Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-04-02
CENSUS WORKERS
START NOSE COUNT
4O3 Enumerators in Capital
Begin Gigantic Task of
Gathering Data.

Four hundred and three men and
women, comprising the Capitals army
of census enumerators, this morning
started on the gigantic task of can
wasting every house, apartment and
business place in Washington and
counting every person.
Ringing front doorbells and tapping
brass knockers along the Railways OF
apartment houses. the workers, each
armed with q big portfolio containing
dozens of questionaireS, embarked upon
what Is intended to be the most COM
plete tabulation of the Capitals popu-
lation and economic condition ever
accomplished.
Throughout the country, in every
city, town and hamlet, an army of $780,
600 enumeratOrs today began the iden-
tical task. fruits of which will constitute
the fifteenth decennial census and fur
nish valuable store of statistical IN.
formation, including not only the ex..
tent of population, but the extent Of
unemployment, iiiiteracy and hcEse
ownership.
Moran viii Quiz Hoover.
Like his fellow citizens. President
Hoover faced the prospect of answering
the census enumefator'S questions. Ar
rangements were made for j. Sterling
Moran, supervisor in Washington, to call
at the White House at / o'clock today
and learn from Mr.. Hoover information
about his family and circumstances
similar TO that which all other citi-
zens are called upon to furnish.
The enumerators here met with Mr..
Moran last night in the Wilson Normal
School and in an atmosphere suggest
ing college pep meeting" received
last-minute instructions. Suggestions
were presented by several Census Bureau
ofilcials, including DR.. Leon s. Trues.
dell, chief statistician for population;
DR.. A. M. Edwards, supervising expert
on occupations, and DR.. Charles Z.
Persons, specialist on unemployment.
The meeting then was thrown open to
questions and for more than an hour
the enun1erators sought information
about various items in the schedule OF
questions. Music was furnished by the
Central High School Band.
Although the 1880 census chore Is the
biggest ever attempted by the Census
Bureau, modern accounting machinery
will make it speedy job. In co-opera-
ton with the Metropolitan Police De-
partment, arrangements have been made
so that the work of the Washington
enumerators may be completed. as rap
idly and accurately as possible. Desk
space has been reserved in each Of 20
precinct stations and today at the close
of the first days work enumerators will
meet with bureau officials to check over
the results.
Workers in the first, second, fourth
and sixth precincts will report to SUI
pcrvisor Moran at the Census Bureau.
Maj. Henry c.. Pratt, superintendent OF
police. has instructed that desk space
be allotted in each OF the remaining
precincts for convenience of the work.
ers. The object of these consultations
as the close of the day is to correct any
neutrality-suspicious. the enumerators may
have worked under.
Expect Returns to Be Made Speedily.
The same merry race that obtained
10 years ago among the workers to
see what cities and other geographical
sections could get their reports in frst
was expected to be waged this year.
william M. Steuart, director Of the
Census Bureau and the commanding
ggeneral in the Nationwide under
taking, recalled today, that. IN 1920 it
was seven weeks before the first two
cities of more than 100000 reported and
then Washington, D. c., and Cincinnati,
Ohio. both reported the same day. He
expects the returns to come in more
rapidly this year.
The last census recorded 437;571 per-
sons living in Washington. On the
basis of normal increase, experts fig
ured that the Capital now should show
a population of around 0,000. The
total population in 1910 was los, TIC, $50
and the intervening decade is estimated
to have brought an increase of APP
proximately 100000. In Director
Steuart's office is a highly complicated
mechanism known as q census clock
which keeps tab on estimated popula-
ton changes as the minutes pass, and
it is now standing close to 122, 900 900.
Picturing Uncle Sam as a solicitous
visitor in the homes of the Nation,
Director Steuart last night in a radio
address called upon the people to CO.
operate in the intricate task which
must be completed, under the law,
within two weeks.
Stress Confidential Feature.
The guarantee laid down by Congress
that information disclosed to enumera-
tors shall be kept confidential and
used for statistical purposes only was
further emphasized today when plenti-
full copies of President Hoover's census
proclamation were published in 23
different languages and pasted promi-
nently in public places. "a
One result of the census will be ne.
appointment of representation, with
some States losing and others gaining
members in the House of Represents
tives. 3
WORTHINGTON SEES