New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1869-03-05
THE COMING CENSUS.

To the Editor OF The Tribune.
SIR: As our national census is TO sc taken
next year. every question bearing upon the subject and
every suggestion tending 10 enhance It's accuracy. may
claim the public attention Assuming what no one viii
deny, that unless the primary facts are procured
iloroughiy and fr1 tile results Will not DO worth hav
ing may he allowed consider Of the essential
conditions upon which succcss alone be founded
First: The term Marshal become associated with
the memories OF military enrollmenis and the draft
To excite among the ignorant classes suspicion
unfavorabc to confidence BESIDES this the districts Of
marshals too large in many for thorough super
vision; they occupied with other duties and not
under the control OF the central Office. Hence,
they should not be employed supervise the taking Of
census.
Second The Assessors OF Internal Reren have hitherto
never had occasion 10 make an official visit to q manu-
featuring establishment official cali Of any kind, TO
make inquiries about amount Of business. Incomes &C.
without It's being presently followed by Now II
these officers should be charged with tho duty OF census
taking. tcOtid be impossible for The greater part Of The
community 10 bcHere. (uo matter how strongly how
truly might be dcnied) Hdt scheme of tdTdon dd
mol lag at he bottom, CfHe Hence, Assessors
arc OF all men, the last officials who should lie employed
in this servece. Tie manifest and unavoidable
III nucncc against thorough and open returns given
and received IN confidence, and tho law should de-
clare, only for publication IN the aggregate, which such
argument
Third: The must be taken by personal visitation
ut every family and place Of productive industry. The
be written down for the most part by tho pcr
acting EnumeratOrs. We could not, as yet take
the throughout the South aud Southwest on the
English plan, by using househodcrs schedules left in
every family. because ignorance is too prevalent. The
must be uniformly throughout the nation
aud until this be done follow the old plan OF
personal visit, aud only shorten the labor by subd
vidiDg the districts Now this labor must be 1ad for On
The Government aud man who knows anything OF tho
duties Of the Office honestly affirm that tho Assessors
OF Internal Revenue afford to do this service for less
than is worth, or less than appointed for this OAR
tcuar business
The obvious plan Z or thorough uniform and trust
worthy census would be: /. A Central Commissioners
specially charged with supervision. D. District Super
inendcnt Tor taking the census in each Congressional
Dstilc or Territory chosen for his intelligence and ap
pointed say four months before the day on which the
census Is to be taken, be able 10 subdiyde Ina
district and appoint his enumerators The blanks
ana shond be received by him from the cen
trail Office and distributed TO the enumeraors Their
should he reviewed by him. to the end that
or omissions might DO returned for correction and cor
respondcnce with the central Office should DO for the most
part done through him.
THIRD An enumeration In every town or ward, and
where The population exceeds 1900 or more each with
'N"9 "oi'C'e VI huch size that the census
can he fully and fairly taken ia month They should
receive per diem compensation for the necessa
ry employed in takng the census and should be paid
after making a satisfactory report.
believe that the NewYork State Census law requires
the 10 be taken in one month, and that no diff
Gully has been found IN getting returns Of 1900 to dis
tct fully reported within that time The Commissioner
should have the power Of appointing the District super
ntendenfs lie should have also the power OF rejecting
returns not made compliance with the law, aud OF
ordering new enumeration, but always with reference