The Bourbon news., 1912-08-20
ALLEGE PADDED CENSUS
Report of Educational Inspectors
Show False Entries Are Made
For Five Years.
400 NAMES ADDED YEARLY.
State May Demand The Return
Of $4,000 From The City
Inspectors Report.
90 NAMES ADDED YEARLY.

That the school census of Ithis city
has been padded" with the view of
securing additional sums from the
State for the maintenance of the pub
lie school here is shown in the report
of the inspectors from the Educational
Department and which was Friday
night submitted to Superintendent of
Public Instructiaon Barksdale Ham
lett at Frankfort.
The report is the result Of an investi
cation that has been in progress here
for more than week, conducted Thy
inspectors Marion Pogue and T. w.
Vinson, who were sent to Paris to look
into the matter, which by the abnor
NAL per centage shown in the census
report aroused the suspicious of the
head Of this department.
-AccOrdlng to the report upwards of
four hundred names have been annu-
ally added to the census list and for
five years the city has illegally drawn
an amount in excess of $4,000 from
the State, by means of false entries
on the census books-and through re-
ports filed with the State depart
ment. From the best information OBJ
tainable the State will demand the
return of this amount from the city.
No intmation is made in the report
that the school authorities (meaning
the local board of Education) have
been guilty o. padding the census al
though it says the admitted purpose
was to enroll as many pupils after
April l as possible without regard to
the instructions from the State depart
ment, which is direct violation of the
school law.J The census report for the
year of 1912 showed:that SO per cent of
the population of the city of Paris
were within the school age and these
abnormal conditions prompted the
State Superintendent to investigate.
Mrs. Newton Clark, the local truant
officer, had charge of taking the school
census of the city and was before the
inspectors almost the entire time they
were in the city. However, it is not
believed she intentionally added the
four hundred names 10 the school CEN
sus and that while ,entrusted to her
work of enrolling the names was under
the supervision of her superior, in the
local school. The fragrant violations
are set out in the report of Mr.. Pogue,
who conducted the investigation, and
which is addressed to Superin tendent
| BarKsdale Hamlet at Frankfort under
date of August 16;
Dear Sir Having gone over the
reuort of the Paris City Schools for
the year 1928, in company with the
census taker, who enumerated the
. same and who has performed that duty
for number OF years, also acting as
truant officer of the Paris Schools and
making careful comparison of the last
census of 1910-1911 and 1q11-I9l2 we
submit the following report:
1--WE find the method of taking the
census has been the same for a num-
ber OF years, notwithstanding the
! change In the school law and the in
structions ofsthe Departmental Educa
tion governing the taking of the schoo
/ census.
HThe most fragrant violation beine
that OF listing pupils moving into the
city after April !, who brought NJ
: written evidence that they had beer
listed elsewhere and this one item
I alone, counting those who the census
|. taker was positive anne after April l
, and those who she failed to.see.in thei
homes, having been given in by neigh
bOrs, and those whom she had seen
and doubted under oath were bona fid
, citizens of Paris on April l, amounte,
20 about ten per cent. of the entir
census, and reported.
"Under this practice the census con
tained many names who were visitors
transients who were of the gypsy or
der, and sometimes two families occu
pied the same house at different time
during the month of April, in her wor
as truant officer. The effort being ad
mittedsthat thespurpose was to enrol
as many pupils as possible moving i
after April without regard to you
instructions.
"Another feature was the listing O
pupils over age, as evidenced by com
parison with reports of the two pre-
vious years, pupils often being carrie
for three years at practically the sam
age, which as explained by the Ger
sus taker as thoughtlessness on he
part of not comparing each censu
with that of the former year and strik
ing off those who would be twenty be
fore July /.
"This error with those under age
duplicate names and mistakes in copy
ing. etc.. seem to constitute about fiv
per cent. of the entire census as re
ported
Therefore, in view of the fact ths
the census in question is of uncertai
value as roster of the bona fide pl
pills of the Paris Schools, unreliab
as public document or record in
court of law. as evidence of age, ar
seems to carry the names of man
pupils whose right to participate
the distribution of the State pt
capita is disputed.
Therefore. l feel that it is hut ia
and just to the tax PAYERS of the Stat
to the Department of Education,
the public in general and last but nj
least to the people CT Paris that ne
census be taken at once and same
hereby recommended.
) MARION F. POGUE,
Acting Inspector of Schools ar
School Revenues.