The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1891-10-24
Congress and the Census.

1t is now plain that as soon as Con
gress meets the Census Bureau will
come up for pretty thorough over
hauling.
The matter must be brought be-
fore that body by Mr.. Porter himself
by an application for more appropra
tions to continue the work.
This seems astounding. but it is
true, nevertheless. Congress has al
ready appropriated for this census
sums reaching the enormous aggre.
gate of eight million dollars Yet
this vast amount of money has about
disappeared and the end of The cen
sus work is not in sight. The super.
intendent will ask for one or two
millions more.
If the census is completed under
the present management the cost will
foot up not less than ten million dol.
lars. The tenth census, taken under
the supervision of General Francis
A. Walker, cost five million dollars
and it was the most elaborate com
pilation of statistics ever prepared
by any government in the world. 1t
was naturally expected that the cen
sus of 1890 would call for more mon
ey than was spent on the preceding
one. But who ever dreamed that
double the amount would be demand
ed.
Of course Congress will not vote
any further appropriations without a
searching inquiry as to what has
been done with the enormous sums
already appropriated. To spend eight
million dollars on the census and
then coolly ask for two millions more
to complete the work is very sugges-
tive of something that needs probing.
1t points to reckless extravaganza if
not scandalous jobbery.
But it's cost is not the only or the
most serious aspect of the eleventh
census that will demand the earnest
attention of Congress. It's fragrant
inaccuracy and consequent worth.
lessness have become matters of com
mon notoriety. 1t has been demon.
strated that the enumeration of this
city is two hundred thousand and
that of Brooklyn fifty thousand out
of the way. By unerring tests it has
been shown that the reported popu-
lation of the country falls at least
three millions short of the actual
number of inhabitants. In the sta
tistics relating to municipal finances
gross blunders have been exposed by
more than one city comptroller.
These are but specimen instances
Others might be cited. Add to then
the careless office work of counting
and tabulation which has recently
been exposed and it becomes appar.
ent that the whole work is vitiateo
with errors which must destroy it:
value.
To be of any value national cen
sus must be complete, and above al
accurate. Thoroughness and accur
acy are essential not only for stats
tical purposes, but also to thai
equality of representation which il
the chief reason for enumerating thu
inhabitants. AS the eleventh cen
sus lacks these essential qualities i
is a failure.
Surely Congress cannot vote Il
waste more millions on such a work
1t is serious matter to order L new
census. That will take both tim,
and money. But it is better to d.
this than to daily longer with cen
sus that is to be set down as fail
ure, and hence can do the country n,
good.
If we are to have a full and &C
curate emu meration such as the con
stitutior contemplates and the inter
ests of the nation demand-a worth,
census that will command the con
fidence Of the people-Congress mus
order new one to be taken. This
Is NOT an agreenhle condition to face
Int y is y n~:essary one--N. Y
Hcrald.