The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1891-10-13
COST OF THE CENSUS.
Superintendent Porter Refutes Certain State
ments of q New York Newspaper.
6pecial 20 the Iudanapo,is Journal

Superintendent Porter Refutes Certain State
ments of a New York Newspaper.
Special TO the Indianapolis Journal
WASHINGTON. October 12.-Superintend-
ent Porter tonight made the following
statement in reply to the published criti-
cisms about the cost of the eleventh census:
"The New York Herald of to-day says, 1T
will take four or five years to complete the
work. expect to finish it all and have it
ready for the printer by the close of 1892
The Herald says have asked Congress to
appropriate two or three billions of dollars
more and with that can get the work about
half done. My last report to the Secretary
of the Interior. accessible to all newspa-
pers. asks for 81 1,OOO, 600 to complete all the
work. including the inquiry relative to
mortgage Indebtedness. which was an extra
inquiry and not included in the original
appropriation for the census. This is all
that will be necessary"
''The Herald says the superintendent of
census has 5000 of the small printing
(punchIng) machines on which he owes
SS70,0O0 and has not paid Q cent Instead
of 1000 these machines cost Sl5 900, and
the Census Office does not owe l cent on
them. The Herald says: The superintend-
ent has l2O of the larger machines on
which he owes year and @ half rent,
which at 81 eco year would be $4,000.
making the total indebtedness of the
bureau on these machines S555,OOO, and
neither contract nor vouchers on file
in the Treasury Department show
it, The total Indebtedness of the Census
Office for this purpose, instead of being
dollar. Vouchers are paid every month.
Such O sum Is preposterous: If every ma
chine contracted for was used for an entire
year at full rental the total cost could only
reach $500 per year. When machines are
not used we do not pay for them. These
same machines are being used by the Can
adian government and the Austrian gov
ernment. and they are paying substantially
does.
The Herald saws that the census Of 1880
cost si,OOO.OOO. The appropriations show
that the census OF 1850. exclusive of print
Ing, binding and engraving, cost 81. S53, $50,
and the printing. binding and engraving.
81, l,Ole,116, making total of S5,S7l, ,466 as
the cost of the census of 1880, including
printing. binding and engraving. The
Herald says that the census has already
cost one-third more than the census of 1880.
The appropriation thus far for the census
proper, exclusive OF printing. binding and
engraving. has been S6.400.OO0. OF
this amount at least 100000 has been
expended for inquiries required by the
present census act which were not required
by previous censuses. and about $500 900 re-
mains unsxpended. So as matter of fact.
the present censns. instead of having al
ready cost one-third more than the census
of 1880 has cost s. 900. 600. or about 81 600 900
more than the census of 1880, OF 9.S6 cents
per capita, as against 9.0S in 1850. or de-
crease of .S2 cent per capita. AS the popu,
lation during this period has increased
about 25 per cent. the cost should be made
on the same rate. Instead of having cost
up to the present time one third more than
the census of 1850 the census of 1890 has
cost trltle less than the total cost of the
census of 1850 would have been had
the same number of population
been enumerated. A continuous pro-
gressive enhancement of the per
capita cost Of successive censuses is
| enumeration is in no degree wIdened, by
reason of the continually expanding detail
| into which the traditional classes of statis-
| tics will invariably be drawn under the
| ever growing popular demand for local and
| minute information. The increase from
1870 TO 1880 was nearly cent per capita.
| Allowing similar increase for the last
| decade, the cost OF the present census ex-
| elusive of printing. binding and engrav-
| ing and OF the additional inquiries required
by Congress and appropriated for separate
| ly, should be about Sd, 10000. and l expect
| to complete the census and have il ready
for the printer for less than this sum. Any
/ other statement is false and misleading.
THE Herald says: The census appropri-
alton has all been spent which is not true
! There is to the credit of the several Gems us
| funds SSS5,000. and the accounts of the Of
flee are all paid 10 date. The only bills due
| are such are in transit or have not been
presented. have sufficient money 10 con-
tinue all the necessary work until such
time as Congress may make additional ap-
| preparations.
The statement that the charge that the
| superintendent was interested in any way,
direct or indirect, In these machines had
| never been denied, shows the venom OF this
| article. 1t has been denied to a reporter of
| the Herald. and is again denied and de-
nOunced as malicious libel and falsehood.
Such stories could only emanate from the
same sources that are willing to scandalize
honest. virtuous and hard working women
| who are compelled to earn "a pittance in
"A government Office-womep. too. with
widowed mothers and families of orphans
| and other dependent relations to support;
women whose husbands and fathers have
IL