The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1860-04-25
BALTIMORE.
WEDNESDAY, APRIL %, 1880

The arrangements for taking the ne" census
have, we learn, been nearly completed vi TIC
first of June a small army of Paul fryS VIII swarm
out over the land. inquiring INTO every Dody
business. pestering old ladies ABOUT thelr ages,
and making memoranda of the stock that is tend
oa b, hank and railway directors, as well as that
which is herded by thrifty husbandmen. As this
innortant work is to be carried ON in the months
Immediately preceding the Presidential election,
noople will perhaps be too much excited about the
choice of aruer to study aesh the character and re-
sources of the country he is to govern. But for all
that the results of the census will not be the less
interesting. for it is impossible to overstate the
value of these dccennial estimates of the national
wealth and population. There is no class of the
community that can fail TO find both pleasure and
profit in careful examination of such details as
the returns of the next census will furnish. The
probable rise or fail in the price of farms, lots or
houses-the propriey of an invesment-the
advantages which any peculiar field of labor
may ofer-the prospect of a demand at various
points for larger supplies of manufactured goods
or raw material-all these are questions which can
always be most intelligently answered by one who
has patiently mastered the statistical tables of the
census. The increase or decrease of the popula-
ton, in particular districts, and the rapidity with
which variation in either direction has progress
ed, are data upon which men may base opinions
about such matters as those we have mentioned.
as well as found conclusions in relation TO subjects
of wider and higher range. If the merchant de-
rives information from noting the fluctuations of
trade, the physician learns much from a compari-
son Of the rates Of mortality at different times and
places, and the statesman grows wiser, or ought
to do so, from the comprehensive survey he is thus
enabled TO take of the growth and power of the
country. These are obvious hints about the
usefulness of q complete and thorough census,
and every one is of course capable of understand
ing without any prompting from Others, the innu-
merable inquiries which it may suggest, and also
help lis to solve. 1t is of vast moment, therefore,
that the census of 1860 should be entrusted TO
competent hands. This, we trust, and have every
reason to suppose, will be the case. In one re-
spect however, very inadequate provision has
been made for doing the work properly. The
more rapidly census is taken. the more valuable
it is provided always that haste is not accepted
as an excuse for inaccuracy But in the present
instance, the Department has allowed period of
six weeks, within which the returns are to be sent
in. As the number of agents who are to be en-
ployed is not we believe limited, it ought at
least to be doubled, so that in three weeks at
the farthes the schedules would be in the bureau
ut Washington. When the census was taken in |
England, in 1851, it was done in one night
Forty thousand 'enumerators" commenced opera |
tons on the 3lst of March of that year, and each
was compelled to return his schedules and books |
together with summary to the local Registrar by |
the Sth of April The latter had to revise these |
carefully, and submit them to the Superintendent
Registrar by the 3lst Of May following, which |
they did, and by the middle of June the grand
results were published throughout the country" |
Now we have TO wait many weeks before the re-
turns are sent to Washington and after that there
comes a delay of many months before the public |
hears anything about the result and years elapse
before We get these in proper and available FORM
It'll little strange that we should be behind the
English in a matter Of this sort. 1t has always
been our boast that whatever we do we do quickly,
more especially if the task we have undertaken is
calculated 10 influence industrial and agricultural
pursuits. But here is Il work which is necessarily
to have vast effect on both and we take as many
months to perform it as Englishmen take weeks.