New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1910-10-16
GREAT CENSUS FRAUDS


who had already been enumerated or
were not permanent residents of the city
and not entitled to enumeration there.
II is possible that in some cases the
names were wholly fictitious. These
slips were turned over by the private In
dividuals who collected them, through
special agent OF the Census Bureau
named Corwin. to thirty-four Of the emu
merators. and they. under the instruc-
tons Of Corwin. added the names TO the
enumeration by assigning them as
"boarders'' or dodgers TO various
houses in their districts.
In other words, the director says. the
enumerators deliberately made the false
statement that these persons lived at
particular street number although they
knew noting whatever with regard to
the names so fraudulently added.
The letter of the director further de-
scibes the methods employed by the
Census Bureau in rechecking or recount
ing the population of these padded"
districts in Tacoma. saying that the
work was done with the greatest care,
in order that the full population might
be ascertained.
The director also declares that more or
less extensive attempts at padding
the census have been discovered in the
other cities mentioned. and he adds that
Investigations are in progress with refer
ence to number Of still other cities.
Full information regarding these cases
Will be made public later. In many in
stances. the director says. this padding
consisted Of the repetition Of visits by
the enumeratOr TO hotels. boarding and
lodging houses. In this manner persons
who came to the city after the census
day, perhaps merely TO remain few
days. were enumerated as residents.
What Aroused Suspicion.
Mr.. Durand said to-day that the sus-
picions of Chief Statistician William G
Hunt and Chief william H Jarvis. of
the population division OF the Census
Bureau, with regard to the census Of
Tacoma. were aroused when, on a care
ful examination of the schedules in the
office at Washington. II was found that
there were an absurdly large number
Of families reporting great numbers Of
''roomers" and dodgers"
william A Mckenzie. a bureau expert.
who had charge Of the enumeration OF
the 4th District Of Alaska. was sent by
MIR. Durand 70 Tacoma and made thor
ough investigation.
In the ten districts mentioned a COM
rlete accommodation was made. while in
the twenty-four other suspicious dis
trIcts the head Of each house was visited
and investigated. Many names were as
signed TO vacant lots, and they were
eliminated
The director says IL is not yet known
whether any individuals or group Of in
dividuals were responsible for the false
enumeration in Tacoma. The assertion
is made that the names were given TO
the enumerators with the avowed pur-
pose of ascertaining whether they had
been listed. Instead Of using the names
for this purpose the enumerators added
them without making any investigation
A Special Agent Accused.
In excuse for this course they say
they were acting under instructions OF
Stacey ". Corwin, one Of the special
agents OF the Census Bureau at Tacoma.
He distributed large bundles Of the slips
among the enumerators. saying, Mr..
Duraud alleges, that the names were
those Of bona fide residents. who should
be registered. Mr. Durand declares that
Corwin went so far as TO say that the
names must be counted even though
their owners were assigned to vacant
lots.
Commenting on this phase OF the pro-
ceeding Mr. Durand says:
Even though il is possible that every
enumerator who improperly added names
TO his schedules did so under the in
str7Ictions of Special Agent Corwin,
nevertheless these enumerators were not
only technically guilty Of mlsdemeanor
under Section 22 of the census act, but
they are also morally guilty and per
soually responsible for what they did
Section 22 Of the census act, to which
the attention of the enumerators was
specifically directed before they began
work. explicitly prohibits false state
ments The false statement or these
commentators that the persons named on
the slips were resident at places Where'
az a matter of fact, they never hao re
sided was made knowingly. and no