Putnam patriot., 1917-03-09
MILITARY CENSUS
 OF 500 900 MEN
Rushing if to Early Completion by Day and Night Work
KEEP STATISTICS SECRET
Connecticut Is Setting an Example In Preparedness to the Remainder Of the country-of Great Value
 War or No War.

about the wholly remarkable work of Governor Holcomb's military census bureau is the conscientious eo-opera- ton that has been encountered be- tween the bureau and the mayors selectmea and officials of all towns in the state. It can be seen how great was this cooperation when 1t Is known that all the blanks have been sent out to the eanvassers of the towns and that large share of them have been sent in and catalogued.
 Another fact that is of great ia- terest is that it has been determined that war or no war the census will now be completed. This has been de- cided on account of the economic value that Is rapidly being attached to the knowledge that the census Is bringing in. It is said that 1t Is the most complete census ever taken i1 the st4le. It Is of incalculable value in time of peace to know just how many mechanics and men of other trades there are in the state. It was thought by many men when the cen sus started that its object was merely to find out how many men of military age and sound bodies there were in the state in order that each could be nut in a regiment. This Is of course not the intention of the census. All the supplementary trades that are necessary to war BIS guns and ammuni- tion must be provided for, and these will naturally be supplied from among the men that have made a life work of each trade. It would obviously be exceedingly difficult to single these men out in case of trouble, and many would volunteer to with the army. whereas they ought to be home mak- ing guns, or just back of the lines making biscuit.
 Work Is Threefold.
 The work of the census is therefore threefold in it's main outlines. The first purpose. and what Is deemed the most important, is to keep the men that ought to devote their time to economic preparation from enlisting for actual fighting. If men are listed separately for all the trades supple me1tary to war, they may be con trolled in case of hostilities. The sec ond purpose of the census is to single out the men that are physically fit and best able to go to war without hard ship to dependents and equip these taking men by volunteer system which might lead those to come for ward who are more dependent than those who hang back The third prob lem If the census bureau Is to prepare to take care of those that would be left behind in case of the calling out of ones that have people dependent on them. These men who physically are fit vet have people dependent on them would not he called until necessary. and will be grouped separately so that the families of eaeb can be known in case they are called out.
 Highly perfected Hollerith machines which can handle the cards at rate of 250 a minute, will be used for sort. ing and tabulating cards. It is esti- mated that there will be nearly 500,000 of these cards when the census is completed These machines pick out the cards which are desired by the combination of holes. Groups of men classified as to ages could be picked out easily and readily as anything else under the system.
 Results Secret
 After themaking of these cards is completed they will be filed away in fire-proof and burglar-proof vaults. The code by which the holes were punched will be sent to the governors office to be kept there. and all copies of 1t will be destroyed. It will be impossible for anyone who works on these cards in the punching or in the tabulating to learn the complete code so that 1t would be of any use to any person The entire census is to be absolutely secret and kept for the benefit of the state of Connecticut if the hour ever comes when 1t needs men.
 The special census assistants to the governor are: Joseph w. Alsop, Charles A. Goodwin, Norman R. Mo ray, Walter H. Clark. George B. Chand- Ter, Dwight c. Holbrook and Hugh M. Acorn
 Money Tor New London.
 The naval appropriation bill con tains an item of 31,250, 900 for the further development of the subma- rins base at New London.
 eehoog Fund Auaftar