Page:American Journal of Sociology Volume 15.djvu/635

 CHANGES IN CENSUS METHODS 62t

competitive. There are many important qualifications for an enumerator which cannot be tested in this way, and which the supervisors must not only be permitted, but must be directed, to take into account in selecting those whom they recommend to the Director for appointment. Doubtless some of the supervisors will take advantage of the discretion which is allowed them, to prefer one candidate over another for political or personal reasons. The supervisors, however, will be required actually to grade the papers of all the candidates, and will be furnished a guide by which they can do so rapidly and accurately. Moreover, they will be required, at the time they make their recommenda- tions, to transmit the papers of all the candidates to the Census Bureau, which will review the rating of the papers of those recommended, and of such others as the Bureau may see fit to examine. It is believed that the result of these requirements will be that most supervisors will pay due regard to the relative ex- cellence of the test papers in making their selections.

GENERAL CHANGES IN SCOPE OF ENUMERATORS^ WORK

The experience of the past has clearly demonstrated the danger of burdening the enumerators and field agents with too much detail, and of requiring from them the exercise of too high a degree of judgment. We have, therefore, aimed, so far as the constantly increasing complexities of American economic and social life would permit, to reduce the number of schedules and to simplify the schedules and the instructions. On the other hand, it has been found necessary in a few respects to add to the schedules with a view to bringing out certain fundamental facts or distinctions which have hitherto been ignored, or which have only in recent years become of importance.

The work of the enumerators has been simplified by the action of Congress itself in relieving them of the schedule of vital statistics, which was used in 1900. The census work regarding vital statistics is now confined, as everyone knows that it should be, to collecting and publishing the results of the registration systems of individual states and cities. It will be recalled that at the census of 1890 the enumerators were required to cover many