Sullivan republican. [volume] (Laporte, Pa.) 1883-1896, 1890-05-30
nEcAnDlNG ruE CENSUS WORK
Individual And Corporation I'm
debtednesS.

time OF census taxing, anu tne cohi-
pleteness with which the work is TO
be done, has awakened considerable
inquiry. The census is designed to
be much more complete in all re-
spects than any ever before taken,
and while the general outline OF the
work has been published, many
things are not yet undertood. This
is particularly the case in the in
ouiry into the recorded indebted
mss of private individuals and cor
porations, and the statistics of farms,
homes and mortgages.
At the census office in Washing
ton there have been received thous.
ands of letters asking for informa-
tion on the subject. and Robert Z.
Porter. Superintendent OF Census,
has issued bulletin in reply to a
Senate resolution to have the matter
more fully set forth and explained.
The inquiry particularly concerns
only answers to five questions.
They are the following Is the
house you live in hired, or is it
owned by the head or by member
of the family? IF owned by head
or member of the family, is the
house free from mortgage incum-
brance? If the the head of the
family is farmer, is the farm which
he cultivates hired or is it owned by
him or by a member of his family !?
If owned by member or head Of
family, is the farm free from mort
gage incumbrance? If the farm or
house is owned by head or member
of family and mortgaged, give the
postoflice address of owner.
Speaking of these questions, Mr..
Porter says that it is impossible to
secure reliable data in relation to
the value and ownership of property,
or the amount of private indebted>
ness of individuals directly through
the medium of enumerators. The
particular points touching the inns
practicability of securing or expect
ing to secure from the women of
the household accurate information
concering the ownership of property
are emphasized in the report made
by Gen. Francis A. Walker in 1879.
In the report referred to, urging the
abandonment of the interrogatory
relating TO the ownership of the pub
lie debt, General Walker called at
tention to the fact that the ques-
tions on the population schedule
would often have to be answered by
the women of the family in the tenn
porary or protracted absence of the
head thereof, and that it is difficult
to obtain accurate information ex-
cept from the head of the family re-
specting the Investment of the family
property. Even when the head of
the family is present. the direct in
quiry of an enumerator respecting
how much the head of the family
owes is likely to engender distrust,
and in the end only secure partial
returns.
Congress decided by the act of
February 81, 1890, that the enumer-
ators should simply be called upon
to secure information which will
enable the census office, by COR
respondence and ultimately by
special agents, to give the facts re-
quired. Mr.. Porter says: "There
are several advantages to this meth
cd. The office will be able to tabu.
late and give to the country in
comparatively short time the number
of persons in each county who owns
the house they occupy and the farms
they cultivate, the number of people
who are tenants of their homes and
farms, the number of all owned and
tenanted farms and homes which
are mortgaged, and the number free
from mortgage incumbrance. If the
enumerator performs his duty in ao-
cordance with the instructions here
matter appended the postoflice ad-
dress of every person owning and
occupying q mortgaged home or
farm will be in the possession of
the census office, together with the