Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-01-12
BY REMsEN CRAWFORD.
RE you ready for the census
taker2

n taker?
II mot yet" you may say, "fol
4 he won't be around before April
Fools day, and many things may
happen between now and then, ever
in the best regulated families"
Quite correct. AS a matter Of fact
Uncle Sans household Is increasing al
the marvellous rate of one every 26 sec
onds, or about 1,40o,0 900 a year. This
increase is derived from the excess OF
births over deaths and from the excess
OF immigration over migration. So
that by the time the 10000 enumera-
tors get on their stupendous job next
April 2, there will be some half mil
lion persons additional to count who
have not as ret been born, or landed
upon our shcSsss.
Nevertheless, what Congress has call
ed "the census period is already on,
f.Aving begun January /, and already
the shabby, rambling old wartime
structure in Washington which houses
this bureau Of the Department Of Com
merce Is alive with stirring scenes OF
activity such as it has not seen since
the soldiers were hurrying over to
France. Because this Is the hugese
task the Government has tackled since
mobilization days and because Of the
determination of Congress to make 1t
the most accurate and the most instruc-
tive census ever taken Of American
people. Director william M. Steuart
and Assistant Director DR.. Joseph A.
Hill, are proceeding with the mapping
of Of divisions and districts and the
appointment of supervisors and other
heads of the great army Of enumerators
long before the field work begins.
Apart from the many interesting side
lights to be thrown about the 1890
census, there are several outstanding
or main results that will be accom-
plished by this counting Of noses by
Uncle Sam. The first Of these win be
the certain reapportionment Of men,
bers Of the House of Representatives
according to the terms of the Constitu-
tion-a thing which has been post
poned or neglected several times, so
that the present representation in Con-
gress Is sadly out of Joint with popu-
lation. The census law passed by the
last Congress makes 1t definite that
reapportionment shall be made right
after the forthcoming enumeration and
regularly every 10 years thereafter fol-
lowing esseA succeeding census.
Counting the Mexican Born.
Next In importance will be the count
ing of our Mexican population as
separate race. or people, which has just
been scheduled by the heads Of the
Census Bureau for the first time. The
import Of this movement has q direct
bearing upon this country's new policy
Of restricting immigration with view
to preserving the racial mixture Of
national population upon q ratio that
will perpetuate the groups who found
ed and made the American Republic.
In recent years Mexicans have been
fiocking across the border by hundreds
of thousands, there being no immigrant
quota limitations upon the countries
Of North America, Central America and
South America as there are upon Euro
pean countries.
Thirty days is the time limit for
counting the members Of Uncle Sans
household-about 100000 all told
by now-but the city folk must be EMU
merated in two weeks. That Is to say,
the month of April viii tell the story.
Problem in Farm Census.
The reason for allowing a whole
month for taking the census In the
rural districts and only two weeks in
the cities lies in the fact that the coun-
try enumerators must fill out the agri-
cultural schedules, travelling long dis
tances to ascertain how many farms are
owned, how many are rented, how many
are mortgaged, how many are free Of
debt; how many horses, mules, cows.
-,
while the city enumerators will each
have but a few blocks to cover, count
ing only the people by age, sex, married
or unmarried, and whether native or
foreign born, and whether Of native or
foreign born or Of mixed parentage.
The two-week time limit applies to all
cities Of $500 population or more by
the last census
It viii take sac, 600, o0o-tfis counting
or taking stock-and Congress has al
ready appropriated the money. The
enumerators will be paid on a per cap
ita basis, their total compensation de-
pending upon the population and the
number of farms in their respective
districts. 1t is estimated that the pay
SIS to SIPS. With SAC, 000. 900 thus dis
tributed throughout the country in the
dull months of Summer, 1t is easy to
Sc eti1at some relief will be felt where
lean times may be lurking.
Soldiers who fought in the last war,
and particularly those who were dis
sbled in service, their wives, or their
widows have q preference in the ap-
pointment Of the enumerators. All such
selections and appointments will be
made by the divisional supervisors, based
uuon civil service regulations. There
will be $40 Of these supervisors.
What It VIII Reveal.
So much about the working force.
What the general public asks about the
census is this: What will it tell us that
We don't already know"
Well, pretty soon now we shall know
not only exactly how many people there
are In the United States, but how many
there are in each occupation or profess
sion; that is to say, how many doctors,
how many lawyers, how many preachers,
&c
chinists, farmers. motormen, etc. We
shall know how many of our people were
born in England, France, Germany,
Ireland, Italy and every other foreign
country. We shall know how many
children there are and how many Of
them are attending school and how
many are not.
Business to Be Checked.
Further, we shall know about the
distribution of businesS-how many
factories and what they are making and
where they are sending what they
make, and how many stores, wholesale
and retail. and what they are selling
and to whom. And knowing these
about ourselves that we don't know
now. Remember. 1t is going to be the
most accurate and far-reaching census
ever taken.
So be nice to the enumerator when
he comes around. You will have to.
anyhow. for the sheriff's goin' to e
you II you don't watch out. Listen 10
these clauses in the new census law: All
persons over n oni,st answer questions
@SoNt Themselves or their families or be
Aned 500 or go to jail for so days
maybe both. For willfully giving an
swers that are false, $500, or jail for
ne year, maybe both.
It will be unlawful to make sugges-
tions to an enumerator with intent or
purpose of causing an inaccurate count