Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1880-01-30

There have been three statutes regulating
the census previous to the present one, viz.
the original act of 1890, that of 1900, COM
hitting the charge of il to the State Depart
ment, and that of 1850, organizing a census
bureau in the Department of the Interior
where it still remains. Under the act gov
erning the last two eensuses, each United
States marshal was the supervising officer of
his district with the appointment of subordi-
mates. The great and immediate value of the
census is its bearing upon popular represen-
tation, the constitution ordering its re-appor-
tionment on this basis, which re-apportion-
ment goes into operation by statute on the
4th of March in the third year thereafter. 1t
was felt that the former mode of supervision
was not equitable to one of the two great po-
litcal parties, and that the legitimate duties
of the marshals left them too little time for
the proper discharge of this delicate duty.
Accordingly the present supervisors just APP
pointed by the President ON recommends
ton of the superintendent, supposed to be
selected for fitness only, without regard to
political considerations, are themselves bound
by the act to choose their subordinates for
the same reasons, and those only. The su-
perysors number 100 their districts covering
the whole country, being specifically an
nounced from the census office. For the ac-
curacy and completeness Of the entire bust
ness of his district each supervisor is person
ally responsible. or these districts Vermont
constitutes one, New Hampshire one. Maine
two, Rhode Island one, Massachusetts one,
Especially treated), Connecticut two, Pennsyl-
vania ten, and New York eleven, of which
New York city is one. The compensation is
only $500. scarcely enough to cover the ne
cessary expenses, our government being more
nggardly in appropriations for this class Of
Chilled luhnr than anV Otlpr Df the great
ers but this greatly tends to eliminate the
undesirable political element from the case.
Each district is subdiyided by the supervisor
into sub-districts none Of which shall con.
tain over 1000 population 10y the census Of
1870, with boundaries clearly defined by nat
ural or other lines, over each Of which he APP
points an enumerator, who is required to
make personal visit to every house. The
number to each onumerator is only one-fifth
that in 1870 for the sake of greater efficiency,
there being about 100 in Vermont and their
compensation il two cents for each living in
habitant two cents for each death, ten cents
for each farm and fifteen cents for each es-
tablishmcnt of productive industry. The
work of enumeration is to begin on Monday,
the first day of June, TO be taken everywhere
rs Of that date, and to Toe completed on or be-
| fore July LIST. except in cities of more than
| 10 600 by the census Of 1870, where II must
be done by the 18th of June fine is i'm
posed for obstructing the enumerator in the
discharge of his duties and householders
| schedules may be distributed beforehand to
facilitate the collection Of statistics, as has
been successfully done in England.
The work of preparation at the census Of
! fec in Washington has been already for
months in progress. Next June and later
hundreds of clerks will be busy in the work
Of copying and computation and in the
midst of them Superintendent Walker with
his hand on The telegraph key, will issue or
ders and receive dispatches like general at
headquarters during a hot engagement So
much time has been necessarily consumed in
the compilation OF previous censuses that
when fully published they have had little but
"a historical interest, that Of $50 not being in
print until 1SGG, nor that Of 1870 until 1872
But it is confidently hoped by the superin-
| tendent that he will be able 10 publish the re-
suits Of this one during the present year.