The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1889-03-17
WHAT THE CENSUS WILL SHOW.


WHAT THE CENSUS WILL SHOW.
Preparations for the Great ''Round-Up" Of
the Nation-New and Interesting Features.
washington Special in Philadelphia Press.
Mr.. Cox, of New York, is greatly pleased
over the fact that the bill for taking the
next census got through Congress in such
good shape, and Will be gned within day
or two by the President. Carroll ID. Wright,
Commissioner of Labor Statistics. who has
had large experience in connection with
census work, thinks that IL would have
been better if the bill could have been
passed before. He ascribes the showed
under condition of the last census 10 the
delay in legislation. The first bill for TAX
ing the census of 1880 was not signed until
March3, 1879, adate, in Mr.. Wright's opinion,
altogether too late for ample preparation,
but there will not be much difference IN the
time allowed for the preliminary work or
the next census. The bill making the APP
prOpriatian for the main work of the census
OF 1880 was not passed until more than two
weeks after the actual work of enumera-
ton began. If the work is to go smoothly
this time. he thinks that Congress viii have
to do better than before.
One of the first things President Harrison
will be called on TO do will be to name a SUI
perintendent of the census. As yet the APP
plicants for the place are not numerous
The salary Is 5000 year. which is $1,000
more than the last superintendent got
L
time-ten chiefs of division, disbursing
clerk and two stenographers at 1000 year
each, and there are to be 175 supervisors,
instead of 150 owing TO the increase of pop
ulatiOn.
Enumerators are to be paid the same as
in 1880, excepting for special work. In 1880
the compensation was 10 cents for each
farm and Is cents for each establishment of
productive industry. The pay has been
increased to Is and 20cents, respectively. In
1850 many enumerators resigned because
the compensation was too small The in
creased expense will not be great.
In 1880 there were 400S,907 farms. Mr..
Wright thinks that ut the outside there
will not be more than 100000 farms in
1890, as consolidation rather than disinte-
grafton is the rule. This would add $780,
600 to the cost of enumerating the farms.
There were 253, S52 manufacturing establish
ments in 1880. and the increase now will
not add greatly to the cost of enumerating
them.
One provision of the bill is new to the
federal census and will please the Grand
Army men. 1t provides for securing facts
relative to survivors of the late war, with
an enumeration of all veterans living. This
Will give name, age, residence, length OF
service and command of every surviving
veteran. Statistics on these subjects vary
widely. AS illustrating this, it may be said
that the provost marshal generals report
gives the number of men who died in the
military service of the United States as
279, 900, while 81, 900 are buried in the ma
tional cemeteries alone, which is probably
only one-half of the entire number who lost
their lives in the war. A census of surviv-
ing veterans and the widows of veterans
will give the first reliable war statistics.
Another important provision relates to
the recorded Indebtedness of private cor
porations and individuals. This Will cost
$3.50, 900 to collate. 1t is not expected to get
absolutely reliable statistics on this sub
ject, but all recorded Indebtedness, and
enough other information, which will ap-
proximately show the indebtedness of the
whole people.
secure reliable statistics of the negro race.
giving number of mulattoes quadroons and
OctorOOns. Whether the race Is becoming
more purely negro will be settled by sta
tistics of which this census will give the
starting point. The ordinary statistics will
show whether or not the negroes are con-
centrating in certain localities, as claimed
by some persons. who say that the Gulf
States will be largely given up to them in
time.
THE census of 1880 required that an in
curry should be made as to whether the
people were employed or not. The attempt
to secure the information was failure.
and no such facts were ever tabulated. 1t
is the purpose to secure this information for
the next census.
A most important return will be made
concerning the defective classes, who have
increased 400 per cent. in thirty years.
while the general population has simply
doubled. These statistics were partly In
the last census. Prof. Alexander Graham
Bell, who has interested himself In this
matter, has deduced some startling facts
There has been an enormous increase of
recent years of the number of non-con-
Centrally deaf, which Prof. Bell thinks may
be due to an epidemic cerebro-spinal menin-
gifts. which may die away, but the congen-
ital deaf mutes are increasing rapidly.
Statistics show that in the year 1919 deaf
mutes began to marry partners who were
themselves deaf and dumb. The percent
age of intermarriages has continuously in
creased until now not less than 80 per cent.
of all deaf mutes who marry choose partners
afflicted in the same way. In 1928 deaf
mute child was born of deaf-mute father
and mother and now cases are common. and
deaf offsprings have appeared In the fourth
generation. 1t seems that 81 per cent. of
the children of such unions are deaf. If
this intermarrylng goes onln this way there
will be a deaf variety of the human race in
born deaf. Under the circumstances, re-
liable statistics on this subject will be of
great value. Speaking on this matter,
Professor Bell said:
I'm examining the ancestry of deaf mutes,
have had occasion to consult the original
population schedule of former censuses,
which are preserved in the Department of
the Interior, and have found little diff
Guilty in tracing the families backward
ascent. If the name of the father had been
given in former censuses, 1t might now be
possible for genealogical experts 10 trace
from these records the American ancestry
of every person now living in the United
States in every branch, for the name of the
father would give the maiden name of
females. /. therefore, suggested that in the
census of 1890 the fathers name should be
noted in that part of the schedule that re-
lates to the nativity of the parents, SO that
the people of the United States may leave
to their descendants genealogical records.
from which their full ancestry may at any
future time be ascertained."
Another defect of previous censuses is to
be remedied in giving record OF animals
not on farms. Heretofore horses in cities
and villages, etc., have not been counted
Not only are the horses mot on farms"
omitted from the census, but the mich cows
and swine of cities, towns, villages, ham
lets. and even on stock farms. The horse
of the pars0n and the doctor is left out OF
the census, as well as the costly coaches
of the millionaire and the ''scrawny horse
Frame of the junk-collector. Taken to-
gether there is an immense value in these
animals and their owners have just
cause of complaint that they were not
enumerated. The absurdity of the returns
made when city and town horses are not
enumerated is illustrated in New York
county, which was returned in 1880 as hav-
ing only 207 horses. when it probably had
$4,000. The same deficiency appears in
other farm animals in the United States.
This will be remedied in the next census.
II -. a.