The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1910-07-17
WOES OF CENSUS CLERKS
Some Pertinent and Sufficient Reasons for the Recent Pro-
tests of the Army of Workers.

clerk must punch yes" In a second !
case. with the same party blank stands
for no" This requires quick thinking.
for the eve tells little at first glance save
that there Is nothing written. The mental
gymnastic necessary to remember
whether It is a negative or affirmative IS
very real
The machines are fitted with plates not
unlike a cribbage board. A handle shod
with an awl-like plunger hangs above
the perforations, which are many and
very close together. The perforatiens re-
cord in symbol almost all salient facts
about q persons condition. In addition
all the States and most of the countries
OF the world are represented in this six
by three inch space. BY very clever
mechanical device the fitting OF the awl
into the hole perforates card placed in
the rear Of the machine, so that If the
| schedule tells OF the head Of house the
awl is put IN the hole so marked on the
plate and a cut-out is made In the card
under the letters hid so that by and
by the card cap be read as abiding TO
citizen who was the head Of his house.
|
| for each person. Sometimes less are
punched. as in the case Of babies who
are ing" not gainful, and therefore have
no record of wages or being out OF
work. If all the facts are correctly
transferred to the card and the plunger
slips, as it often does, as the machines
swim in oil. that spoils the card, for
! cut-o-cut to many is as fatal as a perfora-
ton shy" One mistake spoils the card
and it must be remembered and re-
punched A sin Of omission is equally
fatal with one committed. The card
must be like the written schedule in
every particular or 1t has no value
A clear memory and great concentration
are necessary II any speed is maintained,
for thus endowed the clerk can catch the
sense of half the facts in simple case
and then look to the machine and punch
them In. then glance back and get the
balance of the data And finishing that
ean'pull out the card. and turn face down
in proper position and caach for another
slipping it into its groove with one hand
while the schedule is shifted with the
other so another party comes into View
BY this time the eye has noted that the
, number of the new card tallies with the
number on the schedule. and the mechan'
ical part being complete. the brain takes
up the song again as TO whether the part.
is head OF house. or wife, son, or daugh
, ter, or of sex, color, and race. age
two punches for this-nativity. cOnJuga
relation, place of birth and mother tongu
of party: place Of birth and mother tongu
i of father: also OF mother, parentage
: year of immigration, naturalization, Ian
: guage, occupation, four punches neces
. sary for this: class Of worker, whethe
! out of work. weeks last year not work
ing. education. three punches-veterar
: All this for one person. II II is not brai
Z work 1t is a very good imitation of it.
r 1t is bad to punch foreign parents, 70
j. often the editing is not complete and tina
II means a long walk to the chiefs des
n to have the matter corrected, and q Coz
z sequent waste of time and distraction q
: thought But It is the occupations tbs
r are breaking the spirit of the censu
n workers, and through no fault of theirs
e The idea of securing the occupations {
m all the citizens in the country was ev
" IDENTIFY the first purpose in planning II
II taking of the census that was simple z
Of far as the field work xas Conc-r Eed. bl
? when ii came TO arranging symbols, II
is scale was so gigantic It had TO be reduce
or as being too unwieldy. The consequens
he lis that In the effort to cure this conditiC
J. the lines were drawn so abruptly thu
/
ne wiped out. and many trades hard