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Page i

TOURIST CAMPS: 1935

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GENERAL EXPLANATIONS


AREA AND PERIOD COVERED.-- This report presents the findings of the Census of Tourist Camps conducted in the first eight months of 1936.  In the canvass, which covered the forty-eight States and the District of Columbia, reports were secured for the activities of tourist camps for the calendar year 1935.  Seasonal camps and new enterprises reported for that part of the year during which they were in active operation.

COMPLETENESS OF COVERAGE. The canvass was made by enumerators who visited each identifiable place of business for the purpose of securing a report.  It is definitely known, however, that there is some incompleteness in the coverage of tourist camps (see definition, page ii),due both to the difficulties experienced by enumerators in securing reports for seasonal camps not in operation at the time of canvass, and to the voluntary basis on which the Census was taken.  While several enumerations and estimates of the number of tourist camps in the United States are available, such figures usually include as tourist camps enterprises which, although maintaining one or more tourist cabins, are engaged primarily in conducting a retail business (restaurants, filling stations, etc.).  Consequently, the data contained in this report are not comparable with these available figures, since enterprises engaged primarily in conducting a retail business are classified as retail establishments for Census purposes.

SCOPE OF THE REPORT. The tables contained in this report present a complete summary of the data furnished by tourist camps which reported to the Census.  It will be found, however, that some of the items on which information was requested (see Form 41, Hotel and Tourist Camp Schedule, appended to report), such as operating expenses, employment and pay roll for a specific week, gratis meals and quarters, and the members of proprietors' families working regularily [[regularly]] in the business, were omitted from the tabulations. Data for these items were not tabulated because of numerous irregularities in reporting, which were found to be so serious as to impair the significance of any totals which might have been obtained. (The percentage of occupancy inquiry (Inquiry 9), as indicated on the report form, was intended for hotels only.)

DESCRIPTION OF TABLES. Three separate tables are presented. Table 1 presents statistics covering number of camps, total receipts, number of active proprietors, average number of employees for the year, and total pay roll.  Table 2 analyzes the average employment figures presented in Table 1 showing the number of paid employees working