The Wenatchee daily world. [volume] (Wenatchee, Wash.) 1905-1971, 1910-02-04

4 q N.Y. L Icy 0lllci VEL
radically from those
employed before and
DIRECTOR DURANp will. it is believed,
increase not only the rapidity of the
work. but tend to reduce the number
| of errors on the part of the clerks do
ing the punching With the new semi
automatic tabulating machines the re-
suits of the count for each unit Of area
are automatically printed, whereas for
merly they were registered on dials
from which readings had to be taken
and recorded by hand. The reading of
these dials took large amount of
time. during which the machine was
idle, and inaccurate readings were not
uncommon.
| The new method of punching and
tabulation employs small manila
card about by inches in size to rep
resent each individual composing the
population April 10, 1910 For this
purpose alone 100000 cards have
been purchased-a gigantic card index
system indeed.
| In collecting the data schedule is
carried by the enumerators, and ques-
| tons in it concerning each individual
will call for the name. relationship to
head of family. color. sex, age. conju-
gal condition, place of birth, place of
birth Of parents, number of years in
the United States, citizenship, occupa-
ton, whether or not employer or en-
ployee and, if employee. whether or
not employed at the date of enumera-
ton and the number Of months unem-
ployed during the preceding calendar
year. whether or not engaged in agri-
culture, school attendance, literacy and
tenure Of home and whether or not q
survivor of the Union or Confederate
army or navy.
| The surface of the population card
Is divided by printed lines into what
Is called fields" or divisions. contain
ing certain figures, authorizations Of
words and combinations of letters.
which are used as symbols to CORE
spond with or represent the details or
items Of data as reported on the origi-
nal schedule by the enumeration.
AoA1AS tnC 40 tuC ICoCuI8>
tive of an individual, 1t then becomes
necessary to transfer to the card all
| the data on the schedule referring to
that individual. This is done by punch
ing out the corresponding symbols.
leaving open holes at those points.
The semiautomatic electrical punch
ing machine which will be used is
built on the plan of typewriter. with
keyboard very similar in appearance,
but having 240s different keys. The
machine in it's operation differs from
a typewriter In most important re-
spect. As is well known, in operating
the typewriter every time key is de-
pressed letter is printed. and II a
mistake is made the letter must be
crossed out or corrected, with consid-
cradle loss of time and disfguring Of
| copy. The new card punching machine
| obviates this, as the operator instead
Of punching one hole at time can de-
press into position for subsequent
punching as many keys as are neces-
sary to record the required facts.
Before pressing button which turns
on the electric current for operating
the punching mechanism the operator
can look over the depressed keys.
comparing them with the schedule,
and If key has been enormously
placed it can be released and the error
| rectified. This work Of correction is
assisted by having different colors for
the keys for each field or division of
the card. 1t enables quicker discovery
| Of the key In error In the old style
punching machine hole was punched
in a card every time the plunger was
depressed. If an error in punching a
| symbol was made the card had to be
taken out and thrown away. AS the
puncher's efficiency was based largely
upon the number Of cards punched In
a day. it will be seen that the old
method laid the operator open to the
temptation to let the error stand.
With the old machine skillful clerk
could average about 900 cards day.
The new machine viii enable an av
erage Of 5000 cards to be punched in
a day by one operator.
Another time and money saving fea-
| ture of the new machine is that the
| feeding of cards to the punching keys
is entirely automatic. AS the blank
cards are fed in from the rear Of the
machine the punched cards are drop
ped into a magazine in front.
While the operator is punching
| card the machine also by means OF
gang punch" is automatically apply
ing a mark or designation to the
card which shows it Is one OF the to-
tai number representing all Of the pop
ulation in a particular census area.
| whether city. county or state. Auto
matte counters are attached to the
KEYS, and in this way preliminary an
nouncements of certain important pop
ulation totals may be made as soon as
i all of the cards have been punched.
Under the old system. when all the
punching was done by hand. these dg-
ures were not available until the tabu-
lating work was started.
The census bureau has ordered 800
of these new punching machines. and
T. .%e - n