The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1910-09-01
The Census Work.


time during October. The work of
the census bureau is enormous The
Washington correspondent for the
Forth Worth (Texas)- Record says:
Some people think that Director Du-
rand practically knows now the exact
number of the population, but he
declares, really and truly that he
does not. If so disposed, however,
he could ascertain approximately the
number of people somewhat in ad-
vance of his announcement to the
public. This could be done by means
of the preliminary count of the sched-
ules which is made necessary for the
payment of the enumeraIors for their
services. The enumerating districts,
for each supervisors area are num-
bered, and it is intended that each
Of them should contain one hundred
names. AS soon as these are re-
ceived they are turned over to count
ers and a virtually accurate state
ment is thus made possible. Up to
date the names in more than $4,000
of the 10000 districts have been
counted. The process is moving for
ward rapidly and when it is COM
pleted the population of the United
States could be easily arrived at by
footing up the total. Mr.. Durand,
however, is not having the figures
totaled and he says that it is his
purpose not to do so. He is not
curious as to the outcome of his
work. Nor will he make any predic
ton as to what the result will show.
1t is known, however, that the CEN
sus officials generally fall in with the
popular idea that there are about
9O,OOO,00O people in the United
States Between the census of 1890
and that Of 1900 there was an in
crease of about 100000 and only
slightly larger increase would now
be necessary to bring the figure up to
the ninety million mark This re-
suit is arrived at by a purely arith-
metical calculation and not by any
compilation Of the figures recently
taken. About three hundred nimble
fingered young men and women are
engaged night and day in determin-
ing the figures which, Wien the final
computation is made, will show the
total population. All told there arc
some 1900 clerks employed in the
census office in the compilation of all
the facts gathered by the field agents
in connection with the recent census;
but, while the greatest activity is di-
rected to" ard the ascertainment of
the population, there is still much
doing in other directions. Indeed, a
large number of those at work in the
population division are engaged in
classifying the facts relative to the
sex, age, race and other conditions
in connection with the people. Also
there are many employed in the
manufacturing agricultural and min
ing branches. The first announce
ment, however, will cover only enum-
GRAFTON figures, and these will con-
tinue for the next two months and
a half. The sociological and indus
trial figures will come later, and
will be announced as a rule in special
bulletins prepared by the bureau it
self"
Up to date, population figures have
been given on two states only, Rhode
Island and Oklahoma, but many an
nouncements have been made for cit
les, towns and countries in various
parts of the country. All the re-
turns so far given to the public have
been prepared to meet the especial
demands of the localities affected
In Rhode Island, for instance, there
is to be a reapportionment for legis-
lative purposes, and in Oklahoma the
franchise is involved. Texas has state
laws affecting county administration,
and has a special demand upon the
bureau. There also have been some
exactions of legal nature from vari-
in Illinois fro n
other states. From this time for
ward, however, those requests will
receive comparatively little attention,
and as consequence the regular
work of the bureau will proceed more
rapidly. The Records correspondent
adds: '"The directors intention is
first to tabulate the population of the
large cities, and after the announce
ments for those centers of popula-
ton shall have been made the figures
for the states will be given out as
they are ascertained. The returns
for all the counties of each state
will be announced at the same time
that the state figures are made pub
lie. Many of the announcements are
liable to be delayed beyond the time
when they may be expected by the
public. This delay, if it occurs, will
be due to the necessity for careful
scrutiny of all the schedules All
of the enumeration sheets are count
ed from three to four times, and if
there is any erorr, or even if there
! is any circumstance indicating pos
sibility of an error, an investigation
| is ordered, and if necessary a correc-
| ton is made. In two cities evidence
of fraud has been discovered, and in
| one, Great Falls, Mont, prosecu-
| ton has been undertaken for fraudu-
| lent enumeration. In Massachusetts
all of the figures have been withheld
to Accommodate that state in some of
it's own statistical work Contrary
to the general opinion all the count
ing of the people is done by hand.
The tabulating machines, of which
several hundred are employed in the
Office are used only in classification
as to race, sex and other conditions
The census office is a busy place
The present force of clerks will be
increased eventually to about 2,4O0.
There are two shifts of them, one
working from 9 o'clock in the morn