Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1910-04-14
CENSUS WORK
BEGINS FRIDAY
HOST OF 10000 WORKERS WILL
START OUT ALL OVER couN.
TRY ON THAT DAY.
90,ooo,o0o EXPECTED
Body Of Census Takers Will Be Con-
siderabIy Greater Than the
Standing Army; Work Fin
lshed In a Month.

washington, ID. u, April IL
the break of day on next Friday, Inc
18th instant, a host of 10000 inter,
rogaters, men and women, white anu
colored, will be turned loose IN pur,
suit of the people of the Unlteu
States. On that day Uncle Sam VIII
begin the numbering of his chlldren III
preparatfon for the thirteenth census.
He estimates that he has a family OF
about 9O,O0O,0O0 men, women anu
children, and he already has empioyeo
and will then put to work Dody OIL
enumerators considerably greater IMAM
the standing army.
The law provides that the enumera-
ton shall begin on the fifteenth, but
it is not so peremptory ABOUT .ne
commencing time as about the closlns
time, and already limitations nave
been received that in some instances
the work may be postponed until sal
nrday. This is due to the fact that the
fifteenth falls on Friday, and among
the 10000 name takers there are some
who are superstitious as to this DAY
of the week. -
The enumeration will cover all OF
the forty-fye states and two territories
of the union proper and also HaWali
and Porto Rico: Alaska, the Phlllp-
nine Islands and Guam will not De IN
Guided. as especial arrangements are
made for numbering the people OF
those dependencies.
Work Finished In Month.
Under the statutes governing the
work the entire enumeration must be
completed within month, and in the
cities the work is limited to fifteen
days It is expected that some OF tue
returns from the cities will be recelV-
ed as early as the first week IN June
but the exact population OF the entlre
country will not be determined before
sometime in September The census
officials will, however, know Within
few thousand of the number long pc
fore the close of the summer months.
They will be able to reach substah-
t;ally accurate conclusion by their pay
rolls. but this will be more or less
speculative, and the figures Will not
be given out.
Director E.. Dana Durand, Is count
ing mon a.roll of not fewer than 9O,
0O1 900 names This estimate is based
mon calculations Of his experts, ana
makes allowance for an increase &C
cording to the tendencies shown III
the last three previous censuses. be
tween 1870 and 1880 the increase IN
The incubation was 80 per cent; be-
tween 1880 and 1890, % per cent; be-
tween 1890 and 1900, 81 per cent IL
the decrease should continue az cue
same ratio there would be falling on
this wear of the rate OF gain TO IL PEI
cent. The immigration figures for the
mast decade have been greater, now
eyer. than for any of the previous ten
wear periods Making allowances lot
This augmentation from outside 1t IS
calculated that the increase for the
mast fen wears will be about lS per
cent and as. in round numbers, me
fsnre for 1900 was 100000, it is now
calculated that there will prove TO
have heen an addition of about 14,OOO,-
coo souls. 49,
Much interest is felt as to the
showing regarding the purely native
increase. The enumerations between
1870 and 1900 show'a startling ten
dency towards Grace suicide" and IL
is MT. Durand's fond hope that the re-
norts Of his 10000 subordinates may
be able to check this apparent decline'
Man of figures that he is, he does not
however, permit his optimism TO
shade his facts, and until the actuai
returns show something better, he will
not hold to his ninety-million estl-
mate.
The Farmers Sentence.
There will be some innovations IN
the next census, and they are expected
IN improve the reports. For instance.
The country farmer Is to be afforded
an opportunity to consider In advance
the statements he shall make as to the
conditions prevailing with reference to
h;s holdings. and the same advantage
.Is ia he given heads of families IN
titles as to the enumeration OF their
households In both cases sheets are
- he PASSED around before the ofhclal
ralls Of the enumerators in the hope
that both ruralist and urbanite will be
more complete in their returns than
otherwise they might be- There also
l. to he unusual care in the super
vision Of the work of the enumerators
~ the cities supervisors will camp OH
The heels OF Tic luCA VIII VIZ PSi'
during the first day of their work ana
In the country districts the sheets
themselves will be especially scrutl'
nized.
The inquiry will comprise three prin
r;nal branches: Population, agriculture
and mining and manufacturing. The
questions will cover the acreage, the
value and the product of farms, In
r,mding an especial enumeration OF
animals. as it will the capital invested
fhe value of products, and the number
NJ employees of mining and manufac
turing plants.
Enumerators to Be lnqusitlve.
The enumerators will want to know
. good deal about you for the popula
tion volumes They not only Will IN
sist uuon knowing your sex. but vii
eYnect you to reveal your age, ane
will ask you to tell whether you ars
white. black, mulatto, Chinese. Jap
anese or Indian: whether you are mar
ried or single, and if married no"
nften. whether you are American o.
foreign born, and if the latter, thai
you give not only your nationality, but
= ,nd ,nnfh er-touQlle Then