New-York tribune., 1870-02-10
SENSE IN CENSUS MIXING.

| Upon the authority OF the Congressional
| Committee on the Ninth Census, we are au-
thorzed to state that there is in existence
| distinct account of n census ordained by the
Emperor Yee of China in the year 2042. This
census antedates that of Moses and the Israel
| ties at the time Of the exodus by half dozen
centuries probably 1t is curious that these
Chinese are found to have originated or dis
covered several centuries before anybody else
| the things which pertain to civilization.
! Printing, gunpowdeT, the magnetic needle,
and innumerable inventions in the arts,
must be placed to their credit, and now
| we seem to find them the first census
makers. Since the time of the Emperor zee,
| il is TO be supposed that the art of census
making has advanced somewhat Statistics are
now recognized as a science. China made the
first census in 2O42 i. c., and the United States
made the best IN 1860 A. ID. But there are
| few things in the world that cannot be I'M
proved; and while Emperor Yee deserves credit
for establishing the first census, Mr. Garfield
deserves no less for ell-planned attempt to
better the last and best. Mr. Garfield and the
| Committee reported numerous and considerable
objections to the present method OF taking the
census, 20
| An unknown census takcr calls Oh family
and spreads before them his array of
blanks, which they for the first
time. They fear it is not all right that
an unknown individual with lot of legal
looking blanks should poke all sorts of ques-
tions at them, and suspicion of his inquisitoral
character must be allayed, fears that it is an
assessment for purposes Of taxation must be
quieted, the subject explained, and the MEM
ories of the families stimulated, before any
| thing like the proper data can be ascertalned.
| Under the present law the operations of the
census are not sufficiently confidential, the
| citizen is not freed from the apprehension that
| his private affairs, the secrets OF his family and
business will rot he disclosed to his neighbors.
| The facts given by members of one family
will be seen by all those whose record
succeeds theirs on the same blank, and
the returns at the central office are
not properly guarded from observation.
| Inaccuracy and waste of time are the result
| ant of these objections. Too much time is al
lowed in taking and publishing the census.
| The main report of 1850 was not published
till 1853 and the volume relating to manuiac
lures not till 1859. The preliminary re-
port of 1860 was printed in 1862;
full reports on population and agrlcul-
ture were delayed until 1864; and those on
manufactures and mortality till the end of
1906, when the reports were sadly out of date.
| For these and other defects in taking and is
suing the census BIr. Gariield's bill proposed
reasonable remedies. Smaller districts should
be instituted, the present Congressional Dis
| tricts being the most convenient, probably, and
! small enough for any man to intelligently ar
range the work therein, and put its carrying
out into the hands Of intelligent
men chosen for their especial fitness
for the work. Separate schedules for the vari-
Gus topics of inquiry should be distributed be-
fore the visit of the census officer, and by this
means it was believed that much greater correct
ness would be attained in the reports, and that
the time required for the enumeration might be
reduced to one month.
But Mr.. Garfelds bill proposed not only to
remedy certain defects in the taking and pub
fishing of the census, but also thorough re-
vision of the present schedules of inquiry.
| That which had exclusive reference to slaves
can now happily be dropped that to color should
include distinctively the Chinese, who certainly
deserve such recognition, if for no other rea-
son than that of having been the first census
takers. Inquiries as to the education of
children were to be advantageously increased
In accordance with the earnest desire of DR..
Jarvis, the branch of vital statistics was
| deservedly to receive more attention. The i'm
portance of inquiries as to public health, and
the prevalence of diseases, is certainly as great
as that of any other topic. The old schedule
of agriculture, which contained 2i6 columns of
inquiries was carefully compressed into less than
so in the new, and with the cutting out of old
lumber, and the introduction of new andp pertinent
| features, the Committee considered that great
| improvement had been effected. The deficiencies
of the Old though so much larger than the new
schedule, are indicated in the addition of in
Quiries as to the value of farm buildings other
than dwelling houses, the average number
of cows MIXED during the year, and
the value of poultry and its products
on the farm Industrial statistics and those Of
internal commerce were thoroughly revised. 1t
is an almost incredible fact that what may be
termed extractive industry, including the pro-
ducts of our mines, our fisheries and the
petroleum interest, has hitherto been wholly
| neglected In the census Fuller statistics in
regard to railroads were provided for, and the
business Of life insurance, which since the year
1860 has grown from comparatively nothing to
its present proportions, insurng the enormous
amount of nearly $4,000 900 OOO was to be statsti-
cally investigated. In the language of the Com
mittee, whether these companies are sound or
mot whether the people may rely upon the
"safe investment of the money which they
| "have put into their hands, will altogether de-
"pend upon the way in which they are con-
"ducting their business, and we propose by