The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1910-01-04
ENUMERAToRs ARE SCARCE.
Country Too Prosperous to Make Gen.
sus Jobs Very Attractive.

Washington, ID. c., Jan. 3.-Census
Director Durand stated today that as a
result Of his conferences with the su-
pervisors of census throughout the
country he finds that i'm many sections,
especially in the larger cities, there
have not been as yet sufficient appli-
cations for the positions of enumera-
tors. 1t looks, he thinks, as If the
country is so prosperous that people
are not as anxious to get these re-
sponsible places as had been expected.
The scarcity is giving the Director
some concern, as only a few weeks re-
main before the date for closing the
consideration of applications. 1t will
be impossible generally to extend the
application time limit, as to examine
the test" papers, with the necessary
care to insure the designation of quail
flied persons, will consume every mo-
ment of the time allowed for this phase
of the work of selecting the enumera-
tors, leaving nothing for an extension
OF the date for shutting down on appli-
cations.
The Director therefore urges all per-
sons desiring places as enumerators to
make application as quickly as pos
sible. and he hopes that in order to
help get perfect census, public-spirit-
ed and energetic people throughout the
country will offer themselves for these
positions, even though they may not
care for them from the standpoint of
the pay involved. He also trusts that
employers will deem il their duty to
give leave of absence to their employ
tors. Some slight sacrifice of this sort
will be amply repaid by the improved
quality of the census returns Contin-
uing the Director said:
Although the actual work of taking
the census will not begin until April
Is. it is essential that those who wish
to act as enumerators should apply i'm
mediately. Except under unusual cir
cumstances. no application received
after January % will be considered.
About $4,000 enumerators will be re-
quired. Each will work i'm his own To-
cality. Any competent person is en-
titled to apply for this position, and
will be fairly considered for appoint
ment.
political recommendations are not
necessary. The supervisors. to whom
application must be made. have been
instructed to consider all candidates
and to select solely on the basis OF
efficiency. For the purpose OF aiding
the supervisors in determining the
competence of the candidates, written
test will be prescribed. and any person
between the ages of Is and 20 who is
citizen of the United States will be
permitted to take il.
THE test will be of strictly prac-
tical character, substantially the same
as was used in 1900. 1t will consist OF
filing out a sample schedule OF popu-
lation, and, i'm the case of rural dis
tricts filling out also a sample sche-
dule of agriculture, these schedules be-
ing precisely the same as will actually
be used by the enumerators In their
work later on. In order to assist cam
didates i'm preparing for the test, cop
les Of blank schedules and general in
structions regarding the manner of fill
ing them will be furnished 10 each
candidate in advance. Any person or
ordinary common school education and
good Judgment should heve no diff
Guilty in passing.
"This test is not n civil-service ex-
animation. II will be conducted under
the direction of the supervisors OF the
census. and the papers will be examin-
ed only by the supervisors and by the
Census Bureau I'm order that conven-
tent examination places may be provid-
ed for all candidates. local civil service
examining boards and postmasters Will
be called upon to preside at The actual
taking of the test i'm certain cases, but
i'm this respect they will act merely as
the representative of the supervisors
of the census.
"It is impossible TO cxaggerate the
importance of obtaining correct con-
sus OF the population and agriculture
Of the country. The correctness of the
returns depends wholly upon the COM
petence OF the enumerators"