The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1878-04-20
The Census or 1850.

together in preparing scheme for the next
census, and we hope that the houses VIII
agree to joint committee. We urge this
because previous experience shows that two
plans. separately prepared, are likely TO
clash and to cause the total failure OF both
or any bill proposed. This would not pre-
vent the taking of the census. because the
law Of 1850 provides that unless new act
is passed it shall be taken under that. But
there are several good reasons why that act
should be carefully amended and improved.
There is no doubt, for instance, that the
clause OF That act which directs the United
States marshals to superintend the census
in their districts ought to be changed Not
only are the marshals not necessarily
the most capable men for this work,
but to leave it to them imposes
on many OF them great labors and respon-
sibilities, while others, whose districts are
small or sparsely populated, have little
work to do Southern Florida, for instance,
is judicial and would be census district
with less than six thousand people, while
Northern New York, with two and half
and SO ere Massachusetts and Indiana If
superint endence is valuable the marshals
cannot be equally efficient in both classes Of
districts. bill for taking the ninth CEN
sus, which passed the House but failed in
the Senate directed the appointment Of one
District Superintendent for each Congress
sional district. General Walker, Superin-
tendent Of the last census, is understood to
think this plan preferable TO using the
marshals, but he prefers still another-that
the Secretary Of the Interior be authorized
to appoint one or more persons in each
fifty in the aggregate, and to ar
range the districts according to the
plan which shall seem most advantageous
on q survey Of the whole ground. This
would allow of single superintendent for
great city like New York, and would en-
able the separation Of cities from rural dis
tricts.
1t is also a question whether the census
should be taken on a fixed day. as it is in
Great Britain and some other countries, or
during longer period, by house to house
visitation of enumerators, as has been the
practice in this country. On the whole, we
think the plan which has hitherto been
used here is the best for this country but
the time within which the enumeration
shall be completed might be more narrowly
limited. One hundred days seems to us too
long a time to allow. 1t is probable that in
densely populated districts the work can be
done in much shorter time and ought to
be so done for the sake Of accuracy, while
among sparse populations o longer time
may be safely allowed.
The law OF 1850 contains six schedules or
heads Of inquiry. OF these. one, the slave
schedule, is Of course no longer needed.
Population, mortality and agriculture
might, General Walker thinks, be generally
intrusted to the regular enumerators, though
in large cities, where accurate official tables
Of mortality are kept, the mortality schedule
may be taken from the enumerators. But
the industrial and social schedules should,
he thinks, be intrusted TO specialists, who
should make complete returns for the sew
eral branches Entrusted to them. This sug-
gsstion is SO evidently proper and necessary
that we do not suppose it needs to be urged
upon the committees. The census is worth
less unless it is accurate; its value
in these departments depends upon its
fulness and the intelligence with which
the facts are collected. To accom-
plish this the census Office ought to
have discretion given it to use special
agencies for the collection Of manufac-
turing statistics The special force needed
for this purpose will not be large, but its
members must be selected with care and
with reference to the work. One capable
man can collect the manufacturing statis-
tics OF city like Worcester or indianapolis
better than all the enumerators employed
There should also be special experts to re-
port on the mining industries of the coun-
try, which hitherto have been inaccurately
reported in the census
But we trust the whole body Of interroga-
tories in the existing schedule will be
closely scrutinized and revised. The in
quiry about 'private libraries" for in
stance, might well be struck out The in
terrogatorics prescribed under the head of
''crime and pauperism' ought to be in
creased and made more precise. General
Walker thinks the questions relating to
"real and personal property" are merely
vexatious and should be omitted, and that
in the agricultural schedule only the great
crops should be included, while new ques-
tons might be usefully added.
With proper Difference to the judgment Of
so accomplished an expert rs General
Walker we venture to suggest that the
questions relating to real and personal prop
erty ough. not to be omitted in the census
of 1880; or, il omitted in general, they
should be retained and perhaps extended,
with reference to the colorcd population.
Time enough has elapsed since emancipa-