The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1880-06-01
THE CENSUS.

To-day the supervisors and enumerators
begin to take the tenth census throughout
the Union, and the entire work must be
completed by July first, two weeks being all
the time allowed in cities. The census law
now in force was passed by the last Congress
and was drawn up principally by Gen. Fran
els A. W Superintendent of Censu 5.
Under the law certain statistical facts have
been taken fr m the hands of the onumera
tors and placed in the hands of experts and
special agents, and in this separate branch
of the work several important investigations
wero put on foot some months ago.
These are the fisheries, which heretofore have
been but blank in tho census booes.
Professor Baird, Secretary of tho Smithso.
Man Institute and President Of the Fish Com
mission, has this branch in charge. Next
come "tho mining industries" embracing
"the precious metals' and "the non precious
metals and coal" Then there is "power
and machinery used in manufactures +"
"the defective, delinquent and dependent
classes" including the deaf and dumb,
blind insane, idiotc, and criminal and paul
pcrs; "the social statistics Of cities -
statistics of special branches of manulac-
ture;" special branches of agriculture :"
'mortuary statistics" The principal work OF
the enumerators will be the counting of the
people, though they will have u great many
questions of a general nature to ask 1t is
reasonable to infer that every ono in tho land
knows the object in taking tho census. 1t is
done only once in every ten years,and it is that
tho increase of population in the various
States and of the Union as whole may be
known; that the varied products of tho coun-
try may be as ertained, and full knowledge
Of the advancement, development and pros
perity of the entire country in every
respect and particular arrived st
This being true, and this
being fully understood it is safe to infer
also that the questions of all enumeralors
will be, ms they ought to be- fully and
promptly answered. 1t should be matter
of pride with every citizen to do this thing,
and as the work begins to-day, and it is prob
able that the head OF every family that is
every man, may not be at homo when the
enumerator comes around, he should give
those who represent him ut home information
of the coming and instructions to answer all
questions accurately and without demur.
These cnumerators are officers of the United
States authorized by law to ask the questions
on their schedules and to enforce answers to
them. Furthermore these answers are con.
iidential communications not to be
divulged to any one except the officers
of the central bureau, and consequently not
to be used to any ones detriment in any DOS
slble way. The questions to be answered will
be, name, age, sex, color, and place of birth
of every one in the house; whether married or
single; trade or occupation; if married,
when; school attendance of children; whether
any in the family cannot read or write
the relationship Of the members of family
their mental and physical health whether
any have died within year, and if so, from
what causes. In the country detailed par
ticulars will have to be given of the value of
real and personal property, its eneumbrances
and its products; quantity and value of diff.
ferent crops last year, and number and value
of live stock. 1t will be well for every ore
to consider carefully of these questions and
be prepared to make answer when they are
put.