Preview

Last week, in spite of President Roosevelt's huff-puff ("obvious political move"), U. S. citizens continued to mutter against snooping questions in the 1940 Census. New York's Legislature resolved to urge Congress to eliminate "personal questions," chiefly the two on incomes. Similar action by the U. S. Senate was postponed until Senators could read their mail. Meantime in Kenosha, Wis., Cobbler James Rosselli and Census Taker John W. Girman met headon. As a preview of what may happen in April when the Government begins knocking on 132,000,000 citizens' doors, the U. S. watched the bout with considerable interest.

Two-hundred-fifty-pound Mr. Rosselli refused to answer questions on the business census (already under way). Rosselli's story: "This Girman he comes in. He says, 'Where you been? Every day I go to your store to ask you census but you ain't there.' I explain I got a store at Harvard [Ill.] too. Then he get abusive. He get hold of me by shirt and shook me and I shook him." Girman's version: "Rosselli didn't want to answer any of the questions and finally took after me and chased me from the shop."

Rosselli was arrested, held in $200 bail. But quicker than Rosselli could sole a shoe came a chiding wire to Wisconsin officials from Census Director William Lane Austin: "You have disregarded instructions that before taking legal action such cases must be submitted to Washington office for disposition." Charges against Cobbler Rosselli were dropped.

James Rosselli was once more a free man. At week's end he politely answered the polite census questions of Mr. Girman's local boss. "This give me big advertise," shouted Mr. Rosselli. "That's purty good."

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