New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-11-27
CHARGES AGAINST GENERAL WALKER

HIS REILLY TO THE ACCUSATIONS OF LOUIS BLoD-
GETT, OF PHILADELPHIA, THAT lie MANIPULATRD
THE CENSUS RETURNS OF SEw-YoRK AND PHILA-
DELpHIA IN THE INTEREST OF FREE TRADE.
IBY TELEGRAPH TO The TRIBUNE.
BOsroN. Nov. 28.-General Walker, who has
been supervisor of the Census Bureau, and who Is
now president of the Institute of Technology. IS
charged by one or two Philadelphia persons with
fraudulently manipulating the census returns OF
New-York City and Philadelphia for the purpose OF
advancing the interests of free trade the charges
have been preferred by Louis Blodgett, OF Philade
phia and dispatch TO The Boston Sunday Globe says
that they he brought to the attention Of Con-
gress.
representative of The journal to-day
called on General Walker, who freely
expressed his contempt for the man who
prefers tho charges General Walker appointed
Bodget in 1870 to take the industrial census Of
Phi adelpha and charges HIM with attempting at
that time TO do Just what Blodgett now accuses
General Walker of doing. Il do not know" sald
General Walker, that single return from Phlla-
delphia pa ssed through my hands. could not at
tempt to examine returns in all departments There
was a force of 700 clerks to attend to such work"
General Walker says the secret Of the assault Is to
| he found in the history of the Philadelphia
census OF 1870, when Blodgett, without criminal
| intent or wiful violation Of his oath, probably,
swelled the returns of Philadelphia industries TO the
highest extent prejudicial Judgment would permit.
| The result was grossly inflated report, which
ranked the city far CHER than the real condition
of her industries warranted "The real basis of the
criticism" continued General Walker. probably
lies in the system of revision and classification en-
| ployed by the Census Bureau This revision at
tempts no anipuladon of facts except in the cor
recton of pap bic errors and 1t is the same as has
been employed by the Census Super
| visors since 1850. There is of
necessity, a wide margin for variation in honest
judgment on the part of agents taking an industrial
census, and uniformity must as far possible be
secured For Instance, IN returning the value OF
manufactured products an am litious agent will
often add the commercial profit and give figures
based. rhaps, on retail prices Of staple goods. In
1870. when the monopoly price of sewing machines
was $50 and the cost Of manufacture only about
BIB some agents estimated the value of the product
of sewing machine factories upon the first basis"
Concerning tho alleged inflated value of New
Yorks manufactures, General Walker says that
few have any idea of the extent and value of the IN
dustries of the metropolis, New-York Is rated as
principally commercial city. but street after street
of lofty buildings is used for warehouses on the
ground floor only, and expensive manufacturing Is
in full operation In the seven stories above. The
two great cities of the future in this country, re-
marked General Walker, incidentally will doubtless
| be New York aud Chicago. Phlladelpha Is large
and growing city, and General Walker had not the
slightest desire TO see her misrepresented but any
| attempted rivalry with New York was hopeless;
| Geueral Walker says that BlOdgett IS charged by
| the head of the Smithsonian Institution with hav-
| ing used in a private publication on the climate of
the country, facts which he was employed 70 gather
for that institution. The special agent OF the lass
Census on the subject of textile goods employed
Blodgctt TO compile list for Phlladelphla scr
vice for which he was Literally PAD. Whie IN
a small volume on the subject of the textile manu-
features of the city, written by Blodeett upon in
while emp Dyed by the Government on such service