The National tribune., 1910-06-02

will be announced. From the big cities.
like New York, Chicago, Philadelphia,
Boston and St. Louis, the counting ma
chimes at the Census Office Will proceed
to the smaller cities, like Portland. Me-:
Syracuse. n. Y; Sacramento, Cal; At
lanta and New Orleans, and in TWO
months from now will probably get
down to- some of the country districts.
The population of numerous Coun-
ties will be known by the middle or
last of July. but it will be we'll into
August and it may be near September
before the population of any State OIL
the Union can be told officially. But
as fast as the tabulations are complet-
ed the results Will be announced, and
every care will be taken at the Census
Offfce to have the news go broadcast.
The impression has gone abroad thru
hundreds of publications that census
figures have already been given TO the
public. Some enterprising 'guessers
have even essayed to announce the pop
ulation OF large cities and States. This
it is that has made so much trouble for
the Census Office and has brought a
flood of inquiries down upon Washing
ton. As matter of fact, If one wants
to guess at the population of Rhode
Island or New York or Illinois or Cali
fornia or of any of the cities or large
towns. it is not very difficult. But for
the trouble the Census Office is having
over that sort of thing, probably an ac-
commodati ting Census official could be
persuaded to figure out tolerably ac-
curate guess on the population of any
tolerably large town.
1t is simply matter of taking the
figures on vital statistics, published by
the Census Office in recent years. In
creaSes in population can be studied out
by percentages. There have been school
censuseS and police censuSes and so on,
plenty of material for making guesseS.
That is how the stories of population
have been written, but they are not of
any Importance when it comes to
Veracity.
First Papers Now Complete.
The papers filed out by enumerators
have now been completed, as the period
for the making of the enumeration of
population expired some time ago.
These papers were handed over to the
supervisors of districts, and the super
visors in turn are how rapidly forward
ing these documents to the Census Bu-
-reau at Washington. The daily mail at
the low brick building on First street,
near Pennsylvania avenue. is enormous.
Whenever a supervisor closes up the
work for his district it is well known in
his locality, and the people around
about begin to look for the figures on
the population.
But it requires many weeks to make
up the totals. The information con-
tanned in the papers which the enumec-
ators gathered must be transferred TO
perforated cards and then tabulated on
specially-constructe machines, which
rapidly turn out totals that can be
brought together to show the popula-
tion of towns. cities and States.
1t is impossible that there should be
any leaks at this stage and practical
IL hot 10
any leaks" till the Census Office is
ready to make the figures public No
newspaper will have a scoop on the
population of the city, County or State
IN which 1t is published. Particular pains
will be taken by the Census officials
this year to perfect the publicity ar
rangements. Any correspondent or rep
resentatiye of newspaper who will file
at the Census Bureau his request for
the figures on population for any local
!ty will have the figures teleDhoned or
forwarded to him on the day they are
ready for dissemination. They will be
given to The press associations and also
to the correspondents generally at
Washington. In this way any charge
of partiality or fayoritism will be avoid
ed and the widest publicity be given.
Furthermore. no reader need have any
question about the character of figures
appearing now or hereafter as eXclu-
rive on the population of any locality.
AL the newspapers will have the figures
as soon as they are made up.
Some States will naturally be tabu-
lated before others, but as far as possi-
!ble the work is being done in the order
In which the returns are being received.
The enumeratOrs were allowed but two
weeks for taking the census in cities.
and accordingly the tabulated returns
for cities can be had earlier than the
returns for the country districts, where
one month was allowed. The population
Of the United States last April cannot
be declared officially, according to pres
ent prospects, till some time in Septem-
Der. An estimate of the population,
however, viii probably be promulgated
by the Census Bureau before that time.