The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1910-02-23

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employed before ant
""ANn will, it is believed
increase not only the rapidity of til,
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 We're registered on dials
from which readings had to be taken
and recorded by hand. The reading of
these dials took a large amount of
time, during which the machine was
idle, and inaccurate readings were not
uncommon.
The new method of punching and
tabulatiOn employs a small manila
card about 6 by 3 inches in size to rep
resent each individual composing the
population April Is, 1910. For this
purpose alone 100000 cards have
been purchased-a gigantic card index
system indeed.
In collecting the data a schedule is
carried by the enumerators, and ques-
tons in it concerning each individual
Will call for the name, relationship to
mead 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 a
survivor of the Union or Confederate
army or navy.
The surface of the population card
Is divided by printed lines into what
is called "6elds," or divisions, contain
ing certain figures, authorizations of
words and combinations Of letters,
which are used a symbols to CORE
epond with or represent the details or
items of data as reported on the origi-
nal schedule by the enumerator.
Taking the card as the representa-
tive of an individual, it 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 a typewriter, with
q keyboard very similar in appearance,
but having 24O different keys. The
machine in it's operation differs from
a typewriter in a most important re-
spect. AS is well known, in operating
the typewriter every time a key is de-
pressed a letter Is printed, and If 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 n hole at a time can de-
press Into position for subsequent
punching as many keys as are neces.
sary to record the required facts.
BEFORE pressing a button which turns
on the electric current for operating
the punching mechanism the operator
ran look over the depressed keys,
comparing them with the schedule.
and II a key has been enormously
placed it can be released and the error
rectifed. 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 a 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 a skillful clerk
could average about 900 cards a day.
The new machine will enable an ay-
erage OF 5000 cards to be punched in
a day by n 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 real Of the
machine the punched cards are drop
ped into a magazine in front.
While the operator is punching a
card the machine also by means Of a
"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