The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1910-04-15

where On eeats or WORKS.
Transient sleepers will not, how
ever be- enumerated as permanently
residing at the place of passing
slumber. These transients inc ude
visitors, temporary boarders, students,
meal takers who sleep elsewhere, en-
ployes who sleep elsewhere, former
family members who have become
permanent inmates Of asylums, aims
houses, homes, prisons, and other in
stitutions
Strange Situations.
This business of gathering census
information is going to develop some
mighty embarrassing situations. All
of the questions are of a highly per-
sonal nature, but they must be asked
and they must be answered.
Think of knocking on the door of
County Supt. of Schools Mrs. Josephine
Preston, and when she appears, asking
her questions No. 25 and No. 26-"Are
you able to read English or any other
language?" "Can you write Eng ish, or
any other language?"
Imagine asking Nat Goodwin, us
this your first MARRIAGE" or Lillian
Russell, "How many times have you
been married?" What sort of ans
wers can they make without blush?
Can the airy, fairy Lillian answer off
hand, and without referring to her
large and varied collection of marriage
certificates how many husbands she
has gathered during her career? OF
course not. There are some tasks
which are beyond the limitations OF
mere human memory.
What will happen when some inqui-
sitive enumerator asks some spinster
how many children she has had and
how many were living April Is, 1910?
Well, what wi happen will be a-plen-
ty to the unfortunate nosecounter No
broom will be too handy. And then
the enumerator can have the spinster
arrested for assulting an officer.
What will the councilmen answer
when asked: For whom do you work."
OF course, they may have the names of
all the corporations down pat, but
maybe not.
Chief Metz will have to tell how
many weeks he was out Of employ
ment in 1909. Now, will this mean the
time he was not actually engaged in
fighting fires? And Harry Champion
will have to answer this selfsame
question.
There are hundreds of people who
whiz out to the road houses in auto
mobiles and put up a large front. with
the auto chugging at the door, how
will they answer when asked do you
own your own homer" and us it free
or mortgaged?"
And those soap-boX orators who
rage against the government. what will
|
you deaf and dumb?"
What industry or business are you
engaged in?" will be poser for the
dudes who stand in front Of various
city cigar stands. Will they admit
that their sole occupation is insulting
girls and women who pass? Hardly.
| All of these questions are as moth
ing, however compared to two 9TH
ers. How Old are you?" and "Rela-
tionship to the head of the family?''
Most men have no objection to telling
| their age, but the women. Will
market for years and who is sub
scriber to an introducing club, admit
that she is over Is years? Never!
Perish the thought! Even when stand
ing beside her own married daughter,
will any woman say that she is more
than 80, or 35 at most? Not much.
There will be no women who will say
that she remembers Ha1ley's comet
when it made it's appearance Is years
ago. And none of them will remember
the silver question of SO. Yes. this
age question will cause more fibbing
during the census than any other one
question. AS to the head Of the fam
ily," that Interrogation will surely lead
to trouble. If there is a man around
the house when the enumerator ar