Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1884-03-27
MICHIGAN CENSUS FOR Iss4.

act, and repeals all former census
acts. 1t provides for much fuller
census than has ever yet been taken
under state authority. Expecting
certain special Investigations provid-
ed for by the National census law,
our present state law is scarcely less
comprehensive than the National
law. The schedules to be used in
the enumeration are believed to be
an improvement on those used in
taking the National census. The
statistics of manufactures will be
equally as good as the manufacour-
ing statistics collected by enumerat-
ors for the census of 1880, and the
statistics of births, marriages, deaths
and occupations will be better and
of agricultural much fuller, than IN
1880. The inquiries as to the acreage
in growing crops June /, 1884,
barley, buckwheat, corn, oats, rye,
winter wheat, spring wheat, potatoes
sorghum, and grass, required by the
state census law are new and inn
portant.
Former state censuses have been
taken by supervisors at the time of
taking the assessment, Objection
has been made that assessing officers
cannot take complete and accurate
census, both OH account of the many
other duties imposed upon them, and
the fact that the inhabitants cannot
be persuaded that honestly answer
ing the various census questions will
not in some way increase the amount
Of their taxes. That no such ,objec-
tion may lie against the census of
1884, the law provides that it, shall
be taken in the month Of June, or
more than a month after the COM
pletion of the assessment, and by
appointed specially for
that purpose. The enumerators are
to be appointed after the first Mon
day in April, and on or before the
first Monday in May. The appoint
ments in cities are to be made by
common councils, and in townships
by township boards.
The enumeration is To commence
on the first day of June. 1t is to be
of date juno |, or just four years
after the National census of 1850.
After the enumeration is complet.
ed the population schedule will be
publicly reviewed, but no unauthor
lied person should be allowed to ex-
anime, nor in any way to ascertain
the facts contained in any of the
other schedules. If any enumerator
shall communicate TO any person
not authorized to receive the same,
any statistics of property or business
included In his return, he will be
subject to fine of three hundred
dollars, or thirty days Imprisonment
in the county Jail, or both such fine
and Imprisonment in the discretion
Of the court. This clause is necessary
for the protection of individual in
terests. Men naturally hesitate, if
they do not altogether refuse to an
swer the questions relating to their
private business required by census
laws, but there is no excuse for con-
cealment when assured that their
answers will be treated as confidenti-
al. The census of business will be
tabulated by the secretary of state
20 as to show the aggregates for
state, counties, townships, cities,
and wards, but the tables will in no
Instance expose the operations or
business of an individual, firm, or
Enumerators will receive for their
two dollars and fifty cents
per day for the time actually and
necessarily engaged in the canvass
md in the review of the population
schedule, and ten cents per mile for
going to the office of the county
,lerk TO obtain the necessary blank
schedules, and ten cents per mile for
the returns to the office of
he county clerk. The amount due
each enumerator will be calculated
by the clerk and paid by the county
treasurer on the certificate of the
,lerk. Before the county clerk can
,ertify the amount due an enumerat-
,r, he is required to satisfy himself
hat the returns are properly made
out and duely certified. He will
'closely examine each census sheet
for omission, erasures, interlInea-
ions, and other defects, including
careless or imperfect entries, and q
.orn or soiled condition of the sheets,
,ausing indistinctnesS in the entries.
Every sheet thus defaced will be re.
ected as not properly made out"
Is required by law"
1t will be seen from the foregoing
hat a high order of intelligence will
DC necessary for the proper taking
If the census under the present law
Ind it is hoped that those authorized
% make the appointments will select
,nly those persons for enumerators
who are in every respect thoroughly !