Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1920-01-01
CENSUS TO Be
STARTED FRIDAY
Government Seeking Statistics
in Regard to Population and
Country's Wealth.
ALMA IS VERY INTERESTED
Expected that Census Will Show
City One of Most Rapidly Grow
ing in State.

The fourteenth decennial census of
the United States will be under way
on January>2, 1920, and it is expected
that it will be completed over the en-
tire county within the next fifteen
days, although a much longer period
will be needed to compile all of the
data that is secured.
This will be the first time that wo-
men will figure very largely in the
taking of the census, old.h c. |. hav-
ing part in this. This is especially
true in Alma, where men are getting
good wages, wages demanded by the
present high costs, and hence not a
male resident of this city took the
examination when census enumerat-
ors were called for AS a result only
women will work on the census in
Alma.
They are Miss Mildred Cash, who
will have charge of the first and
second ward; Miss Jennie Miller, who
will have charge Of the third ward
and Mrs. Edith Swigart, who will
have charge Of the fourth ward.
A proclamation issued by President
Woodrow Wilson in regard to the CEN
sus states that the sole purpose of
the census is TO secure general sta
tistical information regarding the
population and resources of the
country, and the replies are required
from individuals only to permit the
compilation Of such general statistics
For the protection of the rights ano
interests of the persons furnishing
information every employe Of the
census bureau is prohibited under
heavy penalty from disclosing any
information which may come to his
knowledge.
A paragraph in the proclamation
calls attention to the fact that it il
the duty of every person to answe,
all questions on the census schedules
which apply to him and the family
to which he belongs, and the farm
occupied by him or his family ant
that any person refusing to do so i.
subject to penalty.
There has been much speculation
regarding the growth of Alma during
the past few years, and it is expected
that the census which starts tomor
row, will soon give the figures a!
compared with those of ten years ago
when Alma was community of onl,
2757 people.
Among the questions which will b,
asked by the census enumerators O.
every person in the United State
will be the following:
Sex; color or race; age at last birth
day; whether single, married, wild
owed or divorced; birthplace of per
son enumerated and birthplaces o
father and mother, giving names o
both country and province if foreigl
born occupation, specifying trade o
profession, also industry in whicl
employed; whether attending school
whether able to read; whether able t,
write; whether able to speak English
whether home is owned or rented, an,
If owned whether home is free of i'm
cumbrance or is mortgaged.
tiS SOilS VI lOItlRn DlTIn VIII ID
asked questions concerning these ad
ditional points:
Year of immigration to the Unite
States; whether naturalized, and !
so the year of naturalization; mothe
tongue or native language.
Census enumerators also will cal
at every farm in this community /
secure the information necessary I
fill out the questions contained on tn
agricultural schedule.
Each farmer will be asked aues
tions concerning the acreage an
value of his farm whether he owns
rents or partly owns and partly rent
the land he farms; the value Of tn
buildings, machinery and implement
belonging to his farm; the quantit
Of all crops raised on his farm durin,
the year 1919; and many other ques
tions which cover all possible farr
operations.
An absolutely accurate and com
plete census vitally concerns the wei
fare of this community and of ever
person living in it, The official Dor
ulation for the next ten years will b
determined by the census of 1920.
BE ready with your answers whe