The morning call., 1890-06-23
A EUROPEAN CENSUS.
Details That Citizens Are Forced
to Furnish to EnumeratOrS.

Americans who are loudest in their groan-
ings about several census questions should
look at the inqusition to which the Ger
mans are subjected.
The German yearbook gives the figures
of even the income tax. An income of $3.50
or less is not taxed, and up to $50 the tax
is nominal. For incomes over $3.50 the
owner must swear as to the truth of the
! figures he gives. The exact rental of each
dwelling is obtained, and the average rentals
for different conditions are published. The
showing for the year 1885 makes the aver
age rental for single room without stove
or an unbeatable" room. as the express
sion used is-a sum that corresponds in our
money to $50 per year. 1t makes the rental
for single room with stove in it-or a
single "heatable" room-S50; for living
apartments, consisting of two "heatable"
rooms, $50 per annum; for apartments,
! consisting of three such rooms, $50; for
four heatable" rooms, $500, etc.
The figures throwing light upon the
amount of reading done by different classes
| of citizens is very detailed In Berlin they
have system of popular ward Libraries. of
which there are % altogether. These are
owned and managed by the city. The drain
upon these libraries during single season
|
! classification of the readers Twelve hun
| bred officials of the city civil service are re-
| ported to have taken out altogether 10000
volumes, or twenty-five apiece. Nine hun
dred and eleven teachers are stated to have
used in the same period of time $4,000
books; 5000 pupils of schools, $4,000
| volumes; 1000 business men, 49, 900 volumes;
| $500 artisans Sc, 900 volumes; 500 workmen
of the lower class, $1,000 volumes; l25 SOL
| diers, 500 volumes, and $1,000 women, $4,000
oft,, tal ypf fha AIax
of Berlin had recently $4,000 volumes; the
| library of the Statistical Bureau had at the
| same time 5000 books; the Royal Library
| 100000 books, OF which 100000 were taken
out in the year; the University Library
! loaned in the same time $1,000 books; the
! library of the Geological Society. IS, 700;
that of the Technical High School. 5000;
| that of the Agricultural School, $4,000; that
of the Patent Office, 10000; that OF the I'M
! peral Statistics Bureau. 10000 and that Of
| the Prussian Statistics Bureau, $4,000.
| The figures given in regard to marriage
are interesting. In Germany a compulsory
! civil marriage law is in force. The only
! question before the parties to marriage in
Berlin is whether, after the civil marriage,
they shall seek the blessing OF the church
upon their union. The Year Book shows
/ that in 1886 s per cent more married
couples sought this blessing than in the
preceding year. SiXty-one per cent of all
| those married couples, not clasSed as Cath
| WtIt uldllttu o0COuO biihC WIN q
religious service. During the same year
81 per cent of the children in the whole
| population are shown TO have been bap-
| tiZed. The ordinary church statistics, curl
| ously, appeared as follows: Churches in
| Berlin, As: chapels Chiefly meeting places
| of sects), q total church seating capacity,
| $4,000; clelgymen, 127. The population of
| the city is about 100000. There is a
| special report of aceessions and assertions
of the evangelical body in Berlin. In 1887
2S5 persons were converted to Evangelical
ism and ia persons left the body. Six Of
these went over to Judaism and los to
| other religious denominations.
| The police methods in Berlin greatly aid
| in the preparation of an accurate census.
| No room can be rented at hotel or board
| ing-house, and no apartment or house can
| be legally leased. until the landlord has
! sent to the police the name and purpose
| of the newcomer. and the length of time
for which he will probably make the
| city his home. The same method is
| in vogue in other German cities.
| The experience of one of the profess
sors OF the University of Pennsylvania last
| summer is significant as to the effective
ness of these methods. Wishing to COM
municate with American lady who was
abroad, and, as he thought, in Leipsic, he
wrote to the police of that city. The an
swer declared that no person of the name
| was in the city. A similar letter was sent
| to the police headquarters Of Dresden, and
| a similar answer was received. When,
| later, however, the professor wrote to the
| police of Berlin. the reply announced that
| Mrs. was living at - street, on the