"We have wasted a lot of valuable time."
"Yes," remarked another, "I move that we take up the next bill before the Committee."
"But," protested Carlton, "the figures Mr. Hudson has given are eight or nine years old."
"Yes," retorted his adversary, "but they are the only official figures we can consider."
"One moment," cried a voice from the rear of the room.
Everybody looked in that direction. Mr. Daniel Smithers was standing up and waving a sheet of paper in the air.
"This gentleman is not a member of the Committee," protested Hudson.
"No," shouted the schoolmaster, "but I have some information that the Committee might like to receive."
"What is it?" asked the Chairman.
"It is simply this: I was in the office of the Director of the Census less than an hour ago. He was good enough to tell me that the computers had just finished the count of the new census of the city of Cleverly."