Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1910-01-08
CENSUS ENUMERATORS
ARE VERY SCARCE
The Lack Of Applications is GIVING
the Director Of the Census
Some Concern.

Washington, %. c., January Gem
sus Director Durand stated today that,
as result of his conferences with the
supervisors of census throughout the
country he find that in many sections.
especially in the larger cities, there
have not been as yet sufficient appll.
cations for the positions OF enumera-
tors. 1t looks. he thinks, as II the
country is so prosperous that people
are not anxious to get these RESPONSE
bic places as had been expected.
The scarcity is giving the Director
some concern, as only few weeks
remain before the date for closing the
consideration of applications. 1t will
be impossible generally to extend the
application time limit, as to examine
the test papers,with the necessary
care to insure the designation of quail,
flied persons. viii consume every mo-
ment of the time allowed for this
phase of the work of collecting the
enumerators. leaving nothing for an
extension of the date for shutting
down on applications.
The Director therefore urges all per.
sons desiring placeg as enumerators
to make application as quickly as pos
sible, and he hopes that in order to
help get perfect census, public-spirit.
ed and energetic pople throughout the
country Will offer themselves for these
positions, even though they may not
care for them from the standpoint Of
the pay involved. He also trusts that
employers Will deem ii their duty to
give leave of absence to their en-
ployees who may desire to act as
enumerators. Some slight sacrifice OF
this sort will be amply repaid by the
improved quality of the census re.
turns. Continuing, the Director said .
Although the actual work of taking
the census will not begin until April
Is. ii is essential that those who wish
to act as enumerators should apply i'm
mediately Except under unusual cir
cumstances. no application received
after January % will be considered.
About $4,000 enumerators will be re-
quired. Each will work in his own 10.
| cality Any competent person Is en-
titled to apply for this position, and
will be fairly considered for appoint
ment.
Political recommendations are not
necessary. The supervisors, to whom
applications must be made, have been
instructed to consider all candidates
and to select on the basis of efficiency
For the purpose of aiding the supervis.
ors in determining the competence OF
| the candidates written test will be
prescribed, and any person between
F, the ages of Is and 70 who is citizen
of the United States will be permitted
| to take it.
The test will be of strictly prac-
! teal character, subsequently the same
| as was used in 1900. It will consist
of filling out sample schedule OF
population, and. in the case of rural
districts. filing out also "a sample
schedule of agriculture, these sched-
ules being precisely the same as will
actually be used by the enumerators
| in their work later on. In order to
assist candidates in preparing for the
| test, copies of the blank schedules and
general instructions regarding the
manner of filing them will be furnish
ed to each candidate in advance. Any
person of ordinary common-school ed.
ucation and good judgement should
have M difficplty in naesiup
"The test is not a civil-service ex-
animation. II will be conducted under
! the direction of the supervisors Of the
census, and the papers will be examin-
ed only by the supervisors and by the
Census Bureau. In order that conven-
lent examination places may be pro-
vided for all candidates. local civil
service examining boards and post
masters will be called upon to preside
at the actual taking of the test in GER
! tain cases, but in this respect they
viii act merely as the representatives
OF the supervisors OF the census.
ut is impossible to exaggerate the
Importance of obtaining correct CEN
sus of the population and agriculture
Of the country
The enumerators will earn about
$50 each. Those in the rural districts
must compl te their work within thir-
ty days, and those in cities of 5000
and more population at the preceding
census within two weeks, from April
Is, 1910