Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1880-12-09

thrown on the defensive, and under
embarrassments he did not expect,
and his troubles never cease until, at
the end of months, ne gets the paltry
pay. that the census Office cuts down
to the lowest figure and delays to the
last moment Whether the law means
one thing or another, its interpreted
ton is always liberal when he is en-
ployed, and the reverse when he Is
paid.
All this affects the accuracy and
value of the census itself. No one
but the census enumerator can tell
whether the population of any dis
trict is liable to error or not, or can
specify or answer as to the causes of
liability. There may be mistake as
to the location of a certain street be-
! tween two districts, and neither cnum-
orator took it at all. Several such
instances are known TO the writer.
An institution having two hundred
inmates may be assigned to special
return, and may not be taken by either
party. In their indignation at not
| being paid the canvassers may retain
their papers, in whole or in part, and
not return them to the Office. The
writer recovered such papers III several
cases in 1870
All this having been the constant
experience of the census in 1870, as
in fact in all previous cases, why was
not provision made for the correction
of such errors in 1880? On the
contrary, the enumerator ia the pres
ent census has less preparation than
ever. He does not know what he is
to do, or whether he is to do anything,
until the very hour he takes the field
with his portfolio. Under wholly
false expectations, as to his compen-
sation at least, he starts in work
which he might do well if he we're
properly supported and paid; but dis
appointed in all these matters, he is
very likely to get out of it the very
shortest and easiest way, and certain
not to go over his own ground and
make corrections or repair omissions.
In the country districts omissions
of every class will be greater in 1880
than even in 1870. 1t is the estimate
of the ablest supervisors in the coun
ties that the agricultural returns will
be thirty per cent. short, including
crops, animals, and farm statistics
generally. The hurry of the census
office did not permit a canvasser to go
back over his ground al all, and the
farmers were often too busy to answer,
or reluctant to estimate their produce.
The enumerator could not wait and
could not call again. Not being pre-
pared for the skillful cross-questioning,
which alone will bring out the facts,
both the officer and the farmer easily
got in state of practical dis gree
ment, resulting in a refusal to be taken
on one side, or to take the business on
the other; so each punished the other
for an apparent discourtesy, and the
census got the worst of it.
The absurd statistics of agriculture
in the census of 1870 are perfectly
well known, yet no local supervision
has been provided in 1880, through
which alone they can be corrected.
No one could describe the worthless
ness Of many of those returns more
vigorously than the superintendent of
the census did in his final report He
charged those errors to the "clumsy,
Anticipated, and barbarous'' census
law of 1850, and said that "the
country has suffered more than enough
already Of loss and discredit on &C
count of the wretched insuficiency
and appropriateness of this i'll con-
structed and outgrown statute" It
is, tn erefore, incumbent on the super
intendent to succeed in making the
present law effective, and to secure
true return Of all the subjects of
enumeration. The law of 1880 was
made to suit him, and It's administra-
ton is practically without reserve or
limitations.
Continued meet aceek