The Punta Gorda herald., 1920-03-25
CENSUS OF THE FIRST
DISTRICT WILL COME
TOA CLOSE SHORTLY
District Headquarters Office Here
VIII be Closed Next Wednesday
After Many Delays.
POPULATION OF ONE TOWN
INCREASED 20O PER CENT
supervisor Surprised at Growth of
One Florida Town.

, 'iIc lOFlua IOWn.
The taking of the census in this
congressional district promises to be
finished this week and the district
headquarters office. located in Pupta
Gorda, will be closed next Wednes-
DAY evening, March 31st. This in
formation was given the Herald
tuesday by District Supervisor Jor-
dan, who also, in an interview with
the editor, gave some interesting
facts about the census which is now
coming to an end.
Nhlle not permitted to give out
any hgures, the supervisor said that
the returns of the enumerators work
ing under him showed gratifying
increase in the population and farms
OF this district. The director of the
census in Washington will soon pub
lish the statistics of population and
farms, as all returns will be in his
hands by the end of next week. He
will, however, require several weeks
TO compile and tabulate the returns.
1t cannot be claimed that the CEN
sus Is absolutely full and complete.
Ior' according to the supervisor, it
seems to be an imposibility to find
ana enroll, within the limit of the
time allowed, every individual in tba
country. But nearly, if not all of
the enumerators for this district have
done their best to secure a cOmnlata
record; they have labored faithfully
and conscientiously and often under
dlscouraging difficulties. Some of
them have been extremely nains-
taking, so much so that they were q
long time finishing their work, A
rev, not over half dozen, proved in
different, negligent or incompetent
ana their places were supplied with
capable enumerators of successful ex-
perience.
Owing to various causes, only 129
were secured for the
IS6 enumeration districts in this
congressional district and the con-
sequence was that a number of them
had to be assigned to two or more
districts. Naturally this prolonged
the time of taking the census. which
should have been completed by Feb
ruary first. Indifference or incom-
petence of a few enumerators and
sickness In the families of others
we're other causes contributing to
he delay with the result that it will
De the end of this week before the
'ntire enumeration is finishd. Up to
tuesday, there were ten districts
rom which no returns had been re-
eiVed. One of these is in Tampa;
md, in mentioning this fact, the
upervsor said that he had made
trenuous efforts to get in the re-
urns from Tampa before the first of
his month and send them to Wash
ngton to enable the director of the
ensus to publish the total, but two
i the enumerators of that city did
ot finish their work until within
he past week.
The enumeratOrs whose returns
ave been sent to Washington were
aid promptly and practically all of
hem appeared to be satisfied with
he compensation received
The supervisor mentioned an in
aresting incident of his work aris-
lg from the fact that the returns
rom one town in this district showed
population Increase Of nearly 800
ercent. He was so surprised that
e made careful inquiry as to the
orrectness of the returns with the
esult that he became convinced that
o padding" of the rolls had been
one and that the returns were and
re correct. He declined to name
le town or the county in which 1t is
,cated.
In closing his work, the supervis-
: speaks very highly of his oficc
'rce: Mrs. Celia Wotitzky, stenog-
Lpher; Braxton B. Blount, ir.,
lief clerk; and Mrs. Mary Gautier.
sistant clerk and stenographer.
e said that he is sure that no super
sor's office in the country had a
ore loyal, efficient and agreeable
rec of clerks than the First Dis
let of Florida.