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Excerpts from the 1930 “Instructions to
Enumerators”1
Compiled by Jean Nudd
Reading the instructions to census enumerators can help researchers evaluate
the information they find in the census. Here are a few examples. The full
instructions are available in the Pittsfield microfilm reading room.
General Instructions
Paragraph 15.
Complete canvass required. – It is
your duty personally to visit every
family and farm within your territory; to obtain the information required
with reference to them; and to enter the same on the census schedule.
Par.
16. Enumerator’s rights. – Your
rights as an enumerator are clearly indicated in the census act. (See
section 9, first paragraph.) You have the right of admission to every
dwelling (including institution) within your territory for the purpose of
obtaining information required by the Bureau of the Census. You have the
right to ask every question contained in the census schedules and to obtain
answers to each and all of them. You are cautioned, however, not to mention
or emphasize the compulsory feature of the enumeration unless it is
necessary.
Par.
17. Refusals to answer. – In case
your authority is disputed, show your appointment certificate, which you
must carry with you. But it is of the utmost importance that your manner
should, under all circumstances, be courteous and conciliatory. In no
instance should you lose your temper or indulge in disputes or threats.
Much can be done by tact and persuasion. Many persons will give information
after a night’s reflection which they refuse to give when first visited.
Par.
19. Untruthful replies. – You have a
right not only to an answer, but to a truthful answer. Do not accept any
statement which you believe to be false. Where you know that the answer
given is incorrect, enter upon the schedule the correct answer as nearly as
you can ascertain it.
Par.
32. Time allowed for enumeration. –
In any city or other incorporated place having 2,500 inhabitants or more
under the census of 1920 the enumeration must be completed within two weeks
from the commencement of the work, and in all other districts within 30
days. If you find it is going to be difficult or not possible to complete
the enumeration of the district or districts assigned to you within these
limits, you should notify your supervisor at once.
Par.
44. In the case of an occasional family that
does not speak English or any language which
you speak, you can usually get along without the aid of a paid
interpreter. If you can not make the head of the family understand what is
wanted, call upon some other member of the family; and if none of the family
can understand, then, if possible, obtain the unpaid assistance of some
neighbor of the same nationality.
Par. 49.
Entries on the schedule. – The
illustrative example (form 15-3b, printed on pink paper) shows the manner in
which the entries upon the schedule should be made. These entries should be
made at the time of the enumeration, and the recopying of schedules should
be avoided so far as possible.
Par. 55. As a rule, the
usual place of abode is the place
where a person usually sleeps. Note, however, that where a man happens to
sleep at the time of the enumeration may not be the place where he usually
sleeps, as more fully explained below.
Par. 132.
Home-maker. – Column 6 is to be used
also to indicate which member of the family is the “home-maker,” that is,
which one is responsible for the care of the home and family. After the
word “wife,” “mother,” or other term showing the relationship of such person
to the head of the family, add the letter, “H,” thus: “Wife-H.” Only one
person in each family should receive this designation.
Par. 136. Column 7.
Home owned or rented. – This question
is to be answered only opposite the name of the
head of each family and relates to
the home or dwelling in which they are living on the date of the
enumeration. If the home is owned,
write “O”; if the home is rented,
write “R.” Make no entries in this column for the other members of the
family.
Par. 137.
If a dwelling is occupied by more than one
family it is the home of each of them, and the question should be
answered with reference to each family in the dwelling. The whole dwelling
may be owned by one family and a part rented by the other family, or both
may rent.
Par. 138.
Owned homes. – A home is to be
classed as owned if it is owned wholly or in part by the head of the family
living in the home or by the wife of the head, or by a son or a daughter, or
other relative living in the same
house with the head of the family. It is not necessary that full payment
for the property should have been made or that the family should be the sole
owner.
Par. 139.
Rented homes. – Every home not owned,
either wholly or in part, by the family living in it should be returned as
rented, whether rent is actually
paid or not.
Par. 140.
Where the owner of a house occupies a room
or floor, but rents out the major portion of the house, including the
first floor, the person hiring the house is to be entered as “head,”
the home as “rented,” and the owner
as a “lodger”; or if the owner’s
living arrangements are entirely separate, he (or she) should be reported as
a separate family with “owned” home.
Par. 141. Column 8.
