Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-11-10
THE CENSUS OF 1892.
Superintendent POrter's Report on
the Preliminary Work.
OVER TWO THOUSAND CLERKS
Will Be Temporarily Employed at the
Washington Office.
TIE PLANS FOR THE ENUMERATION.

| WASHINGTON, November Sine re-
port of Robert L. Porter, Superintendent OF
the Eleventh Census, to the Secretary of
the Interior concerning the operations OF
the census Offices since June !, 1889. which
has just been made, explains in detail the
vast amount of work that has already been
done preliminary to the active field work
that will begin next year. The arrange
ments that have been made for the accommo-
dation of the Office employees whose numbers
will increase to 2, 900 and then decline, pro-
vides for an expansion of Office room as 1t is
needed and then for its contraction as less of
it is required, so that the expense for rent
shall never be greater than the utmost econ
omy warrants. The report says:
The method iuaugurated by the Office and ap-
proved by the Secretary of the Interior will
not only bring the best work and leave the
superintendent free to act with great
rapldity when the demand is greatest for
clerks, but is in the line OF practical civil
service reform. =
TO PUSH THE WORK.
Several important reports of the eleventh
census will be ready for publication during
the fall and winter of 1890, and the Super
intendent makes a suggestion, which, if
adopted by Congress, will secure, he thinks,
after they are ready for the printer. He
would avoid the delay which accompanied
the printing of the tenth census volumes in
the Government printing Office by having
volumes of this census printed by private
contract or by having the census Office
print and publish them itself
The purchase at small cost of the census
printing establishment, now in active opera
tion in the Office, will, he says, save thou
sands of dollars and expedite the work to an
extent that would hardly be credited by
those unacquainted with the working of
census Office. In the opinion of the Super
intendent, if the census Office could control
the reports until they are ready for the
document room, an enormous saving of
money would be effected and prompt publ
cation insured, and such q course would
settle the question of responsibility for de-
lay, which is difficult to ascertain under the
existing system. The work preliminary to
the enumeration is we'll in hand, and con.
siderable amount of it is already done.
SOME OF THE PLANS.
The population schedule has been pre-
pared, and in addition to the information
called for by the tenth census schedule will
ascertain what language is spoken by every
person 10 years of age and upward, how long
adult males of foreign birth have been in
the United States and whether they are
naturalized; how many children each mar
ried woman has had and how many of them
are living, and the classification by race will
include mulattos, quadroons and octoIoons
The classification Of occupations will be
more complete than ever before.
Owing to improvements in the records of
some of the States and to the active cooper
alton of sc, 900 physicians, to whom registers
have been sent, the vital statistics will be
more complete than it was possible to make
them In the census of 1880. An important
new feature of this work is q special study
of birth and death rates and of the
principal causes of death in "a of our largest
cities; a special study of the influences of
race upon fecundity and morality, and
special study of the relations Of occupation
to death rates and to particular causes of
death. The inquiry regarding the names,
organizations and length of service of the
surviving veterans of the Rebellion who
served the United States will call for re-
port of eight quarto volumes of 1000 pages
each. The report goes on to say:
GREAT DIFFICULTIES.
The manifest and manifold difficulties in ar.
irving at the debt represented by the apparent
debt as it appears on the face of the public
records of the country, are at first thought
almost insurmountable, Furthermore, the cost
of such an investigation, if pursued by the
direct method of searching all records and can
vassing the parties to whom they relate.
would doubtless be greatly in excess
rough estimate by the superintendent Of
Census would indicate that, If this method were
pursued and the actual recorded indebtedness
OF private corporations and individuals ascer- |
tanned, it would cost sum nearly equivalent !
IN fho of fad fOro
purposes. Under these circumstances some |
preliminary and local inquiries have |
been instituted in the States of |
a short time the results of investigation will be
given to the public in census bulletin. The |
statistics of agriculture 1t is expected, will be
more complete than ever before, and may in |
clude some new features in relation to irriga-
tion, dairy and poultry products, to ranch |
cattle and the number of animals other than |
those on farms.
The preliminary work in the division of |
manufactures indicates that the statistics will |
try has ever had before. In the matter of |
labor and wages, the schedules will seek to /
obtain detailed separation between the So
called productive" and ''non-productiye" |
forces in order to ascertain the true proportion |
uctioD: classification wages table has been
arranged to show the number Of |
persons employed and the various
rates OF wages paid, and addi- |
Iional inquiries have been incorporated to
show, as nearly as possible, the actual cost of |
production. The preparations for the enumer-
alton of Indians promise TO secure the first ac-
curate enumeration that they have ever had. |
In conclusion, the report says that many of the |
important divisions of the census are now well
advanced with their work. If satisfactory ar
rangements can only be made for prompt pub
lication of the results the Superintendent is
confident that the census will not only be accu-
rate and cover all the statistical investigations
required by law, but will be out on time.