Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-05-04

lukcIS6kluk ldCto hAAOu may Us T0Tnd
the schedules, but which the great co os
OF tabulatiIg by hand has PREVENT
heretofore.
The next in Importance to the eount =,
the people come the vital statistic, s1 "
the statistics of the special classes ~
Efter we know the number of our nor,'
lation, its characteristics, distributio.
and parentage, the question Of its hao,.i
and physical condition naturally co,n ,u
Up for consideration All facts rela,i"s
to marriages, births and deaths ara Al
tanned by the enumeretor, by oaujs,
upon something like so 900 physician. <
aid in the work and by copying the ;.
ports OF the registers of births, dea,,
and marriages in states where these fa",'
are gathered by local officials.
Closely connected with the vital ate
tistics of the country is the subject Of m.
statistics of those Glasses of people VIII
are more, or less disabled by physical Ana
mental infrmitY, and therefore reoui,s
constant special care on the part of M
state or special means for education
These classes include the insane. tba
idiotic, the blind, and the deaf. Tbs
work of the census office, however. dos,
not end here. It includes all sor, a,
special inquiries, such as steust,c,
of education, church statist;2s, stn.
tistics showing the amount of paussTi,n
and crime. These facts are all gathered
largely by the aid OF correspondence and
by the employment of special agents WIN
sre conversant with topics of this kipj
snd who, by reason of their experience
know exactly how to prepare lists and
bring in the information to the censp,
office.
How many of the readers of tina
Youths Department would be able ia
answer the question, If put to them Of.
hand. elbow manyminor civil divisions Of
the United States, such as cities, towns.
townships, counties, school distrot,
etc. have the power to raise taxes and
incur debt?'' Do not answer all a,
once. GA good many thousand, "
hear some one say. There are no less
than $50 200 such minor divisions Of the
country. Surely it is important to know
the total amount of money raised BY
taxation for local purposes and the total
amount of debt which has been incurred
by all these taxing and debt-creatins
powers. In order to do this the census
OlnC6 IuuSb uohl S6UhEdlOlf anu luulElQ-
ually with the local officers and funo-
tionaries of those myriad local dvi-
sions. Over $50 clerks are, at this mo-
nent, engaged on the bureau Of this
census work alone, and within few
months it is hoped that a statement Of
what may be called the local finance Of
the eountry-that is, q presentation Of
the budgets of all these places-may be
given to the country.
You who are farmers will, perhaps,
wonder how the census Office is able TO
give you once il ten years the total
number of acres devoted to raising Of
wheat, of corn, of oats, of what not; the
number of cattle, horses and sheep thst
browse in the fields and meadows; the
number of hogs tn at sleep, grunt aud
squeal in the backyards, and all the
other facts relating to agricul-
ture. This information is collected By
the enumeration on q special schedule
and afterwards tabulated by experts IN
the census office, who know all abont
farms and farming. And, also by the aid
of SPECIAL agents the important facts in
relation to the manufacturing industries
are gathered and brought to the gres!
VI AoCLo hL4 - 80 49,
ington. In all important cities the
schedule of manufactures is Withdrawn
from the regular enumerator and IS
placed in the hands of special agents or
rather special enumerators, whose dut!
it is to call at every factory, workshop,
and mill with the view of finding cut the
full particulars relating to the number
employed, wages paid, the amount
and value of product produced
the capital invested, and such other intor-
nation as is required. So, in important
indus tries, experts have to be appointed
in nearly every important industry, VINO
are oonversant with what may be called
the technology of the subject. Some Of
the more important inquiries are tho's
relating to the chemical industry ella!
and pottery products; coke and glass;
cotton goods; iron and steel; mixed tex
tiles; newspaper and periodical press
ship building; wool and worsted; SIX
goods and electrical apparatus and SUP
plies.
The special inquiries of the census OF
fee do not end here. The value Of our
mineral industries has grown during 1n'
century from few million dollars sH-
nually to an aggregate Of nearly soVV'-
00O, 900.
A special agent of the census, with DIS
note book in hand, may be found slttns
on fence with farmer cipherlng o.,
his crop reports; in the counting-house ',
the manufacturer, figuring on the annuai
production of iron and steel or the nun
Der of yards of cloth; and in the mlnl15
camp ascertaining the tons of ore or eOAi
brought up from the bosom of the earn,
along our river courses, at fishing polnls
on the lakes and the coast, interVie"lnS
the fishermen in relation to their es''1
OF fish.
In this short article it would be impO'
sible TO give even a cursory idea OF ~
innumerable methods employed
the census Office experts or "sharp'' :.
as they are now called, y
gathering the varied facts for insA
numerous reports. The main tnlDs,
after such inquiries are taken out oil ~
hands of the enumeration, is to prspa,,s
correct lists of all the establishmeH" :
cases of manufacturing; of all mines mes, :.
that of mining; of all the fishing Vliis ,,,
and fishing ports, III such inquiries I'i ~,
ing to fish and fisheries. BY doln1 -.
and by employing trained experts
handling these returns more satlslsoIy.,:
results can be obtained than by COMM.
ting the matter wholly to the enun''
ator.
The work of the census Office does y,
e5en end here, though am afrala ,ns
the mere catalogue is getting Wearlso ~ n
Elaborate statistics are being prepare ~