The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1890-08-04
BRITISH CENSUS TAKING.

BRITISH CENSUS TAKING.
Facts About 1t of Interest on this Side just
A department committee, arranged by
the local government board, has been re-
ceiving evidence and preparing report
for the purpose of advising the govern
ment as to the best mode of carrying ont
the next decennial census. The chairman
of the committee is Mr.. Leonard Courtney
and the registrar general. Sir Bridges P.
Henneker, is one Of the members. A writer
in the London Standard, after pointing out
that religious census is taken in Ireland
and referring to the imperfect religious
census taken in England in 1851, observes
that II the religious census can be carried
no further than it was in 1851 it had better
be omitted entirely. Parliament must pass
the required census act in the present SEES
sion, authorizing the necessary arrange
ments for the enumeration in the spring of
1891. The day for taking the census has
varied from time to time, ranging between
March 10 and June Z. But on recent occa-
sions an early date in April has been Sc
lected. The theoretical moment of the
census is, in reality, not in the daytime but
With respect to Great Britain, the passing
of the population bill in 1900 was the first
provision for 9 statutory census. The orig
inal proposal for such a measure dates from
q period some fifty years earlier, when
bill for taking and registering an annual
was brought in by Mr.. Thomas Potter, son
of the archbishop of Canterbury, barris-
ter of the Middle Temple and member for
st. Germans. The project was violently
opposed. Mr.. Thornton. member for the
city of York, declaring in the house that un-
til then he ibid not believe there was any
set of men, or indeed any individual Of the
human species, 30 presumptuous and 80
abandoned as to make such proposal"
This gentleman declared his conviction that
the project vas totally subversive Of the
last remains Of English liberty" More
sss! d IF . Sas people sp 'n1 %l reg
our Weakness This denunciator of the
Census was not alone in his antagonlsm to
the scheme. The feeling was wide spread.
There was fear that the proposed census
would prove the precursor Of fresh taxes
ton.
By the returns of baptisms and burials,
reaching back in the case of many parishes
to the year 1871, estimates of the popula-
ton have been framed which show marvel
lous results when compared with recent
the population of England and Wales in
1861 was actually less than the present pop
ulation of what is called Greater London"
q designation which includes "Inner Lon
dom and the Outer Ring" Yet a good
authority tells US that the figures may be
relied upon as sufficiently correct. It
thus appears that the population of Eng
land and Wales underwent an increase
of less than a million in the hundred
years that ended with 175l; whereas in the
next century the increase was nearly twelve
millions. Between 1861 and 1881 there was
an increase exceeding eight millions, bring
ing up the total for England and Wales to
was calculated that the population in 1891
would prove to be about q, S43. 898. Accord
ing to the yearly estimates since 1881 there
is every prospect that this forecast will be
found to approximate very closely to the
truth. A feature Of great Importance in
instance in which a census WAS taken of the
entire population of the British empire, the
total at that date being found to be nearly
235, 600. The undertaking was described
as ''the vastest census that has ever been
taken in one empire" At the last census
OOO, 900, the increase in the United Kingdom
being 3, 100000.
The most laborious, the most costly and
after all perhaps the least satisfactory part
Of the census is declared, in regard to Eng
land and Wales, to be that which is con-
cerned with the occupations. of the people.
One of the difficulties consists in the enor-
nous number of distinct manufactures
and industries. Early in the history of the
census it was found necessary to have
special dictionary for the nomenclature
of occupations. About 900 names suficed
until 1881, when the list became enlarged SO
as to include nearly $4,000 appellations,
plicable character. What was to
be understood by an "iron bolstermaker, !"
a "blabber," doctor maker" ''duler,''
barker" an "all rounder," a "horse-ma-
rine," "bull-dog burner or an "oliver
term also created embarrassment. Bank
manager ordinarily means the manager Of
a money bank, but in mining districts it
occasionally has very different significa-
ton. Drummer" may indicate must
clan or blacksmith's Zimmerman, and a
the china manufacture. A ''collarmaker''
may be seamstress or harnessmaker. and
IN engineer" may mean-as often occurs
either maker or driver of engines.
The cost of the last census was e172.OOO
for population of 26,O0O,000. But the cost
is increasing on each occasion. For Eng
land and Wales the cost per 1000 of the
population was 81 los. Sd. in 1861, rising to
e5 IS. I'd. in 1871, and e6 12s. Cd. in 1881.
In regard to the census of the United
Kingdom, the English portion is the least
expensive pro rata, Scotland and Ireland
costing more per 1000 of the population.
The number Of enumerators employed in
the last English census was nearly IS 900.
and some advance on this number will, of
course, be necessary in 1891. Probably the
number will not'be far short of 10000.
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