New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-01-29
NEWS FROM WASHINGTON.
Contlnne d from First Page.

democratic memDer or the JOINT committees ulduo 4"
personal appeal to Mr.. Randall to withdraw his OPP
position, and that gentleman promised to take the
matter into considerations" Subsequently another
appeal was made to the ex-Speaker who expressed
an earnest desire to obge his personal aud political
friend. whose support ho ntimated would be very
accountable to him in the next contest for the Speak
ership Nevertheless after reflection the Pennsylva-
MIA patriot decided that he could not
allow the Library, bill to pass, If, by any means III
his power. he cOuld defeat II.
Mr.. Holman. il is understood, takes the same
ground, and 1t Is quite probable that he ana Mr
Randall will be able, backed as they are by me
strong elements of Ignorance and proylnclalSni IN
tnelT party to prevent vote upon the House Oil at
this session Ii cannot be defeated by any other
means than parliamentary obstruction
TIE WORK OF THE CENSUS BUREAU.
GENERAL WALKER SAYS THE WORK Is wELL-AD-
YANCED AND SEVERAL VOLUMES ARE READY
FOR THE PREss-HE DECLARES THAT THE MA
IICIoUs CHARGES AGAINST THE BUREAU ARE
FALSE.
Try TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUNEl
WASHINGTON, Jan. 2S.-General francis A.
Walker who reassumes charge of the Census once,
and who will continue at its head until the volumes
of the recent census ready for issue was asked this
| evening by correspondent of THE TRIBUNE
what foundation there was for the charges OF in
accuracy Of excessive cost and OF unnecessary
delay In the census work. lie said that he
believed, without exception, they were
false. Colonel seaton, who had succeeded
him as chief of the Census bureau
eight months ago, was one of the most capable and
accomplished statistcians In the country,
If not its best. He was. however,
perhaps disposed TO borrow trouble unnecessarily,
and the assaults which had been made upon
the bureau and upon his work had
I ~ Irfr. nl.n
his present unfortunate state of health. The work
had been going along, however, under competent
corps Of workers, aud was now well advanced. The
last pages IN proof of tho Compendium, a volume of
500 pages would be ready for revision tomorrow,
and the book would be ready for issue in ten days
The volume on Population would go to press next
Friday, that on Manufactures next week and that
on Agriculture the week aftcrward. These were
the three most important volumes of the work The
remaining volumes would come along speedily.
In regard to accuracy General Walker said he did
not know of a single point in this work which was
not moro accurate aud upon which greater
amount of labor had been expended
than in the last census The compilation,
for instance, of the population tables had been
made 10y two different clerks IL detail. neither
knowing the result Of the work OF the other These
separate results compared 10y theeYamlners, and
II they varied IN the slightest Geiau thCY were
held until the error was discovered and corrected.
The same thoIoughnrss and close attention to detail
were paid 10 every department Of the WORK. MuUh
criticism had been made upon the practice oi h'ung
IN omissions In tins respect tine Office had followed
| the practice of every census or btatlsllcai
Office ~ the world. and this tle only practical
method of arriving ~ timely results For Instance
carpenter work ny alone In his shop IN Illinois,
has failed To state the value OF tho material
! he uses in the year. tie describes ms bust
ness. however. III other Respects, 10 nearly
! that m approximation may be made TO the value ol
| his material aud IN such ca-o the omission would
| bc made good by an estimate. As ne same oInis-
| sion would probably not occur III one
| out OF thousand returns. the sub
| stAniiaI accuracy OF the tables would not be
| impaired. In all cases of omission 10y mauutdctur-
iug est .biishmruts of any importance ci tiers had
| been wn,teu and the figures obtained from the
| manufacturers themselves. The same course had
| been pursued whoE the returns were
| inconsistent; for example. when Hour
from a thousand bushels OF grain. AZ To the cost OF
the crnsu- work. General Walker SAID that the CEN
! sus of 80. about which no One had complained
| had cost nine cents head. and the present census
| With its greatly Increased number OF schedules,
| would cost only one-half Of n cent more.
| Returning to the char @ 81 unnecessary delay, Cen
cral Walker said thst the laIo volumes Of tho Cen
| sus Of $50 bore the printer imprint OF 1894, aud
had perhaps not been ISSUED before 1898. Those OF
| 1860 bore the imprint Of 1864, and were
| PROBABLY not cut before 1866. General Walker SAID
| he could prove 10 fifteen minutes, 10 the satlsiac-
| ton OF any intelligent man who chose to lnvesti-
| cate the tjcct. tnat every ono of The malicious
| chargrs which had been 10 freely made were false