Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1883-01-20
a WORD FOR THE CENSUS BU-
REAU.
What Has Made the Work Costly
HE Embarrassment Enfailed by the
employment of Incompetent Clerks
Plea for the EstabIi ,h ment OF a
Permanent bureau.

To the Editor of The EVENING STAR:
There is a manifest disposition on the part of
few people to censure the management of the
Census bureau. To those who are ignorant of
the magnitude of the work unacquainted with
the peculiar difficulties attending the work,
doubtless there appears to have been ms,nan-
aCeInent and useless expenditure OF moneys.
The sums expended as they stand arrayed upon
paper appear Unfortunately large; so would the
| expenditures of any other department of gov
| eminent if so given without detail of eXpendl-
! ture or results obtained. Any such arraignment
| OF bureau would be and is manifestly unjust.
| In the instance referred to no mention is made
| OF the stupendous work undertaken obtain
Tg the estimate of the population of this
| vast country, with its thousands of in
dustrles scattered over surface SURPRISING in
! extent that of any other dominion on the face
OF the earth. Referring to the census report
we find a population of over fifty million souls
men. women and children. How much time did
| 1T consume to get these figures? How MANY
| thousand dollars was necessarily expended to
obtain this information? Then take this fifty
million and several hundred thousand odd
Catalogue them-wfite cOlOred. Indians. Chi
nese. French, German. and on through the differ
| ing natiOnaties that find a home beneath the
stars and stripes. Find their age birthplace
occupation, amount of earnings etc.-renem-
Der. every town, city. village and hamlet. how
ever distant or obscure, was visited. What
heTculean task!
NEARLY FORTY THOUSAND BOOKS
| filled with this record was received at the Gen.
| sus office. Each one of these books numbered
hundreds of pages. Each book passed through
the hands of three clerks. The utmost accu-
racy was demanded. When this work was COM
pleted nearly or quite q year had passed-the
work OF the census but just begun and this part
OF the work, comparatively speaking, OF the
least Importance. Then followed the catalog-
uing OF the industries of the country. For this
work special agents were required.
But few establishments, especially Of magn-
| tude. would undertake the labor of preparing
the reports required. These Industries num-
bered neart three million For all this work large
| sums were expended. The work of the census is
| unlike that OF any other governmental de-
partment. and demands higher order of cleri-
cal qualifications. These clerks must be more
than good copyists. The work demands scholar
ship and competent mathematicians The census
began Its work under
THE WORST POSSIBLE CONDITIONS
At the outset it employed a large force num-
| Ing nearly one thousand. This force was en-
larged from time to time until the home force
| numbered fourteen hundred, beside the off,
| GERS in various parts of the country. These
| clerks were necessarily taken from a heteroge-
| neous mass of humanity clamOrous for employ
ment. They came by hundreds from all parts of
the country. The bureau. from the moment of it's
inception. was besleged by Senat Ors and Members
| of Congress in behalf of their constituents Many
| OF the employees were totally ignorant Of cleri-
cal work. and had to be instructed. large
proportion were found Incompetent and after a
| trial OF weeks had to be weeded out
| and others substituted. In many cases
form 70. ho
| qualified as those whom they had displaced.
| and in turn had to give way to others 1t was
a long, tedious, and labOrOus task Nearly or
| quite year was consumed in organizing COM
| petent force of clerks. In the meantime ex-
penses went on, competents and incompetents
| alike had to be paid. Expenses went on whether
| the work was well Or i'll done. The work of the
| census is extremely labOriOus, taxing the brain
ana the vision severely. An eminent Oculist Of
| this city stated that large majority of his pa
| tlents were census clerks. Several clerks in
| Guiding both sexes, have roken down under
| the perpetual strain imposed by toll over fig-
| ures. just here | have one word to say relative
| to the $3.50!
INJUSTICE METED OFT
to these clerks. When the first appropriation
| failed. these cerks-many widows with chill
dren-were forced to sell their certificates at
great loss. In some instances losing forty per
cent. When the matter was brought to the at
tehtioH vi congress ana an appeal made to re-
imburse this loss the bill was defeated Last
summer through all the intens~hea of this de-
biiitating climate these clerks were at their
desks until p m, while other government de-
partments closed at $50 Now. at this writing
in the midst of winter with the ex-
pense OF living increased near ffty Der
cent. large numbers of these clerks are
dismissed. others furloughed indetin tely
,oittOut pay, while Congress haggles over the
money needed to complete the work almost
finished. This Ia but cursOrv glance at the
census and its work. Doubtless much money
has been expended without corresponding ben
eilts. Could it be otherwise in & work of such
vast extent. under temporary limitations If
the time consumed in preparing this census is
considered a fit subject Of universal censure
what will it be when the next census Ia
undertaken9 This same experience must
be repeated, with the additional labor
| springing from vast increase of pop
ulation and enlarged industries. There is
| but one way to avoid this-Elake the bureau
| permanent. True economy d ctates it. and the
commercial interests of the country call for It.
| If 1t takes three years to complete the work
| OF this census a much longer time must be con-
sumed by the next. If the work be intermitted.
| as In the past. the history of this census must
be repeated. 1ncOmpetency must be met
| tried. discharged Competency must be in
! structed organized. at great loss of time and
expenditure of money. Thus. economy de-
| mands ii permanent bureau with competent
clerical force at uniform and good salaries
| +. A. B.
The Worse than Useless Official Star ps.
To the Editor of THE EvHNINe STAR: