New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-12-12

The increase in number of hands employed
corresponds to the increase in population, Il cir
cumstance which may seem to have significance
and to render the figures valuable. But the fact
that the number of establishments reported is
practically not greater than 1t was ten years ago
Immediately suggests a doubt. 1t is possible
that the survival of the fittest" has enabled
the best equipped establishments to 50 crowd
out others that one-third more work is done
without increase in the number of concerns
But it is also possible that large classes of es-
Establishments which were included in the census
of 1870 are not included as manufacturing
establishments y at all in 1880. To what extent
this is the fact. cannot be determined even
approximately until the completed volumes
have been published and compared, nor even
then with any accuracy. For instance, under
boots and shoes, 30, 400 establishments were
included in 1870, and apparently only 1859 in
1880. Evidently shops engaged in custom
work and repairing are included, ut least III part,
in 1870, and,appear to be excluded in 1850. But
this single change in the kinds of concerns en-
braced as manufacturing necessarily affects all
the aggregates, and may render them entirely
valuelcss for comparison with those of any pre-
viOus census.
Upon consideration it will seem almost impOs-
sibe that there should not have been a great
change in this particular For no matter how
explicitly rules may be laid down, they could
not have been understood precisely alike by
census. takers in 1870 and in 1850, nor were the
rules laid down in fact precisely the same.
Indeed il is not possible that any rules should
have been understood exactly alike by all the
census-takers in any one year. By what con-
ceivable rules is it possible to avoid the omission
of some shOemakers, or carpenters, or tail0rs, or
dressmakcrs, or milliners, or backsmiths who
should have been includedY To suppose that
different instructions to different sets OF officials
at periods ten years apart resulted IN the exciu-
sion of the same kinds Of concerns, even approx
imately, is almost absurd.
1t is important to observe well this inevitable
Limitation of the value of a census at the very
outset, because the same principle extends to
thousands of points which it has been the habit
of students and writer's to compare. Thus there
are already Jealous people engaged in proving
that the wages of labor have advanced or de-
clined, that its efficiency has become greater or
less, that the profits OF capital in manufactures
have increased or decreased, within the past ten
years. 1t is well to regard all such comparisons
Of the results Of two different enumeratiOns
with the utmost distrust Excepting where
there is the greatest possible reason to believe
that each enumeration included, under any par
ticular head, exactly the same kinds of con-
Germs, no more and no less, comparison Is
exceedingly likely TO deceive. 90
Neither Professor Walker nor any intelligent
student of either census has regarded tho
returns of capital employed in manufactures
as of any value. either now or in 1870.
Moreover, capable experts who have been
engaged as special agents in preparation of