Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1913-02-11

tereSt on the part OF many VI lne PcO
pie called upon to answer them are al .
so important causes. That the results
are far from being entirely sausfac- .
tory is well known to the general
public. but best known by the Off
cials of the census bureau. There is
reason to believe that the actual num-
Der Of inhabitants is ascertained with
approximate accuracy, and that the
principal Undergraduates on the pOpula-
ton and agricultural schedules are an
swered with a fair degree OF accuracy.
Many of the less important inquiries,
however, obtain much less satisfactory
results There is no way of measuring
precisely the margin of error in any
case. II is. however, sufficient evil
dence of the need of improved meth
DDS that in multitudes of cases inter
rogatories which are properly applica-
BILE are not answered at all, and that
the statistics on several subjects as
tabulated show relationships which are
sef-evidently incorrect.
The need for more competent emu
merators is thus obvious. There
seems to be little hope 81 securing any
great Improvement in the character
Of enumerators by mere minor modifi-
cations of the present method of select
/ ing them. The difficulties in the pres
ent method are fundamental and not
a mere matter of detail After careful
consideration the census bureau has
reached the conclusion that much bet
/ ter results can be obtained by utiliZ-
ing the services OF the mail carriers
to do the larger part of the census emu
meration than by any other feasible
plan. The postmaster general also has
given consideration to this plan and
believes il would be entirely feasible,
at least in the case Of the rural dis
tricts, and that it would not interfere
materially with the regular and prompt
distribution of the mails. There would
be somewhat greater difficulties in
VOWED in utilizing the city mail car
riers than the rural carriers. 1t is
probable that the former also could
be advantageously employed, but the
precise method by which the greatest
advantage could be gained from using
the city mail carriers, with the least
inconvenience to the public, must be
matter of further investigation and
E consideration. Meantime, if the plan
= of using the rural mail carriers is
. adopted at the special agricultural
/, census Of 1915, much valuable expert
) ence will be secured which will be ap-
p plcable TO the solution of the problem
OF the taking Of the decennial census.
In most of the leading foreign
: countries the work of census enumera-
ton is largely or wholly performed by
permanent employees either Of the cen.
t tral government or of the local gov
= erHments Postal employees policemen
S and other officers of cities and local
- governments are called into service
Mail carriers, whether in cities OF
= in rural districts, appear to be con
S spicuousiy well qualified to act as
census enumeratOrs. They are select
Y ed without reference to political con
2 siderations and as a result Of tests
: which guarantee a fair degree of edu
= cation and ability. Their peculiar ex
perience, however. adds immensely t
their fitness for the work They art
/, personally acquainted with almost ev
cry family and individual in the dis
tricts which they serve. Such &C
quaintance would not only result il
saving the carrier much time bu
would enable him to secure more com
= plete and accurate information. Again
the mail carriers have a permanent
= responsibility 70 the government a
their employer, and If utilized TO
census work would feel under obliga
ton to do it TO the best of their abil
u ity. lest otherwise their permanent DC
sitiOns might be endangered 1t is in
conceivable, for example, that mai
carriers acting as enumerators woul
permit themselves to become partie
TO a SCENE of elaborate padding Of I'll
. census, such as was attempted in
! number Of the cities and towns of tn
q country at the last census. or tina
. they should neglect their work to an
such degree as did some of the enu
10 merators in 1910
Another peculiar advantage of tn
employment OF mail carriers as censu
CAhALACl otOi . 10 the ldCL ludl tuelT III
ties require them day by day to z
O over the same territory. A large par
. OF the required census work could b
done by the carriers as incidental I
their mail deliveries. although c
course a considerable amount of add
tional time would be required. Unde
p the method heretofore employed, a
enumerator who finds a family absen
: on his first visit is under a stron
4 temptation not to return TO that fan
III lily to complete his work To do 81
ii particularly In the rural districts, ma
Y mean q special trip of considerabl
distance. The mail carrier who is vi
Il able to obtain the required schedule
il on one visit would lose no time in vii
Il iting the same family on a later trip.
III 1T is believed that by the emplo!
III ment OF mail carriers as enumeration
III it would be possible TO have the fam
i lies themselves in large majority {
i cases I'LL out the required schedule.
i whether Of agriculture or of popul,
i ton.
III AS already stated, It is believed b
iii the postoffice department thar ma