Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1879-12-17
THE NEXT CENSUS.
From The Springfield Qll) Journal.


been published relative to the census of
1880, there exists so much confusion and
uncertainty in regard to the manner in
which the work is going to be done, and
especially in regard to the method of the
appointment of Supervisors and emu
merators, that Journal reporter con-
cluded to interview Secretary F. HI.
Wines, of the State Board of Charities,
upon the subject. In response to the
interviewer's inquiries Mr.. Wines gave
a brief statement of the matters about
which he was questioned, substantially
as follows:
Every census taken in the United
States or in other countries has been
taken by enumerators, but the laws may
vary widely in respect to the manner of
their appointments and the extent of the
district each one covers. The old census
law devolved the duty of taking the CEN
sus upon the United States Marshals.
The Marshals were appointed for entirely
different purposes, and took no special
interest in the census. Under the old
law the territory assigned to the Deputy
Marshals was comparatively large.
The new law has made important
changes in these respects. Instead of
the supervision of the work being con-
fined to the Marshals new office has
been created. About 200 Census Super
visors will be appointed, eight in 1lli-
nois. They will have charge Of the Sc
lection OF the enumerators These Super
visors are nominated by the President
and confirmed by the Senate, and these
appointments will soon be made. When
they are confirmed they will receive APP
plications from persons in their districts
who desire to be appointed enumerators.
But instead of an enumerator having
charge OF a whole county, an enumera-
tors district will probably not have to ex-
ceed 5000 or 1000 population, according
to the last census and these districts will
probably correspond closely with the
township boundaries.
The enumerators will be selected from
certain classes of persons having eXper-
ience in filling blanks, such as school
teachers, county Postmasters, country
physicians in actual practice, township
assessors, and collectors, Ste. The Super
visors, after receiving the applications,
and determining who are the best quail
fed, will forward the list to Washington
for approval by General Walker, the
Superintendent of the Census. Then
the appointments of the enumerators will
| be made.
The law has never provided for pro-
curing special statistics otherwise than
by the enumerators, but the present law
authorizes General Walker to appoint
special agents, experts in their depart
ments, to secure economical and social
statistics This portion of the census
work promises to be Of even greater value
and more general interest to the country
than the ordinary details as to population.
The scope of this work, and the thorough
ness with which it will be conducted is
shown by the list of the experts appoint
ed and the departments intrusted to them
as follows:
On the production of cotton-Professor
E. W. Hilgard, University of California.
The manufacture of cotton-Edward
Atkinson, Boston.
The production of cereals-Professor
William Brewer, New Haven.
Railroads.. II. Goodspeed, Boston.
| The manufacture of iron-James NJ.
Swank, Philadelphia
The social statistics Of cities-George
E. Waring, Jr., Newport, r. |.
The manufacture of wood-George
William Bono, Boston.
Fire and marine nsurance-Charles
A. Jenny, New York
Power and machinery used in manu-
factures-Professor w. P. Trowbridge,
Columbia College, New York.
Wages and the manufacture Of glass
and coke-Joseph d. Weeks, Pittsburg
Fishing interests and industries Pro
fessor G. Brown Goode, Smithsonian In
stitute, Washington.
The production, transportation and ex-
portation of meats-Clarence Gordon,
Newberry, New York.
Forests and the numbering industries.
Professor Charles S. Sargent, Harvard
University.
Agriculture-Jacob S. Dodge, Wash
ington.
Mining east of the Mississippi-Pro-
fessor Raphael Pompelly, Newport, R..
The detective dependent and delin-
qICuC CldtSoCS, IICluulISo DtdIIotlSo Ill 10
gard to pauperism, crime, insanity, idiocy
deafmuteism and blindness-F. Fl. Wines
Springfield
Each Of these experts conducts his in
vestigations according to his own meth
ods, receiving such aid from Washington,
as is deemed necessary Their investiga-
tions are largely conducted by correspon-
dence, but also by travel, and they will
call upon the enumerators to procure
such information as they have been un-
able to secure by other means in advance.
Each one being an acknowledged expert
in the department of work assigned him,
and enjoying unusual facilities for pro-
curing information, the reports prepared
by such authorities under such circum-
stances cannot but prove very valuable.
Mr.. Wines has the work of his depart
ment thoroughly organized and under
way, having already procured bushels
of statistics. Part of the work is done
here, where five expert clerks are en-
ployed, and part at Washington.