New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-06-15
New York Only Section
Of State Where Difficulty
Is Met in Registration

Reports from ffty-three out of the
fifty-seven counties in New York State
received yesterday by Captain G. e.
Henry, director of the State Military
Census, show that the registration is
progressing satisfactorily in all outly-
Ing districts. difficulties having been en-
countered only in New York City, where
there was a shortage OF blanks.
Nassau County reported that 1t eX.
poets to finish its census by the end OF
the week. and praised the efficient work
of members of the Woman's Suffrage
Party who are in charge of the reg
istration. Niagara County officials,
making a house-to-house canvass, eX-
pecteS to complete its registration by
last Wednesday night Every county
comments on the willingness OF its res
idents to help in making the great
undertaking a success.
The task in New York City, with its
100000 men and women between the
ages Of sixteen and fifty, is made more
difficult, because there are more than
100000 persons here who cannot write
English.
Blanks Lost In Distribution
The enormous size of the New York
City task is shown by the fact that on
May %, more than two weeks before
the registration began, there were de-
livered in New York from Albany
/ l,7S5.000 census blanks for females and
/ 10000 for males, total Of 100000
more than was necessary TO cover the
/ 2.SOO.O0O persons eligible for registra-
ton. Unscientific distribution, 1t is
now alleged, resulted in the shortage
/ = Ct 70
/ 10 close down Wednesday.
| II was to please the women of the
city, il developed yesterday, that ar
| rancements were perfected TO permit
| the residents of New York City to
register at large-that is, TO fill out
! their blanks at any registration station
; within the CITY limits. 1t was recog-
nized by Ernest P. Goodrich, the census
| director for the city, that women re-
/ card certain information called for on
! the census blank as highly confidential
their age, for example, often, their
| origin and their experience, whether
/ industrial or domestic He decided
| rightly that they would rather give
| such details 10 census agents at q DIS
lance from their homes.
/ But this made the proper Distribution
of blanks an impossible mathematical
| problem, since one couId not ioltte,I
which would be the popular and which
| the neglected registration stations
among the $500 in the city. Some be-
| gan running out of blanks almost I'M
mediately, while others have had them
TO burn, and delay and confusion have
| resulted
Condolences Respected
MANY Of both sexes have been dl-
vorced and don't want their nelghbors
or their employees to know 1t. These
90 to the census director as to a CON
! fessional. and he assures them ell that
their records will be treated IN strict
! confidence and that so long as they
| have no crime 10 conceal they need not
/ fear to set down the truth on their
census blanks.
The dearth in male blanks, which
caused the closing Of something like
500 registration places Tuesday after
noon. was made good that night by a
/ shipment of 364.000 from Albany and
a frantic redistribution Of the supply
on hand. Practically all the registra-
tion places reopened yesterday, there
/ fore. But toward last evening the lack
/ of female blanks became pronounced.