Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1911-02-27
CUTTING DOWN THE CENSUS
Director Durand Makes Report on
Some Vital Corrections.
TWENTY.TKREE CTTHs OVER
Deliberate Conspiracy FSund IN some
and Enumerators Are Indicted Tor
Their Attempts 20 Pad the
Returns.
HeturnH.

! WASHINGTON. Feb. MA considerable
/ part OF the annual report for 1gO9-i0 which
Census Director Durand has transmitted
( to Secretary Eagel Of the Department OF
Commerce and Labor is devoted to the
subjects OF overcountng. or padding"
and understanding the population; OF sew
eral deliberate consplracies between private
individuals and local special agents and
enumeratOrs TO initiate census returns; OF
the desirability OF federal law prohibit
ing the unofficial circulation Of printed
slips containing census questions; and OF
the extent OF the margin OF error IN the
thirteenth census count
After careful investigation OF the returns
and schedules by expert CLERKS in the bu-
reau. It was found necessary to correct the
population figures for some twenty-three
cities Of the United States whose census
returns had been inaoourately made. or
padded" either Intentionally or through
carelessness or. error. In no case, however,
was any correction in the population fig
ures made without first conducting a care
full investigation in the city itself
Evidence of Deliberate Conspiracy.
The director states that In several cities
there seems to have been a deliberate con-
spiracy between private individuals and
some OF the special agents or enumerators,
or both, to initiate. fraudulentiy, the census
returns. It would be inadHsabie TO pre-
sent the evidence Of such conspiracies IN
any individual case at the present time, as
only after Investigation by. the Department
Of Justice and the possible ensuing prose-
cutlons will the facts be fully known.
BY direction OF the president, the census
bureau has already laid the facts thus far
ascertalned with regard to several cases
Of padding before the Department or
Justice, and other cases will shortly be
brought TO its attention.
Up to the present time indictments have
been brought and convictions secured in
the case OF three -enumerators in Great
Falls. Mont and indictments have been
secured. which are now pending trial, in the
case Of one enumeration in Seattle, Wash.
and Of three enumerators and one special
agent in Fort Smith, Ark
In describing the general character and
method Of overcounting or padding the
census returns in large cities, Director
Durand says in his report that it was inn
possible in many cases to distinguish
clearly between deliberate fraud and mis-
judgment. 1t is undoubtedly very difficult
in many individual Instances for an
enumerator TO decide whether given per-
son Is or is not entitled to enumeration in
his district The difficulty arises chiefly
in connection with the floating population.
Unauthorized Assistance.
In considerable proportion Of cities in
which overcoming took place. it was due
largely to the unauthorized activity OF pri-
vate individuals in collecting names and
turning them over to the enumerators.
In other words many enumerators per-
United Information obtained by private in
dividuals and judgment exercised by pri-
vate individuals as to the claim OF persons
to enumeration to be substituted for in
formation secured and judgment exercised
by themselves. - dHi1e"
In number of CITIES committees were
constituted by boards OF trade or other
commercial, organizations or were other
wise formed to assist in the census. The
nominal purpose in alt cases was merely
to make sure that the enumeration was
complete, and In some Instances the activ-
tiles OF these committees were actually
helpful to the census. In some instances, /
however, even where the purpose and the
methods of these committees were legiti-
mate, the result was an overcount OF the
population, and i'm other cases the purpose
and methods Of at least Individual men,
bers Of committees and those employed by
them were conspicuously illegitimate and
fraudulent
List of Overcount cities.
A list of the several cities in which, as