The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1879-08-25
TAKING THE CENSUS.
How the Work VIII ne Donc-The Emu.
OH. mernfion

AV nc Asllls
meratIon.
A New York reporter the other day in
terviewed Prof. Francis A Walker, Super
%intendcnt Of the Census, as to his general
plan Of collecting census returns, and as
to the progress which has thus far been
made in the work. Prof. Walker said that
the census year began on June /, 1870,
and that the statistics to be published as
indicating the ten years progress would
be for the twelve months from that date.
The actual enumeration OF the inhabitants
of the country will not begin until June1,
1880, and the country will be divided for
that purpose into very small districts, so
that the work can be completed in cities
OF over ten thousand inhabitants in two
weeks, and one month in the rural dis
tricts. The enumerators are all vet to be
appointed, and their duties will include.
also, the collection Of a large quantity Of
information on general subjects for the
census year. The selection Of these emu.
meratcrs will devolve, subject to the ap.
proval OF the superintendent, on tho Su-
pervisors OF the Census, OF whom one
hundred and fifty are to be appointed BY
the President and contirmedb BY the Senate.
The duties which at present are occupy
ing the attention of the census officers at
Washington are the dividing OF these one
hundred and fifty districts, and the assign.
ment Of the collecting OF information on
special subjects to experts in various de-
partments. The first is a more serious
task than it would seem at first thought,
because the data on which the division Is
based embraces alargefeld; aSupervisor's
district being large or small, not simply
according to the density OF the population,
but also according to the ease or difficulty
denomination ,thenumber ofmenftfor
the duty OF compiling which the district is
likely 10 contain, and the intellectual
status Of the population. Thus far each
State has been assigned its quota, New
York having II OF the 1850, and Penn
sylvania 10. There yet remains tho
difficulty OF marking out the limits Of
the individual districts within the States,
and for this purpose communication has
been had with the Governors and Con-
gressmen OF the various States. 1t is
hoped that this work will be completed
by October 10, and %thereupon the select
ing Of the supervisors will begin. The
qualifications for these positions will en-
brace, in addition to general intelligence,
a personal acquaintance with the district,
and some previous experience in compil.
ing statistics. From the time OF their
appointment until the following June
the duties oil 1.-THE supervisors will be slight,
consisting principally in investigating
the testimonials Of candidates for the
enumerators' positions. When the emu.
meratlon begins, the returns OF the vari.
GUS districts will be made to the superin.
tendent through them.
The selection OF experts has advanced al.
ready to considerable extent, and some
OF them have already begun to collect
statistics in their various departments
Both OF these features are new to the
present census. Hitherto It has been
customary to intrust the whole work il
enumerators, and to leave Il altopethel
until the close OF the census year. The
disadvantages OF this system lay in thu
. fact that the number Of men competen
for certain branches in the country wa
exceedingly limited, and that the colleet
ing Of statistics on subjects like mortality
!. and diseases for a year that had passed
was not possible with decided accuracy
These greatindustries which are exclusive
! ly confined TO- particular districts, Tx
the cotton industry or the trade ii
iron, are now intrusted 10 expert
who attend to the collection OF the stats
tics Of these subjects throughout the en-
tire country. The cooperation Of thl
physicians OF the country asbeen secure
Z in the matter Of mortality and disease
through the circulation Of some sixt
thousand pamphlets ofinstructionsamon
them, which, In asvast number Of ID
stances, have already met with iavorabl
t answers. This method OF compiling sd
tistics while the events are occurring Wi
involve much more expense than the d
wayof doing the work OF the end OF III
: year in three months; but the good effect
. Prof. Walker says, In the shape Of Il
u creased accuracy andin the breadth oftt
Y field covered, will more than compensa
for this.