River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1880-03-18
HOW ENGLAND TAX Els HER CENSUS
A Quick and Accurate Method OF Emu
meratiOn---The Population of the
United Kingdom Counted in Day.
Boston Herald

In Great Britain census has been
taken every ten years since 1901, and
the system Is NOW one OF the most per-
feet in existence. Until near the close
Of the last century, there was no real
method, and all previous estimations oil
the population Of the UAited Kingdom
were mere guesswork. It seems the
more strange that such should have
been the fact. considering that, in the
American colonies, enumerations OF
the population had often been made by
order Of the home government. In
1890, beginning was made in Scot
land by Sir John Sinclair, who, through
hls personal efforts in enlisting the CO.
operation of all the clergymen of the
established church, collected returns
which were OF great value, although
necessarily incomplete. After seven
years he completed his compilations,
and published the results in twenty-one
volumes, probably the greatest statieti-
cal work ever undertaken and carried
through by one private enterprise. Un-
der the system adopted in 1851, the CEN
sus in Great Britain is now taken in one
day, the 31st of March. In 1851, 30,610
enumerators were appointed in Eng
land and Wales by the 2,190 district
registrars in those countries, each emu
merator having distinctly defined dis
trict assigned to him. In Scotland the
thirty-two sherifts appointed the tenn
porary registrars generally school.
masters-and $3.50 enumerators. For
the smaller islands, the government ap-
pointed 257 enumerators, and in Ire
land the census was taken by the con-
stabulary. Some days before the cen
sus day printed schedules were deliv-
cred at every house or tenement; in
Wales these were printed in Welsh for
the benefit of the lower classes. These
schedules contained questions about
condition, age, sex, occupation, and
birthplace of every person in Great
Britain, and also as to the number of
the deaf, dumb and blind Measures
were taken to secure accurately the
names of night iaborers, persons out OF
the country, travellers, seamen, soldiers,
etc. These schedules were all filled up
on the night of March 1891, and were
taken up at an early hour on March 81,
the collector filling up the parts that
had been left blank through the negli-
gence or inability All unoccupied
houses and buildings in course of con-
struction were also noted. The floating
population-persons who spent the
nights in boats and barges, in barns,
sheds ETC., were required to be esti-
mated as nearly as possible. The emu
merators we're allowed one week to
make their returns in, and all tran
scribed, and the summaries and esti-
mates completed according to detailed
Instructions The district registrars
had to complete their revision of the
returns their subordinates in fort
night, paying particular attention to
nine specially defined points. These
revised returns were again revised by
the superintendent registrars" and
then transmitted to the census office.
The census was the most successful, in
quickness and accuracy, accomplished
in any country up 10 that time, and the
biggest success there ever WAS. The
same system has been pursued, with
little variation, ever since. The di-
gestion of the census reports by the
central authorities is conducted most
thoroughly and scientifically, and the
compilations are of the greatest value to
statisiicians and economists. The Brit
sh system has served as a model for
many other countries, where the cen
sus is now taken III one day by means
of printed schedules,