New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-11-10
GETTING THE CENSUS WORK INTO SHAPE.
NEW FEATURES Projected AND THE SCOPE
OF INQUIRY OF SEVERAL USUAL


DIVISIONS ENLARGED.
Washington Nov. 9.-The report OF ROBERT T.
Porter superintendent of the eleventh census TO the
Secretary of the Interior concerning the operations
of the office since June 1. 1889, which has
Just been made explains in detail the vast amount
of work that has already been DONE preliminary 10
the active field work that will begin noxt year
For the purpose of the enumeration of population,
division of the country into supervisors districts
has been made, and the result published in Census
Bulletin No /. The work preliminary to the
enumeration is we'll in hand, and 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 per
son ten 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 married woman has had, and
how many of such children living, and the clasSii
cation by Will include mulattoes, quadroons and
octoroons. The classification of occupations will be
more complete than before. Owing 10 improve
ments in the records of of the States, and to
the active operation of $4,000 physicians, TO whom
registers have been sent the vital statistics VIII be
more complete than it possible 10 make them
in the of 1880
Among the important new features OF this work
is a special study of the birth and death rates, and
of the principal of death in twenty four Of
race upon fecundity and mortality, 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 report
OF eight quarto volumes, Of 1000 pages each
The work in the division Of Wealth, Debt and Taxa
ton is now well advanced and its results, embracing
a large variety Of Information about public finance,
will be published next summer. Among other
things it will exhibit the financial condition OF every
county, city, town and incorporated village I'm the
country the end of each fiscal year since $780, with
a full analysis of receipts, expenses and assets.
The clause in the law relating to recorded indebted
ness has opened an entirely field of inquiry and
problem TO methods without precedent in census
work. Tho report goes to say 1.-THE manifest and
manifold difficulties In arriving at the debt represented
by the apparent debt it appears the face of the
public records of the country, are, at first thought.
almost insurmountable Further, the cost of such
investigation, if pursued by the direct method Of
searching all records and canvassing the parties 10
whom they relate, would doubtless be greatly in eX-
cess of any sum contemplated by Congress in making
its appropriations. Under these circumstances, some
preliminary and local inquiries have been Instituted IN
the States of Illinois, Iowa. NewYOrk and Massachu-
sets, and within short time the results Of the In
vestigaton viii be given to the public in census
| bulletin
The statistics Of agriculture, II IS expected vii
be more complete than ever before, and may include
some new features in relation TO irrigation dairy anC
| poultry products ranch cattle, and the number Of
animals other than those farms. The preliminary
work In the division of manufac lures indicate, tha
| their statistics Will be more complete and accurate
than the country has had before. The field worl
| methods of the tenth census will be improved upon
ard all the schedules of that census I'm this division
have been enlarged. The information to be obtained
about the business of railroad, telegraph telephone
| and express companies. ard Of waterways VIII b
OF the highest interest. The superintendent suggests
that It may be necessary 10 ash for additional legs
lation, I'm order tlst his Office may be empowered u
| Iecure such information.