Value of home, if owned, or monthly rental,
if rented. – If the house or apartment is owned, as indicated by the
entry “O” in column 7, give in column 8, on the line for the head of the
family, the current market value of the home as nearly as it can be
ascertained. Unless the house has been recently purchased it will be
necessary to estimate its value. The estimate should represent the amount
for which the home, including such land as belongs to it, would sell under
normal conditions – not a forced sale. The assessor’s value, on which
taxation is based, is not generally a safe guide, being usually below the
market value. Make it clear to your informant that the values returned on
the census schedule are not to be used in any way in connection with
taxation and are not open to public inspection.
Par. 142.
If the home is rented, as indicated
by the entry “R” in column 7, give in column 8 the amount of rent paid
each month as rent, or one-twelfth
of the annual rent, in case payment is not made monthly.
Par. 143.
If no actual rent is paid, as where a
workman receives the use of a house as a part of his wages, give in column 8
the estimated monthly rental value of the house. This estimate may be based
on the amount of rent paid for similar houses in the neighborhood.
Par. 144. For a
farm family (indicated by the entry
“Yes” in column 10) make no entry in column 8. The value of the farm home
is given on the farm schedule.
Par. 145. Column 9.
Radio set. If the family, or any
member of the family, has a radio set, write “R” opposite the name of the
head of the family. If the family has no radio set, leave this column
blank.
Par.
152. Indians. – A person of mixed
white and Indian blood should be returned as Indian, except where the
percentage of Indian blood is very small, or where he is regarded as a white
person by those in the community where he lives. (See par. 151 for mixed
Indian and Negro.)
Par. 153. For a person
reported as Indian in column 12,
report is to be made in column 19 as to whether “full blood” or “mixed
blood,” and in column 20 the name of the tribe is to be reported. For
Indians, columns 19 and 20 are thus to be used to indicate the degree of
Indian blood and the tribe, instead of the birthplace of father and mother.
Par. 156. Column 13.
Age at last birthday. – This question
calls for the age in completed years at last birthday. Remember, however,
that the age question, like all other questions on the schedule, relates to
April 1, 1930. Thus a person whose exact age of April 1, the census day, is
17 years, 11 months, and 25 days, should be reported simply as 17, because
that is his age at his last birthday prior to April 1, even though at the
time of your visit he may have completed 18 years.
Par. 157.
Age in round numbers. – In many cases
persons will report the age in round numbers, like 30 or 45, or “about 30”
or “about 45,” when that is not the exact age. Therefore, when an age
ending in “0” or “5” is reported, you should inquire whether it is the exact
age. If, however, it is impossible to get the exact age, enter the
approximate age rather than return the age as unknown.
Par. 158.
Ages of children. – Take particular
pains to get the exact ages of children. In the case of a child less than 5
years old, the age should be given in completed months, expressed in
twelfths of a year. Thus the age of a child 3 months old should be entered
as 3/12, a child 7 months old as 7/12, a child 1 year and 3 months old a 1
3/12, a child exactly 3 years old as 3 0/12, a child 3 years and 1 month old
as 3 1/12, etc. If a child is not yet a month old, enter the age as 0/12.
But note again that this question should be answered with reference to April
1. For instance, a child who is just a year old on the 5th of April, 1930,
should nevertheless be returned as 11/12, because that is its age in
completed months on April 1.
Par.
159. Enumerators must make a special effort
to obtain returns for all infants and young children. Children under
1 year of age, in particular, have frequently been omitted from the
enumeration in past censuses.
Par.
179. Column 23. Naturalization. –
This question applies to all foreign-born persons, male and female, of
whatever age. Prior to September 22, 1922, a foreign-born woman became a
citizen when her husband was naturalized. Since that date, she must take
out papers in her own name, and if she does not do this she remains an alien
even though her husband becomes naturalized. The question should be
answered, therefore, for every person whose birthplace was in a foreign
country, as follows:
Par.
180. For a foreign-born male 21 years of age
and over write “Na” (for “naturalized”) if he has either (1) taken
out second or final naturalization papers, or (2) become naturalized while
under the age of 21 by the naturalization of either parent.
Par.
181. For a foreign-born female 21 years of
age and over write “Na” if she has either (1) taken out final papers,
or (2) become naturalized through the naturalization of either parent while
she was under the age of 21, or (3) if she became naturalized prior to 1922
by the naturalization of her husband. (See par. 179.)
Par.
182. For a foreign-born person under 21
years of age write “Na” if either parent has been naturalized. This
applies to infants and young children as well as to older persons under 21.
