New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1910-04-17
CENSUS FOR HOMELESS
Plans Perfected to Enumerate
the Submerged Ten Thousand.

An innovation In compiling the census,
bepch-to-bench canvass of the homeless
who while away their time in the various
parks of New York City. will be made some
evening this week when the weather
prophet can assure Albert FaIcx, the head
OF the local census bureau. that the night
will be propitious.
Il will be an all night Job. requiring the
services of every one available at headquar-
teTs-ffteen expert special agents, sixty
four inspectors. several interpreters. and
even the Office boys. besides policemen who
may have to round up the unwilling ones
and will be obliged 20 arrest any one who
refuses to answer the innocent but appaT-
emily inquisttive questions Of the man VIII
the fountain pen.
Inspectors are nov canvassing the parks
70 learn which are the most popular with
Migrants. The plan is TO visit every spot
where the benches are usually occupied be-
fore the police clear il OF its denizens for
the night. and 10 guard every exit. As the
homeless men and women leave each one
vii be asked the essential questions as 20
name, age, place Of birth and citizenship
Such matters as whether the home is
owned or rented" owned free or mort
gagged" Will not be alluded 10 IN order -
save both time and embarrassment
The question as 20 trade or profession
may reveal some interesting facts. but there
IS no provision for recording the occupation
Of ''panhandIing" II Is expected that there
will be a number Of veterans" who never
wore the blue Or gray Although there is
no precedent 10 refer 10. the census men
believe that the answer 70 the question
Whether out Of work on April Is. 1910"
viii be the same as that 70 the familiar
viii you Join me-
rough guess by one who has made an
estimate Of the park population indi-
Gates that about 10000 persons in this city
have no abiding place other than the
benches.
Because government rules forbid the OK
act number Of persons written down BY
the census euumera tors during the first
DAYS work cannot be stated. II was
learned. however. that. on an average, each
Of the L7O enumerators working here
talked to about l50 persons. a total for the
nrst day Of nearly $4,000. Later an aver
age total OF about $4,000 persons will prob
ably De seen daily.
Mr. F'alck Is very enthusiastic about the
work being done by his men. Everything
is running very smoothly" said he. and
GIL s-aN I'D say LnaL Ihe people are CIV
Ing Us their heartiest cooperation. The
preparatory investigation OF the reports
turned in shows the fine work Of the emu
meratOrs, who seem 10 be men Of extraOr-
binary ability
The work Of the expert special agents
and the inspectors. who canvassed the
Bowery lodging houses on Friday night
extracting by diplomacy answers 10 the
questions, which many men resented was
highly praised by Mr.. FaIck. Many of the
census staff worked twenty-fOur hours on
stretch In order 10 canvass ali the coo
abodes or the BOwery wanderers in a
night for they knew many drift from
house 10 house and that their names would
be duplicated the next night. Only one re-
fraCtOry citizen was encountered. He was
fined 3 by Magistrate Barlow