Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1880-05-21
SUMMARY OF CENsUsLAws.
What Is Expected Of the Emu
mentors and Heads Of Fami-

What Is Expected Of the Emu
merators and Heads Of Fami-
lies, SC.
The officers OF the census who call at
dwellings are styled "enumerators."
Each Of them is authorized by law TO
make the inquiries and get the answers
required by the law; each OF them will
have duly executed commission, and
is under oath to do his
duty faithfully, and is sub
ject to penalties OF fine and impris-
onment il he does not. The answers
he gets from heads OF families or bust
ness men, or from those who act for
them, are confidential communications,
and are not to be divulged to any one
except his official superiors, and these
are under the same oath and subject to
the same penalties II they make unau-
thorized communications concerning the
answer they get in the line Of their duty.
The making OF false returns by the
"enulnerators" or supervisors" Is also
punishable by fine and imprisonment.
sEcREsY IN CERTAIN CASES.
These provisions OF the Census law
are mentioned 10 remind the public
that, while the Government provides Tor
making inquiries as To personal matters
for the purpose Of enlightenIng the law
making powers in the exercise OF their
duties, it takes care that information OF
a personal nature or touching individual
business shall not be revealed by the
officers employed to collect it. For this
as well as other reasons, the census
takers should be aided and expedited in
their duties. Census statistics are capa-
BILE Of being used TO the highest advan-
tage of the people as guides to legisla-
ton, and, indeed, there is a wide range
OF subjects upon which there can be no
intelligent-and possibly no sale leglsla-
tion-without such statistics collected at
short intervals. The law also imposes
duties on heads OF families and
heads of business houses or their au-
thorized agents, in the matter OF giving
the information asked for by law.
Every person over twenty years OF age
belonging to any family, in an enumera-
tors district, is required by law to give
census information, il requested TO do
so by the enumeratCr, supervisor or SUI
perintendent, and is punishable by hne
for refusing to do so.
FAMILY AFFAIRS.
Among the personal and family mat
ters about which the enumerators are
required 10 ask heads OF families, or in
their absence, the nearest accessible per-
son over twenty years OF age, who can
give the information are the following:
Name, age, sex, color, ana
place OF birth OF every per-
son dwelling in the house or with the
family; the trade, profession or occupa-
ton OF every adult male over fifteen
years of age, and whether the adults are
married, widowed or single-and II mar
ried, whether married within the year;
also the school attendance OF the child
rem within the year; what members OF
the family (if any over twenty years oil
age who are unable to read and write;
whether persons in the family are-em-
ployed ale unemployed, and during
what portion of the year; what relation
eace person in the household bears to
the head OF the house; the place OF birth
: OF the parents OF each person enumer.
ated; and the mental and physical
health of each person, whether active or
disabled, married, crippled, bedridden,
deaf, dumb, blind, insane or idiotlc.
BUSINESS CONCERNS.
Some of these are close questions,
concerning matters that most people do
not care 10 talk about to strangers; but,
when il is considered the communica-
tons are needed by the government Tor
it's uses, and arc, made confidential by
law, there should be no hesitancy IN
giving them freely to the enumerators.
In matters OF business, trade, agrlcult.
ure, manufactures, commerce, mining,
railroading, other transportation, lnsur-
ance, expressing, telegraphing, and
kindred subjects, the inquiries take. a
broad range, and in some respects the
information to be- thus collected will be
an improvement on all former censuses.
This, il may be repeated, is guarded IN
the same way a. To its privacy as family
matters are. The enumerators are
bound by oath, and under severe pen
alties of fine and imprisonment, to re-
veal il to no one, except in their official
reports to official superiors, and they
are bound in tho same way. There are
provisions also for collecting the valua-
ton Of real and personal estate, by ag'
gregaies from towns, cities and coun-
ties; the aggregates of taxes assessed for
all purposes; the number OF colleges,
academies, schools of all kinds and
school funds; the number, character
and condition OF public libraries; Stats
tics of newspapers and periodicals; the
seasons and the crops; prices OF labor;
matters relating tn religious worship;
and Of pauperism and crime. Some OF
this, IA well IA much that relates to
mortality, railroads, telegraphs, insur-
ance &c, taxes, valuation ana real es.
tate, il % be got through corporate au.
thorities or other agencies outside OF
the enumerators. All Of il is important
for government purposes, and should
be given promptly and cheerfully 10
those authorized by the law to make
the inquiries and collect the iniorma-
ton.
The mystery has been solved at last;
Our teeth no longer need decay,