Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-11-09
THE ELEVENTH CENSUS.
Superintendent Porter's Annual Report
What He Has Done and What He
Proposes to Do.

HEVpOScS W DOs
The report OF Robert p. Porter, superin-
dent of census, to the Secretary of the Interior
about the operations Of the census Office since
June /, 1889, which has been submitted, ex-
plains in detail the vast amount of work that
has already been done preliminary to the
active field work that will begin next year. The
arrangements that have been made for the ac-
commodation of the Office employees, whose
number will increase to 1900 and then decline,
provided for an expansion of Office room as it 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 economy
warrants. Of the 30 employees 81 have passed
a civil-service examination, have been exam
ined by special agents, IL Except exempts) were
in the tenth census, 3 Except exempts) were
transferred from other branches of the govern
ment service, 90 were examined by the census
Office board, ~ have had no examination and
"a have been exempt from examination as spe-
clal agents, chiefs of division, statistical ex-
perts, watchmen, laborers, assistant messen-
gers, and some others. Thirty of the
157 applicants who were examined
by the census Office board of examiners failed
to pass. The report says THE method of ex-
animation inaugurated 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 rapidity
when the demand is greatest for clerks, but Is
in the line OF practical civil service reform"
SEVERAL IMPORTANT REPORTS
of the eleventh census will be ready for pub
LEGATION during the fall and winter of 1890, and
the superintendent of census makes a sug-
gestion which, if adopted by Congress, will
secure the publication Of the volumes speedily
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 the volumes of this
census printed by private contract, or by hay
ing the census office print and publish them
itself. The purchase at a small cost OF the
census printing establishment, now in active
operation in the office, Will save thousands OF
dollars, he says. and expedite the work to an
extent that would hardly be credited by those
unacquainted with the working of census
Office.
ENUMERATION OF POPULATION.
For the purpose of the enumeration of pop
ulation division of the country into super
visors' districts has been made and the result
printed in census bulletin No. /. The work
preliminary to the enumeration is well in hand,
and a considerable amount of it is already done.
The population schedule has been prepared
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 ana upward, now lOuS duuIt mates
of foreign birth have been in the United States
and whether they are naturalized, how many
children each married woman has had and
how many of them are living, and the CLASH
fication by race will include mulattoes, quad
rooms and octoroons. The classification of
occupations will be more complete than ever
before.
VITAL STATISTICS.
Owing to improvements in the records of
some of the states and to the active co-opera-
ton of $4,000 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. Among the important new
features Of this work Is special study of the
18th and death rates and of the principal
causes of death in twenty-four OF our largest
cities; a special study OF the influence OF race
upon fecundity and mortality, and a special
study of the relations of occupation to death
rates and to particular causes OF death.
The question of collecting the statistics of
pauperism and crimo has not yet been def
nitely determined, though an attempt will be
made the report states, to follow certain sug-
gestions made to the officer by Mr.. Frederick
II. Wines who had charge of this work in 1880.
WEALTH, DEBT AND TAXATION.
Under the head of wealth, debt and tax
alton, the statistics of which in the last census
were collected under the direction of Mr..
Porter, the report states that comprehensive
tables are being prepared which Will show the
financial condition of every county, city, town
and village at the end of each fiscal year since
1880.
The assessed valuation and financial condi-
ton of counties in 1S699O, Is compared with
1880. will be given separately by counties and
states and the comparison of the assessed val
uation and financial condition of states will go
back as far as 1859. table OF all sources Of rev.
enue in cities and large towns of 900 population
will be given. In the matter of securing full
particulars of local governments apart from fl
nance a comprehensive series of Investigations
is now being completed which it Is believed
will cover the entire ground. A report of the
public indebtedness state, county and munich
pal for each year of the decade ending 1880,
will be included. The work of the division in
charge OF this work is so well advanced that the
results for the nine years ending 1899 will be
published next summer.
Owing to the great cost of collecting by the
direct method the actual recorded indebted
ness of private corporations and individuals
(nearly equal to the entire amount appropriated
for census purposes). as well as other diff
culties Superintendent Porter states that he
has had some local and preliminary inquiries
instituted in the states of Illinois, Iowa, New
York and Massachusetts, and within a short
time the results of this investigation will be
given to the public i'll a census bulletin. In
connection with this inquiry the superintendent
calls attention to the fact that resolutions have
PROMINENT LABOR ORGANIZATIONS
in various parts of the country asking. that an
inquiry be made as to the percentage of people
in this country who occupy their own farms
and homes, and what percentage are teuants,
and of those occupying their own farms and
homes what proportion have their property
free from debt, and Of the farms and homes
under mortgage what percentage of the value
Is mortgaged. This line of inquiry, the report
states, is not authorized by law, but Mr.. Porter
says that the Office is willing to undertake the
inquiry providing Congress will grant the
necessary additional money.
CLOSING WORDS.
The report gives interesting statements as
to the progress made in other divisions, and in
conclusion Mr.. Porter says that every provision
possible has been made for a successful enum-
Grafton Of the population wealth and industry
of the United States next June, and that every
special inquiry has been started. Many of the
important divisions, he SAYS. are now well adj
vanced in their work, and If satisfactory ar
rangements can be made for the prompt publ
cation of the results the superintendent is con.
fident that the eleventh census will not only be
accurate and will cover all the statistical inves-
LEGATIONS required by law but it will be out on
time.
Treasury Department Changes.
The following persons have received
appointments under amended rule 10, civil SER