Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-01-31
INFORMATION ABOUT DEBTS.
superintendent Porter Explains the
Method of Making the Inquiry.

Perhaps no matter connected with the work
of the eleventh census has been the subject Of
as much discussion and thought as that relat.
ing TO the collection of statistics of recorded in.
debtedness. The policy of the census Office has
been determined, and it is very clearly out
lined in a letter which Robert p Porter, the
superintendent, has Just transmitted with the
approval of Secretary Noble to Senator Hale.
The letter says: I'VE have scarcely more than
one hundred working days to complete every
arrangement for the count Of the population
and to start the army Of 10000 enumerators.
The population schedule has been decided on
and in few weeks the public printer will begin
printing the twenty million schedules necessary
to enumerate the people. Within this one
hundred days one hundred and seventy five
supervisors must be selected from the thou
sands of applications now on file in the census
office. appointed by the President and con-
hrmed by the Senate, and they in turn must
subdivlde their respective districts and select
suitable men for enumerators, and these men
must all be commissioned, instructed and di-
rected from this office. In short, upon the
work of the next hundred days depend in no
small degree the success of the eleventh census.
''All the special work called for by the act to
provide for taking the eleventh and subsequent
censuses is IN hand and as far as possible well
advanced. Particularly is this the case with
the investigation in relation to the recorded
Indebtedness of private corporations and indi-
viduals. In several states this work has been
commenced. After six months of careful
thought and consultation with the most emf
nent statisticians Of the country a plan has
been formulated which meets with the ap-
proval of those who have studied the various
methods by which light may be thrown upon
this important question, and the inquiry has
been fairly launched The blanks required
for this work alone number 20,000, 900 and are
all printed 1t is proposed to take of the
mortgages for a series of years In every county
in the United States and to supplement this in
formation by the most careful inquiry possible,
in order to separate the Cancelled from the un-
Cancelled mortgages and to make due allow
ance for partial payments"
Mr.. Porter discusses the various methods
that have been proposed for securing this in
formation and argues that 1t is impracticable
to employ the enumerators to gather il from
heads of families, as their time OF employment
is limited by the act.
There is no objection" Mr.. Porter says, TO
enlarging the scope of this investigation in re-
lation to mortgage Indebtedness. 1t can be
done independent of the enumeration of the
people and in a manner that will not antago-
nize the public. The farmers, who are said to
be demanding this investigation, will be the
first to protest when called upon TO answer the
bald question OF how much they owe by their
the enumerators. Just and more
accurate conclusions can be reached by special
and if the present inquiry does
not cover the ground il can be extended and
made of far greater value by the expenditure
of more money and the employment of addi-
tional agencies to supplement and improve the
work already begun than it would be possible
to secure through the medium Of the enumer.
ator"