New-York tribune., 1920-01-03
Women Employed for First
Time and Equal Records
Of Men, Averaging s8
for 200 Names a Day
Many Interpreters Used
Count in Foreign Quarters
Smooth; Brooklyn May
Pass Manhattan's Mark

Four thousand Federal census takers
set out yesterday morning on their two
weeks task Of counting noses in this
city. For the first time since Uncle
Sam began to keep tabs en his growth.
women were engaged in the task. Most
OF the men employed are former sol
diers or sailors. Every name means
four cents to the man or woman that
gets. The census takers averaged
about So apiece for yesterdays work.
Women did fully as we'll as the men.
1t was said, and some of them showed
unusal ability.
AT the present rate. supervisors said
last night, Uncle Sam will have counted
all his nephews and nieces in the al
lotted two weeks. He will have found
too, that his bullying who's Who
must contain several million more
names than were recorded ten years
ago in the last Federal census. New
York probably will have added about
two millions.
Brooklyn Claims First Rank
Brooklyn census officials are alreadv
claiming "the biggest borough In New
York" At the last census, taken by
the state In 1915, Brooklyn had pop,
ulatlon of 1,790,513, while Manhattan
nad x,aS7,747. Since then, however,
Brooklyn thinks she has forged ahead
OF Manhattan. Queens is in a race
with Brooklyn for greatest percentage
OF increase and expects to record near
" 100000, or about twice as many az
In the last Federal census.
Former State Senator Samuel ].
Foley, supervisor for District No. l
lManhattan), sent forth early yester-
day 1000 of the men and women at his
disposal as census takers. A similar
number were sent out in Brooklyn and
Richmond by Supervisor Arthur j.
Dore, Of District No. 8, from his Of
fices at 2S6 Dufield Street, Brooklyn.
A shortage of supplies in District No
9, OF which Rodman Richardson, of
Flushing, Queens, is supervisor. pre-
vented the full force Of enumer rators
from starting to work there Of the
800 engaged for the work 1876 were
sent out in the morning and the rest
IN the afternoon. Supervisor William
F. Fischer, of District No. 2 (The
Bronx, sent out 4S2 enumerators.
Reports from the $50 inspectors in
the four districts last night were that
the enumerators were making rapid
progress and had no complaints to
make of their reception. In the for
eign colonies, however, lengthy expla-
nations were required to convince
those questioned that the enumerator
was not upon some questionable mis-
sion. The workers Identification card
or commission, however, allayed sus-
picion.
Many Interpreters Used
Supervisor Foley found it necessary
TO engage many interpreters. as did
the other supervisors. These included
Chinese, Russian, Polish, Hebrew and
Italian.
The Bronx will show a total of 900.
600 residents, or 100000 more than in
the state census of 1915, Supervisor
Fischer estimates.
Both the Bronx and Queens have
many remote districts, which will re
tard the tabulation! Queens will not
be complete probably for thirty DAYS.
Farms bring that district into the
agricultural classification of the cen
sus. The agricultural census usually
takes full month, as does also the
industrial census.
New Jersey Census District, said the
rily. o. the 348 enumerators sent cut in
the morning 100 were assigned to Jer-
sey City. Here, also, as in New York
the number of applications for jobs az
enumerators was ahead of the demand
In each case, however. large number
of men and women not needed at pres
ent were held in reserve to replace an
active worker who may quit before tn
census is completed.
An enumerator assigned to business
block or section otherwise devoid Of
residents, Supervisor Foley said, could
count on better luck next time.
"A certain enumerator," he said by.
way of illustration, "had for his dis
trict the Equitable Building. He went
there with glee, for many persons
are in the building daily. When he
came to work" the building he dis
covered the only person he could tabu-
late was the janitor. -Four cents foasu
taking the census of the Equitable
Building did not appeal to him, and he
came back almost weeping. Of course.
we gave him another section"