The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1910-04-11
CENSUS GUESS
IS 90,000,O00
Uncle Sam Estimates He Has
That Many in Family and
He Will Soon Know.
ENUMERATORS START FRIDAY
People Engaged In Work Will Num-
ber Considerably More Than the
l-s Standing Army--Must Com
plete Task in a Month.

Washington, April 1O.-W1th the
break Of day on next Friday, the 18th
instant, a host OF 10000 interrogat-
ers,. men and women, white and col
ored, will be turned loose i'm pursuit
of the people of the United States.
on that day Uncle Sam win begin
the numbering of his children in pre-
paration for the 18th census. He es-
timates that he has a family of about
80, 100000 men, women and children
and he already has employed and will
then put to work a body of enumera-
tors considerably greater than the
standing army.
alton shall begin on the 18th, but ii
is not so peremptory about the COM
mencing time as about the closing
time, and already limitations have
been received that i'm some instances
the work may be postponed until Sat-
urday This Is due to the fact that
the 18th 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
As states and two territories of the
Union proper and also Hawaii and
Porto Rico. Alaska, the Philippine
Islands and Guam will not be includ-
ed, as especial arrangements are
made for numbering the people Of
those dependencies.
Under the statutes governing the
work. the entire enumeration must be
completed within a month, and in the
cities the work is limited TO fifteen
days. 1t is expected that some of the
returns from the cities viii be received
as early as the nrst week in June
but the exact population of the entire
country will not be determined before
some time in September. The Census
officials will however, know within
a few thousand of the number long
before the close of summer months.
They will be able to reach a substan-
TALLY 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 Du-and is count
ing upon a roll of not fewer than 90,-
OOO. 600 names This estimate is based
upon calculations of his experts, and
makes allowances for an increase ac-
cording to the tendencies shown I'm
the last three previous censuses. Be-
tween 1870 and 1880 the increase in
the population was 30 per cent; be-
tween 1880 and 1900, 25 per cent;
between 1890 and 1900 per cent. If
the decrease should continue at the
same ratio there would be "A falling
off this year of the rate of gain to IL
per cent The immigration figures for
the past decade have been greater,
however than for any of the pre-
vious ten-year periods. Making al
lowances for this augmentation from
outside 1t is calculated that the in
crease for the past ten years will be
about Is per cent, and as. in round
numbers. the figure for 1900 was 76,-
0OO, 600, II is now calculated that there
prove TO have been an addition OF
about 100000 souls.
Much interest is felt as to the show
| ing regarding the purely native in
| crease. The enumerations between
1870 and 1900 show a startling tenden-
cv towards "race suicide" and IL is
| Mr.. Durand's fond hope that the re-
ports of his 10000 subordinates may
be able To check this apparent de-
cline. Man of figures that he is, he
does not, however permit his opti-
mism 10 shade his facts, and until the
actual returns show something bet
ter. he will hold to his ninety million
estimate.
There will be some innovations IN
the next census, and they are expect
ed to improve the reports. For IN
stance. the country farmer is to b'
afforded an opportunity to consider II
advance the statements he shall make
as TO the conditions prevailing will
reference to his holdings. and th'
same advantage is TO be given head
of families i'm cities as to the emu
meration of their households. In botl
cases sheets are to be passed aroun'
before the official calls of the emu
merators i'm the hope that both rural
ist and urbanite will be more com
plete in their returns than otherwis
they might be. There also Is to b
unusual care in the supervision of tn
work of the enumerators. In th
cities supervisors will camp on tn
} heels Of the men with the pencil
during the first day of their wor
and i'm the country districts the sheet
themselves will be especially scrutin
ized.
The inquiry will comprise thre
principal branches: Population agri
; culture and mining and manufactur
ing. The questions will cover tn
acreage. the value and the product 9
farms, including an especial enumer
, alton of animals. as II will the CAPT
tai invested. the vaue OF products, an