Par.
183. For all foreign-born persons who have
not been naturalized but have taken out first papers write “Pa” (for
“papers”). Note that a person must be at least 18 years of age in order to
take out first papers. Minor children should not be returned as “Pa” merely
because their parents have taken out first papers.
Par.
184. For all foreign-born persons neither
naturalized nor having first papers, write “Al” (for “alien”).
Par.
186. Column 25. Occupation. – An
entry should be made in this column for every person enumerated. The entry
should be either (1) the gainful employment pursued – that is, the word or
words which most accurately indicate the particular kind of gainful work
done, as physician, carpenter, dressmaker,
salesman, newsboy; or (2) none
(that is, no gainful occupation). The entry
none should be made in the case of
persons who follow no gainful occupation. A “gainful occupation” in census
usage is an occupation by which the person who pursues it earns money or a
money equivalent, or in which he assists in the production of marketable
goods. The term “gainful worker,” as interpreted for census purposes, does
not include women doing housework in their own homes, without wages, and
having no other employment (see par. 194), nor children working at home,
merely on general household work, on chores, or at odd times on other work.
Par.
194. Women doing housework. – In the
case of a woman doing housework in her own home and having no other
employment, the entry in column 25 should be
none. But a woman doing housework
for wages should be returned in column 25
as housekeeper, servant, cook, or chambermaid, as the case may be;
and the entry in column 26 should state the kind of place where she works,
as private family, hotel, or
boarding house.
Par.
195. Where a woman not only looks after her
own home but also has employment outside or does work at home for
which she receives payment, the outside work or gainful employment should
ordinarily be reported as her occupation, unless this takes only a very
small fraction of the woman’s time. For instance, a woman who regularly
takes in washing should be reported as
laundress or washerwoman,
followed in column 26 by at home.
Par.
197. Women doing farm work. – A woman
who works only occasionally, or only a short time each day at outdoor farm
or garden work, or in the dairy, or in caring for livestock or poultry
should not be returned as a farm laborer; but for a woman who works
regularly and most of the time at such work, the return in column 25 should
be farm laborer. Of course, a woman
who herself operates or runs a farm or plantation should be reported as a
farmer and not as
a farm laborer.
Par. 198.
Unusual occupations for women. –
There are many occupations, such as carpenter and blacksmith, which women
usually do not follow. Therefore, if you are told that a woman follows an
occupation which is very peculiar or unusual for a woman, verify the
statement.
Par. 220. Column 27.
Class of worker. – For an employer –
that is, one who employs helpers other than domestic servants in transacting
his own business – write in column
27 “E”; for a wage or salary worker write “W”; for a person working on his
own account write “O”; for an unpaid family worker – that is, a member of
the family employed without pay on work which contributes to the family
income – write “NP”. For all persons returned as having no gainful
employment, leave column 27 blank.
Par.
236. Column 29. Line number on unemployment
schedule. – Every gainful worker for whom the answer “No” is entered in
column 28 is to be reported on the unemployment schedule. Enter in column
29 the number of the line on that schedule where this report appears. If
you use more than one sheet of the unemployment schedule in a given
enumeration district, enter in this column for the second and subsequent
sheets both the sheet number and the line number, as “2-17” or “3-46.”
Par.
237. Column 30. Veterans. – Write
“Yes” for a man who is an ex-service veteran of the United States forces
(Army, Navy, or Marine Corps) mobilized for any war or expedition, and “No”
for a man who is not an ex-service veteran. No entry is to be made in this
column for males under 21 years of age nor for females of any age whatever.
Par.
238. Column 31. What war or expedition.
– Where the answer in column 30 is “Yes,” give the name of the war or
expedition in which the man served. The principal military activities in
which service will be reported, together with a convenient abbreviation for
each which you may use in this column, are listed below:
World War - WW
Spanish-American War - Sp
Civil War – Civ
Phillippine Insurrection – Phil
Boxer rebellion – Box
Mexican expedition – Mex
Par.
239. Those men are to be counted as
“veterans” who were in the Army, Navy, or Marine Corps of the United
States during the period of any United States war, even though they may not
have gotten beyond the training camp. A World War veteran would have been
in the service between 1917 and 1921; a Spanish-American War veteran,
between 1896 and 1902; a Civil War veteran, between 1861 and 1866.
Par. 241. Persons in the military or
naval services of the United States during
peace times only
are not to be listed as veterans.
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