Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-06-18
THE THoROUGHNEss OF THE CENSUS


in THE DISPATCH yesterday, that fully
one-third of the enumerators have not yet
completed and handed in their census re-
ports, establishes a margin for hope that
the task has not been so incompletely done
as the numerous reported omissions of
names would suggest. But enough has
been heard, not only from the Pittsburg
district, but from various parts OF the
country, to be decidedly disquieting. The
cases which THE DISPATCH presented yes
terday of people who have seen nothing OF
the enumerators, furnish presumptive evil
dence of inadequate enumeration. If many
cases of that sort can be found in days
search by reporters, how many are likely to
have been missed in the thickly populated
corners of the city.
Pittsburg has an especial interest IN
securing a thorough and accurate census
this year. For thirty years our city's repu-
tation has ranked below her actual position
in wealth and population, not only because
the population is divided between two munlc-
ipalities, but because we have not utilized
all the opportunities for making our real
importance known to the world. If the
present census is allowed to pass without
thorough and full statement of our popu-
lation, it will mean simply the waste OF an
other opportunity to give our community
the rank to which it is entitled.
Fortunately, there are means of detecting
the inadequacy of the census enumeration,
if there is any. If the increase in the popu-
lation of the two cities should fall materially
below the average ratio of increase in the
vote, the school enumeration and the total
of names in the city directory, the conclu-
sion would be indisputable that the census
has missed a considerable share of the popu-
lation. Each of these totals grows with the
growth of population. Each is accurate in
its peculiar province so far as it goes. The
main difference between all of them and the
census is that the census should be the
most thorough, and ought to reach people
who do not vote, families without children
of school age, and those whose names do not
get into the directory. If the census totals
fail to come up to the average increase in
dictated by these totals, Pittsburg will be en-
titled to take steps toward correcting the
injustice of putting her population per-
manently in the census totals below what
there is reason to think it is. We shall have
a right to call for a recount, either under
the Census Bureaus authority, or by
special enumeration, such as Philadelphia
secured in 1880 with regard to her manu-
factures.
The indications that the pending census
will not have the qualities of thoroughness
and accuracy call for the recognition of some
features which may be largely responsible
for unsatisfactory results. First among
these is the burdening Of the enumeration
with an immense number of questions not
necessary to an accurate determination of
the population. The famous questions as
to debts and diseases, as already pointed
out, did not take the best means of getting
accurate information on these points and
any one who has taken the trouble to watch
the details of the enumeration will be salts
fed that the totals on those points are chiefly
valuable as showing that the correct totals
must be other amounts. Beyond that the
mere work of taking down the answers to
the multiplicity of questions is so great that
the enumerators are insuf6ciently paid for
their labor, and have not full incentive to
do it thoroughly.
In this respect the hunger for statis-
tics at Washington has the result in great
measure of defeating itself. Had the census
queries been confined to the main purpose,
viz: The quick and sure ascertainment of
the actual population of the country, the
work could have been done with speed and
certainty. In place Of that it was conceived
to be the function to gather in all sorts of
collateral information. What the object or
the value OF these aggregations of statistics
can possibly be the public will never know.
If any generalization might be made that
would throw a new or valuable light upon the
condition of the country there might be some
excuse for 1t. But the average conditions
of existence in the United States are already
well understood by such philosophers and
specialists as may find the germs of new
truths in the census report. Even where
understood there is SO often a tremendous
difference i'll the conclusions drawn from
statistical summaries that the helpfulness
and general utility of the accumulations of
extraneous facts which are to embellish
without enIivening the census returns may
well be doubted.
For purposes of political division, of tax
alton, of practical business information and
of fundamental requisites of government,
the numbering of the population meets the
principal requirements of the census. This
is done with the utmost promptness and
in England. under the semi
military organization of the police by con-
fniRg the inquiry to the population and its
location on the single day of the census.
The example suggests that the work might
be done accurately and scientifically by the
War Department, under similar plan of
action.
Finally the absurd order that supervisors
shall not tabulate the returns of their own
districts and let the totals be known, in
creases the difficulty of correcting made
quacv. If the supervisors we're permitted
to make their totals public as soon as they
are all in, prompt steps could be taken i f
there were any reason to suspect that the
census is not full. As it is, we must wait