The Northern Pacific farmer. [volume] (Wadena, Minn.) 1878-1885, 1880-07-08
THE CENSUS OF 1880.
Some Interesting Facts About this
Census and Censuses i'm General.

Tile CENSUS OF 1880.
some Interesting Facts About this
Census and Censuses i'm General.
The term census is of old Roman
origin, group of the many functions
performed by the high officer called
censor having received the name cen
sus. In modern acceptation it is AN
official enumeration Of persons, their
property generally, with such facts as
tend to show their moral, social, phys
1cal and industrial condition" In the
Pentateuch the enumeration of the
people is enjoined, and the most an
Gent statistical record of the kind is
that OF Moses in the wilderness. There
is record of Chinese census made by
command of the Emperor Fee, 2042 B.
C.;. and of one in Japan under Mikado
SuJqn IN the last century before Christ.
Under the constitution of Scion the cit
lzens OF Athens were divided and regis
tered IN four classes, according to the
amount of their taxable property or in
come.
The Roman census originated under
Servlus Tullius, the sixth King of Rome,
III the distribution of citizens into class
es, IN a most solemn manner on the
Campus Martius, where every citizen
had to appear, and to declare upon oath
his name and dwelling, the number and
age of his children, and the value of
his property, under penalty of having
his goods contiscated, and of being
scourged and sold for slave. The
whole population was divided into six
classes, based upon proper qualifica-
tons; improvements were made under
Augustus.
In the sixteenth century came into
vogue the practice of keeping church
registers of birth, marriages and deaths.
out of which grew the modern systems
Of recording the movements of the pop-
ulation, Peter the Great, in 1719. had q
census taken of the male population
for purposes of CONSUMPTION, additions
being made until 1902, when a "Cen-
trail Bureau of Statistics" was organized
which was reorganized in 1852. From
l859-67 the Russian census grew to in
clude legal population, information
with reference to sexes, number of
houses in towns, churches, chapels, in
situations, manufacturing establish
ments, etc.
In Prussia census taking dates back
to Frederick William l., and was inn
proved under Frederick II. The EMU
meration embraces mechanics, medi-
cine, religion, ETC., and is made by civil
officers on one day in December. The
new German Empire, on December l.
1871, took a census for the first time,
The German states, for the most part,
take a census triennially. Austria's
census was first taken in 1884, and I'M
til 1867 was used entirely for military
purposes. It is taken every three
years.
The science Of statistics has been
more cultivated in Sweden than in anv
other country. The practice dates back
to 1886, and has been carried to a high
state of perfection. In Turkey the cen
sus is taken for conscription The first
taken in France was in 100; it is now
taken at quintennial periods, Denmark
being the only other country that takes
its census every five years The United
States, Great Britain and Ireland, Hol-
land, Belgium, Switzerland, Portugal,
Sweden and Norway, on the other hand
do the work every ten years.
It has been remarked by eminent ALL
thority on this subject that in Ireland
the greatest progress has been made.
The first census was taken in 1911, but
was not considered trustworthy. An
English report says: "Prior to 1911 the
Irish enumerators were persons taken
from the general community. In the
pears 1871, 81, 81, II, the census was
taken by the constabulary and police
under the control of the officers of these
forces; their knowledge rendered them
particularly suited for this undertaking,
and their position throughout has af-
forded us a sufficient staff of efficient
enumerators, over whom the govern
ment continues to exercise control.
They are, we have reason to believe,
personally acquainted with every house
in their respective districts. Five thou
sand and ninety-six men belonging to
the constabularly. fifteen coast guards,
and 173 of the Dublin metropolitan DO
lice were employed as enumerators."
DR.. Jarvis, who is considered the high
est authority on the subject, says that
the Irish census of 1871, 81, 81, taken
by the constabulary police, is among
the best in the world.
The origin of the American census
may be traced to the colonial period,
when the British board of trade caused
enumerations to be made for CONNER
cial purposes. The census of the
United States presents the unusual fact
of being ardained by the constitution of
the government, and really at the very
birth of the government itself in 1890.
It was then decided to take a census
every ten years as a political necessity.
General James A. Garfield presented, in
1870, bill to take from the control Of
marshals the collecting of census re-
o,,I J.