Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-02-21

Robert P. Porter. superintendent OF the CEN
sus. has approved the forms OF the schedules
which will govern the collection Of statistics OF
population. These schedules differ in several
important particulars from the schedules here
tofore used in previous censuses.
For the first time the United States census
will use what is known as the family schedule,
that is. a schedule which will contain the
names of from one to ten persons composing .
single family, instead of q schedule calculated
to hold two hundred names, as used in the
tenth census.
THE CHANCES WHICH HAVE BEEN MADE
necessary by the act of March I. 1889, for TAX
ing the eleventh and subsequent censuses, Mr..
Porter states. are such as the inquiry relating
TO soldiers sailors or widows of such persons;
the inquiries necessary to ascertain whether the
persons are black. mulatto. quadroon or
octoroon, together with the five questions re-
latlng TO the ownership of homes and farms
and the mortgage incumbrance thereon. Mr..
Porter has added, the above TO questions relst-
ing TO the ability of persons 20 speak
the English language that il can be under
stood IN ordinary conversation; as TO the Ian
guage or dialect spoken; also questions calcu-
lated to ascertain the number OF
ALIENS Il THE UNITED STATES
who have taken no steps toward naturalization
The result of the inquiries relating 20 males Of
foreign birth, Mr.. Porter saws, viii show
the number of years they may have
been IN the United States aud
whether they are naturalzed or have
taken OUT naturalization papers. From these
answers Mr.. Porter estimates that il will he
possible To ascertain the number of liens who
are IN the United States and who have taken no
steps toward naturalization.
NUMBER OF CHILDREN; FAMILY IxrrRMrrrEs.
Another question that Mr.. Porter considers
important Is the inquiry that will be made of
all married women as 10 the number of chill
dren they have had and the number of these
children living at the time of the census
Mr.. Porter says that the enumerators will be
instructed to ask if any person in the family ia
defective IN mind, sight. hearing. speech. &c,
instead OF asking II there are idiot insane
feeble minded, blind, &C. as was the case in
the last census. While Mr.. Porter saws that tins
may seem to be trivial matter, yet il is inn
portant that the enumerators. both IN their
manner rs well in the character of the au.s-
tions asked. have care not TO antagonize the
people, as it
WILL ENDANGER THE ACCURACY OF THE CENSUS
Mr.. Porter says that for this reason he has
always deprecated attempts TO include in the
population schedule direct questions relating
TO the amount of incumbrance upon homes
and farms. He proposes TO ascertain
through the population schedules the number
OF persons that are free from debt and those
whose homes and farms are mortgaged Then
he Will follow the matter up by the aid OF cir
culars, special agents and searche-s
IN cases where information is re-
fused by individuals Mr.. Porter expresses
the nope that the census Office will be able to
present valuable and unique inquiry into the
whole subject of ownership of houses, mort
gage Indebtedness, rates of interest and many
other matters OF vital interest TO the people.