurred
"rhe method of fraud pursued by
4 these three enumerators in Great Falls
consisted, for the most part, in assign
! ing large numbers of names to vacant
| lots or to hotels, lodging houses and
private residences in which no such
persons We're actually present at the
time of the enumeration. The larger
part of the names thus falsely enum-
Grated were placed in the hands of the
enumerators by private individuals,
having been collected on privately
4 printed slips containing the census
questions. 1t appears that at least
part of these names We're those of per-
sons who were passing through Great
Falls, who were there only temporarily
and were not entitled to enumeration
there. The source of some of the other
names fraudulently added has not been
ascertained, but 1T is certain that they
were not entitled to enumeration at
the places where enumerated.
THE following are few examples
which show the gross character of the
i frauds: Mcdonald, enunierator for
district 26, reported 529 names from the
4 Todd block, but in the Remuneration
I the manager OF the building stated
that not to exceed 25 persons could
have been present there during the
original enumeration. Mcdonald also
reported 235 persons as resident at the
house of Lee Ford, private citi-
zen, with four members in his fanily.
He reported SIS names from 403 Central
avenue. a building consisting of a
store with six rooms above it. This
enumerator also reported 105 persons
resident at No. $40 North Fifth street.
a vacant lot, and numerous other per-
sons as resident on other vacant lots.
Enumerators Daily and Martin. in
enumeration district %. reported 211
pelsons as resident at 1O9 South First
avenue, where the head of the house
says that the family consisted of 13;
also :45 persons from No. 2081s South
! First avenue, where the head of the
house says there We're not over 10 per-
sons. Similar methods We're pursued
by Enumerator Thompson.
"The Investigation of these frauds