, 1880-01-22
Census Chat.

? s'o,onl lent Of the Census, recently
P' Kew York Tribune reporter an
s'.,rn. o.. the arrangement $ ho has
81 for taxing the census. He said ::
aWs M cynaao % complete the work with
:. n. single moa.h OF June, 1880, and
,b,D = employ about 10000 persons to do
:. There sill ba two distinct depart
IFS ~ Of the census. First, the enumer-
" .tor propar, which includes the count
- tbe population, with the ordinary
~ Oo,;al and vital statistics. Originally
.Js census was only for the purpose of
Sptermining political representation, and
each household was reported as unit,
with its members roughly classified, not
oven names and ages being taken; but
tbe law of 1850 gave wide scope to the
work. and called for the name, age, sex,
color, place Of birth, occupation, ability
to read and write, and 50 forth, OF each
person. These constitute the main
labor of the census, and its most valua-
BILE results. In other countries, where
popular representation is not involved,
these form the only purpose of census.
This was the first country to institute q
periodical census, beginning in 1870;
England following III 1901" 5.,
"ls it not unusual to DO this work in
so short a time as one month"; a i.a
ayes. Ana in the large cities it will
be done in two weeks, thus reducing the
errors arising from omission or dupllta-
ton. Heretofore, while the enumer-
alton has had reference to single day,
namely, the lst of June Of every tenth
wear, it has been extended over q period
Of five months or longer. The conse-
ouence has been that, through their
moving about, many persons have been
counted twice, while others have not
been counted at all. The annual mi
grations during the last twenty years,
from north to south and from east TO
west, have been source of considerable
error. So, also, has the habit of going
into the country in the Summer. Places
that in December contain two or three
hundred inhabitants, may in August
have many thousands. But, at best, it
is next to impossible entirely to avoid
duplication. The place where q man
belongs is one of the most difficult items
the enumerations have to deal with.
The census machinery is not fitted to
do work requiring nice discrimination.
Where the work is spread over SO long
time as live months the most complete
arrangements would fail to prevent error
when so many opportunities are offered
by the rapidly increasing Summer mi
grafton. In the Summer people leave
the South by hundreds Of thousands,
while cities all over the country are at
thatseasonvery inadequately
The increase in age between June lst
and the time the enumerat comes
around is Theoretically unimportant, as
none are taken who are born after the
LIST; but the law of 1870 required the
date Of birth to he taken, and eliminated
even that error, which in the aggregate
amounted to many thousands and con-
stituted dist ict blemish in making
comparisons with other censuses erron-
neous. The rapid count also eliminates
error from deaths as well as birt,.a after
the day from which the census dates.
"On what plan are the enumerating
districts determinedP
"Ihat is another distinctive feature of
Importance in the present census Those
districts are to be formed by the Depart
ment Of the interior, with reference to
the exgencirs of the enumeration In
1880 the districts were the same as the
judicial districts, which had no reference
to facility for counting the population.
For insta ce, in 1870 one district con
tanned G,0OO inhabitants and another
100000. Now, also, for the first time,
the supervising officers are to be selected
with special reference to their fitness for
the work. Formerly the United Mar
shals performed that duty, although ap-'
pointed for altogether different pur.
poses."
"Are the Supervisors to be paid as
expertsp
"They are to receive $500 each, in
tull Tor services and expenses. Allow
ance for clerk hire may be made at the
discretion Of the Department at Wash
ington."
What will the enumerators receive q
Their compensation will be fixed by