Los Angeles herald., 1910-10-16
Cities in Northwest Charged with
Having Grossly MiSrepre-
Sented Population
TAFT ADVISES INDICTMENTS
Portland Seattle, Tacoma, Boise
Involved as Result of lnves-
tigation by Government
ASSOCIATED Press)


WASHINGTON Oct. 15.-Staggered
by the enormous growth shown by the
returns of the new census for a num-
ber of western cities, Director Durand
of the census bureau ordered an in
vestigation, the result of which ap-
peared in the announcement tonight
that gross frauds had been perpetrated.
Mr.. Durand gave out also a letter
from President Taft, directing that
persons implicated in the alleged
frauds be prosecuted.
Cities mentioned specifically as being
affected by the frauds are Tacoma,
Seattle and Aberdeen, Wash; Port
land, Ore; Minneapolis, Mimi; Boise,
Idaho, and Fort Smith, Ark, but it is
said there are many others.
WIDE DIFFERENCE AT TACOMA
The result of a second enumeration
of Tacoma was announced today. The
city shows a population of 82,972, an
increase of 45,25S, or 120 per cent over
1900. The first figures turned in for
Tacoma were 116,248.
In other words the actual population
was padded to the extent of 1895,
which would have meant a further ad-
dition of 40 per cent. These additions
were made in thirty-four out of the
seventy-three enumeration districts in
Tacoma. In some of these districts the
number reported proved to be several
times greater than the actual popula-
ton.
In ten districts enumerated the fig
ures of the census showed 29,753 names,
whereas the correct number was found
to be 11,646.
President Taft, when informed of the
padding, wrote to Secretary Nagel of
the department of commerce and labor
as follows:
PRESIDENT TAFTS LETTER
Beverly, Mass, Oct. IL, 1910.
"I have read Director DurandS let
ter, and agree with him that 1t ought
to be published. The cases Of all those
| who appear to have violated the law
should be Investigated by the grand
jury. and If sufficient evidence is found
to Justify it, they should be indicted
and prosecuted at once. Nothing will
so conduce to securing a proper census
as the prosecution Of those who attempt
fraud upon the law.
"I am led to believe that the present
census has been much freers from at
tempted frauds than any previous CEN
sus, but the instances cited by Mr.. Du-
rand are sufficient to require the utmost
vigilance to bring those who have vio-
lated the law to justice and proper
punishment. Yours sincerely,
WILLIAM H. TAFT"
The letter of Director Durand, also
addressed to Secretary Nagel, sets forth
that attempted padding of the census
was brought about mainly through the
use of slips printed by private indl-
viduals and containing the census ques-
tions These were distributed very
generally, on street corners and else
where, and were filled out by thousands
of peopIe who either had been already
enumerated or were not permanent res
idents Of the city and not entitled to
enumeration there. 1t is possible that
in some cases the names were fictitious.
These lists we're 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
instructions of Corwin, added the
names to the enumeration by assigning
them as Hboarders'' or dodgers to va
rious houses in their districts.
PADDING GASES DISCOVERED
The director declares that more or
less extensive attempts at padding the
census have been discovered in the
other cities mentioned and that inVes-
LEGATIONS are in progress with refer
ence to a number of other cities.
Director Durand says the suspicious
of Chief Statistician William Hunt and
Chief of Division w. H. Jarvis of the
population division with regard to the
census of Tacoma were aroused when
on careful examination of the sched-
lles it was found there was an alb
surdly large number of families re-
porting ''roomers" and dodgers"
william A. Mckenzie, a bureau ex-
pert, was sent by Director Durand to
Tacoma, and made thorough inVes-
tigation. In the ten districts men
toned a complete RECOMMENDATION was
made. while in twenty-four other sus-
picious districts the head of each house
was visited and investigated. Many
names had been assigned to vacant
lots.
The director says it is not yet known
whether any individuals or group of
individuals were responsible for the
false enumeration in Tacoma. The
claim is made that the names were
given to the enumerators with the
avowed purpose of ascertainins
whether they had been listed. Instead
of using the names for this purpose
the enumerators added them without
making any investigation.
In excuse for this course they say
they were acting under directions of
Stacey M. Corwin, one of the special
agents of the census bureau at Ia
coma. He distributed large punches OF
the slips among the enumerators'
stating Mr.. Durand alleges, that the
names were those of bona f1de resi-
dents who should be registered.
Mr.. Durand declares Corwin went so
far as to say the names must be count
ed even though their owners were as
signed to vacant lots.
Commenting upon this phase of the
proceeding Mr.. Durand says;
Gwen though it is possible that
every enumerator who improperly
added names to his schedules did so
under the instructions Of Special
Agent Corwin, nevertheless these emu
merators were not only technically
guilty of a misdemeanor under section
% of the census act, but they are also
morally guilty, and possibly responsible
-. hot 4tory dfd