National Republican., 1883-01-15
SHAKING UP THE CENSUS.
A Sharp Criticism OF the Work Gem.
Walker Laid out ANA Nobody on Earth
Can Execute.


Brddsiretrs.
The attention Of congress has again been
called to the condition Of the census work and .
to the fact that, Notwithstanding the largo ox-
pcnditure, 100000 are now necessary TO con-
tinuc the work for the remainder of the fiscal
ycar--to July /. Congress is not in very good |
humor as to the census, and not without rca-
son. The managers of the census, who formed |
this encyclopedia system, either had no con- |
coption of the vast amount Of money required |
TO publish n national encyclopedia or were |
willing that congress should enter upon the |
work without knowing the amount which II |
would cost and trusting that, once begun, |
congress would he certain to mako the apprO- |
priatious necessary TO complete IL. which, |
ever of these two theories is correct IL is very
evident that the present managers OF the ecn- |
sus have shrunll from the vast responsibility !
of the undertaking. And now once moro
there is deficiency. Unless an appropra- |
ton shall bc made nearly all OF the clerks will
be discharged.
This appropriation will not bc obtained
without very thorough inquiry into the
present condition and management of the
census. The answers TO these inquiries viii
show that the stupcndOus work Of publishing
the census has really only just begun. 1t is
| estimated that the reports Of tho different
! branches of the census, If thcy shall ever be
| finished, will comprise from fifteen to twenty
quartO volumes, making, in the aggregate, IN
| Guiding the compendium, from 136OOO TO
! 3955OO books. These reports, as Is well
! known, comprise monographs on all the prn-
| cipal subjects relating to commerce, manu-
| hcturcs, industry, agriculture, mechanics,
| finances, fisheries, and to the general social,
| statistical, and economic conditions Of the
| country. TO the present time but small
| portion of the work has been printed. The
| portion that has been printed is the
,s..Ns.
| history of the national loan. The compen-
dunn, which was to have been completed
! for issue last November, is us yet far from
| completion. The manuscript has not yet all
been sent to tho printer. With the compile
| ton of the population volume the work Of the
census MS contemplated by the constitution,
| is undoubtedly substantially completed. For
no one will venture to claim that the trainers
of the constitution, in providing for an
remuneration of the people" every decade
expected that under that simple clause, fifteen
| or twenty quartO volumes would be published
every ten years, or the enormous aggregate of
| 395 600 books. Great efforts were made to
have the compendium completed by the time
| of the meeting of congress. All the force of
the office was concentrated upon this work,
and most of the other work stopped but the
work is not yet completed. The hurcau has
failedsthereby to make the favorable impress
sion upon congress which it had hoped to
make.
The trouble is the managers Of the census
are apparently overwhelmed with the magni-
tude of the materials which have been coli
lccted under this comprehensive plan, They
have not, for this reason, been able to syste-
mntiZc their work. A local history of the
municipality of New Orleans, for instance,
has been prepared and printed at much OK
pense vet the compendium is not completed
This monograph ON New Orleans interests
comparatively II small number of people, and
has no more Legitimate place i'll the census
than the town Histories, which arc so numer-
ous in New England, would have. so vast is
the mass of material scattered about in the
different divisions of the census that there has
been question of not using some oil 1t at all,
, and of thus throwing away the large sums OF
/ money which have been expended in its col
lection. This proposition was Mt one time
, made rs to a considerable portion of the stat
istics which have been collected relating to
educational and religious matters. The pub
licatiOn of the report probably will alone show
0 whether this determination was car
. red into effect. A large amount OF
the money appropriated for the census
: work was under the control of so.called
A Especial agents" Some of these agents were
4, influential enough to secure money enough to
Y complete their respective mOuograms, no mat
. ter how much the rest of the census work sut-
fcred. This is true as to tho volume on debt
+ | which, as Il matter OF fact, was published
4 tiOn volume. The census work has been SO
hampCrGd for the last year by inadequate
Q funds that changes of plan have caused much
c embarrassment, There seems to have been O
n constant dread Of the approach of the evil
= day. That evil day has again come. Gen
o Francis A. Walker, of COURSE, is responsible
o for the original plan oftho census but he re
g tired from the active management before tho
crisis came. 1t Is understood, however, thai
he is still confidential adviser Of the prescn
census managers, and that proofs of all tht
e important portions Ofthe work are sentto hin
G. for revision and suggestion. In other words
J. there is reason to think that Gen. Walker i
,r still an active power behind the throne, al
,l though of course, he is not responsible for th
~ expenditure of money.
" There has been some disposition to MAKE
=. the public printer responsible for the delay
Ia in the census work. These accusations ar
i unjust, and cannot be maintained. The pub
" lie printer foresoeing that searching inquire
nf might ultimately be made into the prOgrcs
1s and condition of the census work, has kept
nj record which will thoroughly vindicOte th
n efficiency of his Office. He has Il record whic
re shows the date and hour when every chaptc
VI of manuscript was delivered TO him, the tim
Ie occupied in composition, and the delays whic
er have followed i'll the rCvisOns, and repcate
,k revisions, Of the proofs. The public printe
has constantly complained of the great della
in furnishing him with copy, and tn
government HAS DGGn pun W " very luIE
ms expense on account of this delay, 1t ha
of been promised for instance that the manu-
nc script for the compendium should all be fun
rt nshGd so that tho type could DO set up, th
tc matter stercotypCd, and the type distribute
M prior to tho meeting of congress, Actin
- upon this understanding the public printC
used q considerable portion of the type whic
belongs to the Congressional Record in "scttin
III upn the census work. Congress came th
N rest of the compendium manuscript was NJ
=" ready, the proofs were not revised, and thoI
ON was no immediate probability that the mani
lot script would be furnished. Tho publ
W printer had then to choose between THROWN
away all the work represented by the larl
amount Of type set ON the census compendiul
or to buy new set of type for the EecOr
ro- He was compelled to adopt the latter cOurs
Mt and the Record type is still locked up in Il
act census work, whilo the printer is awaitr
nd copy.
gn As long ago as November, 1881, twas state
that the clerical work of the census was the
practically completed, and that within fe
weeks the agents then employed expected
py finish their labor, Then, rs now, there vi
ill II deficiency imminent, and it was four
zen necessary to suspend work or to assume q
M traOrdinary obligations, At that time Il
ut. secretary Of the interior authorized the eI
plOyment Of the clerks, with the understan
ing that they were to look to congress
their compensation, and that the census W
or not TO be considered rs under any obligation
ON to them for their voluntary service. Co
ON gress appreciated the situation render,
ing valid this mourning of obligation, and q