The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1880-03-26

ln0 SCHOOLS were given VacaIlOu IOf
the purpose, and, as in England, the
printed schedules were all collected in
one day. The enumerators were enrolled
some days in advance, and each had
special district assigned him.
FRANCE
Had no census worthy of the name until
the beginning of this century, although
as early as 17O7 Vauban, the great engi-
| neer and scholar, suggested the idea of
taking census as basis for reform in
the system of taxation, in volume ad-
dressed to King Louis XIV But the
book gave great offense to. the vain mon
arch because it assumed that the glory of
the realm consisted of its people and
wealth. He, therefore, had the book
seized and burned in the pillory. and
| forbade any bookseller to sell it under
heavy penalties. Vauban survived the
| shock but six weeks and died of broken
| heart.
The prevailing French census system
| is regarded as unsatisfactory by leading
French statisticians, its great weak point
| being the employment of municipal Off
GERS as enumerators, method that is
| highly detrimental to accuracy, owing to
the levying of certain general taxes on q
basis of population, thus afording con-
stant temptation for the making of incor-
rect returns. Under the French system
the population is divided into two
classes-the floating and the resident,
the former comprising the military, the
inmates of public and private educational
establishments, penal and charitable in
stitutions, members of religious orders,
political eXiles, etc., while the resident
class comprises both regular and transi-
ent inhabitants not included in the fore
going. The floating population is esti-
mated on a fixed day by the authorities
| having control over 1.-THE resident by
municipal officers within fixed period
of several weeks. In practice it has been
found difficult to distinguish accurately
between the tive classes
THE BELGIAN SYSTEM
Of census-taking is very efficient. The
census is taken every ten years, and the
population returns form the basis of rep
resentation. Three schedules, printed in
Flemish, French and German, are dis
tributed and collected throughout the
kingdom by special census agents, and
4 both the distribution and collection are
made in one day. In each province tenn
porary census bureaus are established
for the reception of the returns of the
agents, after their revision by the COM
| AoAAeSA uhAOo-ooaAOo dPlolhOOo 1O1 CICh
community from among the officials and
private citizens. Special schedules are
provided for schools and public institu-
tions, and the military authorities have
charge of the army census. Refusal to
| give information to the census agents is
punishable by fine and imprisonment.
The census is taken once in ten years by
| m un6 n mi CTR of
one day, by means of printed schedules,
previously distributed. These call for
| information under the heads of actual
population by age, sex, civil, state and
domestic relations, families, habitations
and places of nativity, religion, language,
| physical and mental infirmities, occupa-
ton, emigration and immigration; aggre-
cations of populations by communes; ag-
gregations of habitations. The national
bureau of statistics has the general direc-
ton of the census, the returns being OBJ
tanned through the agencies of projects
and sub-prefects, and Mayors and other
officials, and then revised by local COM
missions appointed throughout the king
dom. and consolidated in census bureaus,
temporarily established in every province
and in each subdivision of province.
OTHER COUNTRIES.
The Austrian census is taken once in
every six years, by means of printed
schedules, the system being similar to
that OF Italy. The old system, prevail
ing in Austria previous to 1857, made
the military needs of the State its prin-
cipal motive, but, under the new law en-
acted in that year, public statistical in
| quiries were recognized as indispensable
| to the safe conduct of public affairs gen.
orally. The enumerations comprise the
| population and the useful domestic ami
| mails.
In Norway the census is taken every
| ten years, and every five years statistics
are gathered as to the condition of in
dustry.
In Russia the census is taken once in
ten years, by means of printed schedules,
distributed by the local administrative
authorities. The period for the taking
of the census is fixed by the Govern
ment, and for the Asiat1c provinces
larger term is allowed than for the Euro
pean The statistical machinery of Rus
sia is very elaborate and extensive. but
its workings are hardly satisfactory, ow-
ing to the ignorance of subordinate
officials.
Besides the United States, censuses are
to be taken, this year, in Russia, Nor
way, Denmark and Switzerland, and next
year in Great Britain, France, Italy and
Spain. The census of no other country
is said to be SO full and comprehensive
in social, industrial and geographical in
formation as that of the United States.
IN ANCIENT TIMES.
As has been stated. census taking goes
as far back as historical knowledge ex-
tends. Moses had census of the He
brews taken during the exodus, and King
David instituted census, three days
after the taking of which pestilence
broke out and destroyed 10000 men.
This was regarded as Judgment, and in
consequence there has ever since been
superstition regarding enumerations of
the people, in both Mohammedan and
Christian communities, especially in the
former. Enumerations made in New
York and New Jersey, in the early part
of the last century, were unsuccessful,
largely owing to this superstition. Gov.
Burnet, of New Jersey, wrote: Z was
advised that it might make the people
uneasy, they being, generally, of New
England extraction, and, thereby, en-
thusiasts, and that they would take it for
q repetition of the same sin that David
committed in numbering the people, and |
might bring on the like judgments. p