The courier-index., 1920-08-20
MAKES BIG BULL
 ON OUR CENSUS
FORREST CITY TIMES-HERALD
 GETS OUR RETURNS MIXED
 UP WITH FIGURES ON TOWN
 OF MARIANNA, FLORIDA.

Editor John T. Durst of the Times Herald of Forrest City, is due Mari anna an apology, and if the editor of the Courier-Index is not great ly mistaken in the man, Mir Durst will not hesitate to make a correc- tion of an editorial paragraph ap- bearing in his paper last week when he stated the census returns for Marianna showed the population here to be approximately 2,800, a decrease of more than 2,000 from the census returns of 1910. MT. Durst got Marianna, Arkansas con- fused with Marianna, Florida. No returns from this city have been announced by the census bureau. The figures for 1910 showed the population of Marianna to have been E4,810. While we have no authen- tic figures at hand, we are inform led from reliable sources that the 1920 census returns will give this lefty a population of approximately |6,000, which is believed to be about 1900 less than the actual number of people residing within the corporate limits of the city. The new census returns show the population of For rest City to be a little over $500, and the population of Wynne to be little in excess of 2,900.
 The census was taken in Marian ma under very unfavorable condi- tions. In the first place it was inn possible to ge men to do the work and the census supervisor was fore ed to employ ladies. In city where the population is at least 50 per cent. black it is very difficult to obtain an accurate enumeration on account of the reticense of negroes to give out information. It is hard enough for a man who understands the peculiarities of the negro race to get information, and it was even more difficult for the ladies to se- cure the data demanded by the government. Another condition that initiated against comprehen- sive enumeration was the extreme ly inclement weather. Numbers of persons have been found who were not included in the numeration. The ladies who took the enumeration did the very best they could under the circumstances and nothing in this article should be taken as criti- cism of their work. Final returns may show they did the job more ef- ficiently than men who were employ ed in other cities. but they took the enumeration under great handicaps and the people of Marianne should not be disappointed if the returns do not come up to their expecta- tions.
 In this connection the Courier Index publishes the following com munication from Mayor O. G. Nor ment which was received yesterday: To the Public:
 My attention has been called to the report eminating from a near by village to the effect that the off, ficial census of Marianna shows a considerable decrease in population as compared to the 1910 census. In so far as the Executive Department of our city knows, there has been no official report made of the cen sus of our city, but we have been informed that a number of our citi- zens have not been enumerated. This is notice to those who have not been enumerated to send in their names and street addresses to the mayor. This applies to all bona fide permanent residents of Marianna, January 1st, 1920, who believe themselves missed by the enumer- ators or have any doubt whether they were enumerated. By com plying with this request it will avoid a house-to-house canvass and if the official report should be unsatis- factory will also give some founda- tion to our belief that our popula- tion has increased during the past ten years. Prompt action is nec- essary to the accomplishment of any good result.
 Respectfully,
 n G N0RMENT