Evening star., 1920-01-02
ARMY OF |NQUIRERS
BEGIN WORK TODAY
ON THE 192OCENSUS
Washington Divided Into 367
Districts, With an Emu
merator in Each.

The 1920 decennial census. the four
teenth of its kind in the United States
began today.
In Washington as well as in every
city. hamlet and town in the United
states, census enumerators were out
early engaged in the tremendous task
OF obtaining an accurate count of the
residents, their ages and pertinent
facts relating to them and their oc
cupations.
ID. &. Districts Number 367.
Washington is divided into 367 cen
sus districts, each of which is being
covered today by a c)ensus enumerator,
and by nightfall it is expected by Di
rector Robert f. Mattingly that a
city will have been asked the neces-
sary questions. No Washington resi-
dent who has vote in a state need
be afraid that enumeration in the
Capital city will cause him to lose
that vote. Enumeration in Washing
ton does not affect the legal voting
residence of any citizen. the census
bureau has announced.
The recent police census showed a
population in Washington of 455,52S.
Census officials assert that this figure
is low and that when every person
in the city has been counted, it will be
shown that the National Capital has
more than half a million population.
Preliminary returns from the census
in Washington will not be complled
and tabulated until about the middle
of March. when the results Will be
announced by the bureau of the cen-
SuS.
EnumerntOr's Duty.
Each enumerator started out this
morning armed with large book
containing lists for every person be-
lieved to be in his or her territory.
Every person in the city is required
to answer the questions put by the
enumerators. who are forbidden to d.
vulge any of the information they re-
ceive. Census enumerators are pro-
tected by the government from any
bodily harm and carry COMMISSION
signed by Sam L. Rogers. director of
the national census. to convince in
questions asked. If there is any doubt
about the authenticity of the census
enumerator's right to ask questions
any one is authorized to ask the
enumerator to show his commission.
School Children to Be Counted.
There will be many items of general
interest to the District of Columbia
arising from final tabulation of the
census returns here. One vital con-
of all school children, which is ex-
pected to help the various interests
engaged in struggle for better
schools in Washington. From the
statistics compiled by the census bu-
reau will be accurately shown the
neighborhood. their ages and the
number Of children who will begin
school next year. The final returns
are expected to divulge some inter-
esting facts concerning the make up
Of the population of the National Cap
ital
In census districts where there are
many persons of foreign birth each
enumerator has been furnished with a
competent interpreter, prepared to ask
and answer questions in all foreign
languages. so there is no reason to
fear that every person in Washington
will not be counted.
Plans for the White House.
No special arrangements have been
made for enumerating the White
House family and those who live or
work there. The White House is in
cluded in the enumeration territory
of Raymond l.. Caster of 1925 F street,
and he will ask Joseph Tumulty, Sec
retary to the President, the questions
concerning the White House family.
Mr.. Caster will not reach the White
House until next week. in all proba-
bility. as his territory lies on both
sides of the presidential home.
Visitors, dodgers. transient board
ers or persons attending school are
not enumerated with a family. Per-
sons in an asylum, a hospital or any
semi-public institution are enumerat-
ed as of the place in which they
sleep. The thousands of war workers
in the District will be enumerated
as from the District. however. 1t
makes no difference if the place
where a person sleeps be in an Office
building. a factory or a hotel. Where
ever his regular place of abode is.
that is also his official home.
Task to Last Two Weeks.
The task of enumerating the resi-
dents of the District of Columbia is
expected to take about two weeks.
At the end of that time every person
in the District will have answered the
necessary questions and then the
work of verification will begin. to be
followed by tabulation.