The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1872-02-02

!, UVu,VUU, WHICH make up the UlueIs
snce between the actual and the pro-
ected population. These are, first, the
of increase in the colored
which is only 430,179,
against 1000, 900, which might have
been expected. Second, the direct
loss from wounds and disease, which
is claimed as moderate estimats
makes 500, GOO, in the united armies.
The Confederate loss is also estimated
at $4,000. Third, the indirect loss be
the war, from the withdrawal OF
body of men averaging 1,500,W W IN
between the ages OF 10 and
45, from domestic life, and the conse-
quent decrease in the number Oh mar
RACES and children begotten. The
loss by this cause must have been very
great, but no numerical estimate is
given. Fourth, the indirect loss oc-
casioned by the check given to immi-
grafton, which is reckOned at $50, 600. |
The notorious falling off. in the num-
Der OF children born to American
parents in the Middle and Eastern
States, since the early days of the |
country, is alluded to as fifth cause. |
The substantial correctness of the
Of the people At this cen
sus is claimed, and il is believed.it has
been as honestly and csrefuily per
formed in every part of the country
as at any time before. ..D
The real faults of the census are
those not generally complained OF
They are due to the praciiced system
of enumeration established by law
The period in round numbers is one
hundred days which the law allows
assistant marshals in completing their
returns. Now, where the enumera-'
ION of a people is extended over such
4 period If time, a de factO euumera-
ton is, of course, impossible. The
country must be content with an emu
meration which affords, in its very ma
'ure, but an approximation, more or
less inexact, to the real number of in
habitants.
After full review of the facts adj
duced by experience, the report de-
cides in favor of a system which shall
provide for a complete umeration of
the whole country in single day, ex-
;ept the purely agricultural districts
n three days more, with an extern
sion of thirty days for certain portioGs
of the mining States and territories.
The liability Of duplication under
the present system is noticed. To
est this liability the catalogues of
iarge number of institutions of learn
ing for 1859 go were recovered, aud on
comparison with the manuscript re-
rurns of the eighth census it was found
hat large number of the students OF
he country were taken twice, anC
some of them three times. They were
taken once at the institutions when al
.chool, and once with their families in
the towns where they resided, and in
some instances besides at another
family where they took their meals
r''.n rooming at the institution dor
mitories.
.neieport, in speaking further of the
defects of the law, objects TO the super
iutendence by United States M:r5hals
of the census enumeration; for one
reason, because they are appoint
ed with reference to fitness for
very different duties; and for another,
that the formation of districts to
which they are appointed is determin-
ed by reasons not st all in harmony
i
| ne grand division ofthe country for the
census enumeration.
at would be impossible" says the
report, "to find language too strong
| for the embarrassment which the SER
| vice has suffered from this inadequacy
f the provisions of law in respect 10
compensation. Probably not less
| han 2009 assistant marshais have
been kept from throwing up their pO-
-itions solely for the fear of mourning
the penalty fixed by the fourteenth
| section of the act of 1850 Before the
| enumeration had well begun, it be-
| came necessary to refuse TO accept
designations upon any whatever,
except of pTotracted sickness. In
some districts perfect panic arose
when the difficulties of the work and
the meagerness OF the pay became
accept designations, a general stan-
| pede would have occurred, which
| would have made it simply impossible
| To carry forward the work. In cases
where death or the protracted sickness
an assistant made it absolutely nee
essary to fill a vacancy, the difficulty
| providing for the continuance of the
work has been extreme. Some dis
| tricts have remained for weeks, and
| even for months, without person be-
| iug found of any condition or charac-
ter who would undertake the duty.
In single instances inaTshals have
| been obliged to compensate assistants
| out of their own insufficient fees. In
| one instance, even, it has come to the
! knowledge of this office that the mar
| shall ola Southern State, after trying
ia vain by correspondence to find a
single person, black or white, who
would accept the office. has Oeen driv-
ell to sdvertire for an assistant in the
| public prints. 1t is not at all improb-
able that this disgracetul incident may
have been repeated in other districts.
The extension of the illiteracy
schedule to ascertain the number over
ten that can not read aud write. In
stead of over twenty, affords the ma
terial for table which will show the
lumber of those from ten to twenty
| who may yet be benefited by legisla-
ton directed to their education. The
total value of farm productions is Sc
cured by another important change.
A division of inquiries in the manu-
featuring schedules has resulted In the
collection, for the first time, of mate
rails for report of the steam and
water power employed in mauufac-
turing of the whole country. In the
schedule for social statistics the col
umn for seasons and crops was replac-
ed 10y one for "public debt" of towns,
cities, counties and States, rs being of
great importance at the present time
of the public credit.
Some OF the defects Of the law can
not be counteracted by any efforts of
administration. With some OF these
defects, however, there has been a
hard struggle, resulting in some evil
dent improvements. In the returns
of occupations this has been especially
marked.
Similar forts, with like good re-
suits, have been made to improve the
statistics of mortality. "The unknown
causes of death returned at the pres
ent census aggregate but II ,1eS, being
!. 81 per cent of the total deaths, not
violent, reported. The unknown
causes of death reported in 1860 were
80, 7o7, being 96l per cent of the total
deaths, not violent.
The manufacturing statistics have
been correspopdingly improved by tie
INSTRUCTION TO enumeratGTS. In 1850
only about 3 per cent. of the return
nf "kiuds and quantities" could be tab
mated! The result of a,ipliiis.raii,e
Iii ,;.s has iA.-eu IL :, cIIe - ;nii,.'t l;iI-
provemert in this parti.u'a, ~ 10 in
sure that from S0G0a 10 l1G,0G0 maru-
featuring establishments will be tabu-
q, L., -