REMIND CENSUS OFFICIALS OF COMPELLING EVIDENCE

Now we wish we had paid more attention in mathematics class. On the other hand, maybe it would make little difference. In considering U.S. Census Bureau calculations as they relate to the city of Cape Girardeau, the numbers just don't add up; the precision that mathematics requires isn't apparent in the figures. Officials in Cape Girardeau spent the 1980s contending that the city's population had been undercounted; it appears possible that the 1990s will be spent the same way. The cause is just.

Preliminary 1990 census numbers, released in the late summer, showed Cape Girardeau had lost population during the 1980s, down to 34,167 from 34,361 a decade ago. This reduction in the local count was recorded despite the city's construction of 655 new homes and 1,295 apartment units over the last 10 years. Even factoring in the number of units demolished since 1980, local officials documented about 500 more housing units than the Census Bureau credited the city with. There is no guesswork involved in this; the permits were issued and the construction was completed. Are there so many unoccupied housing units in Cape Girardeau?

Like a baseball umpire, the Census Bureau gets the final word. The federal agency reviewed the information and determined this week that its preliminary count was not drastically wrong. The final numbers will be released in early 1991. While Missouri grew at a rate of 4.5 percent since 1980, Cape Girardeau, which saw steady growth in its retailing and industrial base and an increase in its housing unit count during the last decade, lost population in the federal government's eyes.

Is this important? You bet, for a variety of reasons. Community population figures are crucial in almost every federal calculation used for grants, subsidies and other programs. While we don't encourage municipalities to go overboard in the pursuit of these federal funds, we believe the city is due its fair share; for that, an accurate census is necessary.

For the sake of appearances, Cape Girardeau does not benefit by census numbers that show declining population. This sort of information is disseminated as cold data to those looking merely at a profile of the city ... an industrial prospect, for example. Instead of appearing as a vibrant, progressive community, which we think is the case, Cape Girardeau may come off numerically as a city going backwards.

Beyond that, billions of taxpayer dollars have been spent to ensure that an accurate census has been carried out. We would like our mind at peace that this job has been accomplished. There is compelling evidence in Cape Girardeau's case that it has not been. We believe the city should keep this issue before census officials through whatever avenues of appeal are available.

With that said, it should be noted that City Manager J. Ronald Fischer makes a persuasive point in arguing that Cape Girardeau County's growth (from 58,837 in 1980 to 61,379 with this census) is a critical indicator on a day-to-day basis. If the county's overall numbers had fallen, concern about the census would be compounded; those living throughout the county are tied to Cape Girardeau, through shopping or employment or some type of services. Retailers, for example, don't limit their efforts to municipal boundaries. Speaking of growth, it's significant to note that the county's retail sales in 1980 totaled $295.8 million; by 1989, the county's retail sales topped $598 million.

The growth of this community is apparent to all but the Census Bureau. City officials of Cape Girardeau should continue to remind the federal agency of that.