Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-12-21

VI
will be asked in millions
of home throughout the
United States on January and during
the twenty-nine succeeding days. The
census man will pop the duestion-and
number of other questions besides.
And the people in Washington must
answer truthfully-and all over the
country. For the law providing for talk
ing this. the fourteenth decennial census.
provides that any person eighteen years
of age or older who wilfully deceives
the census enumerato shall be pun
ished by a fine not exceeding 500.
The census bureau has been getting
ready for the big task for several
months. Some $1,000 enumerators and
ready for the word go" Under the
law the census taking is to begin the
second day of the new year. 1t is to be
taken as Of January ]. however. If
any person dies on January or any
subsequent day before the census
enumerator visits his home that person
is to be counted in the total population
of the United States, even though he
be dead. On the other hand, any baby
born January or any day subsequent
thereto misses the new census and can
not be counted as part of the population
of the United States under it,
Affects All Possessions.
The census is to be taken not only in
continental United States, but in Alaska,
10
the Panama Canal Zone. The enumera-
ton must be completed in all cities of
$500 or over within two weeks, and in
the towns and rural sections within
thirty days. If weather conditions are
such as to prevent taking of the census
in the time limit specified. as they may
well be in Alaska in January, the direc-
tor of the census is authorized to extend
the time.
With the director of the census. Sam
L. Rogers. in charge, the actual enumer-
alton of the population of the United
States will be made by the supervisors,
appointed by the Secretary of Com
merce, and the enumerators selected by
the supervisors. Each supervisor has
charge of a district. usually coextensive
with congressional district. but each
large city will be in charge of only one
supervisor, except New York. which will
have four.
In making the enumeration of the
population each person is to be listed
in the place where he sleeps as a
regular thing, not where he works. A
resident of Maryland who works in
Washington and who at the time of
the enumeration is staying tempo
rarily in Chicago, must be shown as a
resident of Maryland. However, per-
sons who have no regular place of
abode. known to the census officers
as "floaters," will be set down as resi-
dents of the places in which they
happen to be on January ].
Questions to He Asked.
The schedule of questions which
will be asked by the census enumer-
ators in addition to the name and age,
includes place of abode relationship
to head of family, color, sex, conjugal
condition, place of birth. place of
birth Of parents. nationality or moth
er tongue of all persons born in for
eign countries. nationality or mother
tongue of parents born in foreign
countries. number of years in the
United States. citizenship, occupation.
whether or not employer or employee.
whether or not engaged in agricul-
ture. school attendance. literacy. ten
ure of home and incumbrance thereon.
whether blind or deaf and dumb
The enumerators. armed with port
folios of schedules of questions, must