Bradley, Dinkins Warn of Census Undercount

In an unusual joint statement, Los Angeles Mayor Tom Bradley and New York Mayor David Dinkins have declared that the 1990 Census will fail to count large numbers of immigrants, minorities and other urban poor unless officials agree to use a controversial sampling technique to adjust the final tally.

The declaration, issued this week during a conference of the American Statistical Assn., adds fuel to an already partisan debate over the quality of the census and what should be done to make it more accurate.

Urban Democrats are concerned about the potential loss of federal aid and political representation if cities are undercounted. House Republicans, already in a minority, don’t want the Democrats to score further gains--a possibility if the 1991 congressional reapportionment adds seats based on growing urban areas.