Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-03-29

case OF. persons who afe engaged at Their
usual labor during the night. and who will
\ in like manner be enumerated at the hotels
or houses at which they expect to stop on the
following day.
Proving the Statements.
The next morning the enumerators will
visit every dwelling house in the United
| Kingdom in order to collect the schedules
| which they had left in the course of the
week preceding II the schedule is already
made up the enumerator must see that the
entries are madein proper manner and
salty himself that the particulars are likely
to be correct. II, from any cause, the sched-
ule is not filled up it is his duty to fill it
| up himself from the verbal information of
the occupier or other competent member OF
| the family. '-tA
In all cases he must ascertain carefully
| that no person who abode in the house or
lodgings on the previous night has been
omitted, and that no person then absent
has been included, except those travelling to
or out at work during that night. and who
| shall have returned home next morning.
Any schedule (which contains manifestly
false particulars must be corrected.
What the Census Develops.
Every census has its ''curious incidents. :"
of which probably only q very few become
generally known. One of the most remark
able of these was the appointment in the
last census of a lady enumerator in Lon
don district. She is reported to have ''dis-
charged the duties very efficiently" Some
persons exhibit disinclination to let the
enumerators have the schedules. Many
have been sent to the Registrar General
privately to avoid the scrutiny Of enumera-
tors IN country districts, his sanction hav-
iuo been DreyiOuslv obtained
A spinster in rural district, of rather un-
certain age and very wealthy, fastened up
her doors and windows, forbiddlng access to
the enumerator. and saying that fine of
EGO would not induce her to give him the
desired particulars. In answer to a sooth-
ing letter she sent the Registrar General her
schedule privately. A gentleman of landed
property declared he would pay fine of
any amount-indeed, would rather cease to
eIist-than commit the offense for which
David suffered, as recorded in the Old Tes-
lament. His religious scruples were re-
spected. and the particulars of his family
were nevertheless recorded with tolerable
accuracy.
Counting Up the Figures.
When the schedules all have been col
lected by the enumerators, the process of
enumeration is complete. 1t remains only
to put the matter into shape. All the i'm
mense array of facts on every subject of i'm
portance has been gathered in night. Then
follows the transcription by the enumera-
tors of the particulars contained in the
householder schedule into the "Enumera-
ton Book" accompanied with proper indi-
cations of all local boundaries. and sum-
mary of all houses and of persons enumer-
ated. The Registrar makes collation. of
the schedules and enumeration books, and
carefully revses the latter, from which he
makes out a summary for his sub-district,
and transmits it. with the other documents,
to the Superintendent Registrar.
The Superintendent Registrar revises gen.
orally the whole of the returns, tests their
accuracy and satisfies himself that the
registrars and enumerators have in all cases
fully performed the duties required of them.
All these separate operations must be com-
pleted in specific number of days and the
different documents transmitted to the Gen.
sus Office as early as possibl. in May. The
probabilities are that within three months
from the date of the census preliminary
report will be presented to the Home Secre-
tary for the purpose of being laid before
Parliament.
The Work Is Accurately Done.
The preliminary report is followed by q
detailed report, whichdiffers from the former
in both quantity and quality. The prelimi-
nary report contains no information con-
eerning the ages of the people, their occu-
pations, birthplace and conjugal condition,
the numbers OF the blind and of the deaf
mutes. aud other particulars. All this in
formation will be embodied in the final
report. For the purpose of this latter, each
enumeration book and entry book is care
fully revised, detachable errors are corrected
and fresh casting up Of the entries, as cor
rected, is made. The experience of past
censuses has been that the mistakes never
reach the percentage of 4 per cent
The enumerator receives a fixed fee of l
guinea, and ratable payment of rs. Cd. per
100 persons enumerated. In large districts
into account the required qualifications and
the quantity of work to be done, will con-
slider this over compensation. Sometimes,
when the schedules are not filled up, the
duties of the enumerator are very onerous.
He is also liable to incur not only trouble,
like several of your New York enumerators
who bearded the cosmopolitan population of
the metropolis in the last census, but even
danger, by going into courts where smallpox
and other diseases are epidemic.
The Origin of the System.
No proposal to ascertain the number of
the population by systematic enumeration
appears to have been made until the middle
of the last century. On March 30, 1858, Mr..
Thomas Potter. son of the Archbishop OF
Canterbury, and barrister of the Middle
Temple, who represented the borough of st.
Germans in the House Of Commons, brought
in a bill "for taking and registering an an
nual account of the total number of the peo-
pie, and of the total number of marriages,
births and deatbs-and also of the total
number of poor receiving aims from every
parish and e1tra-parochial place in Great
Britain"
Notwithstanding considerable opposition
the bill passed through all its stages in the
Commons by large maiorities, only to be
thrown out on the second reading in the
House of Lords.
Nearly half century passed away before
the proposal was renewed, and when the
new bill was introduced in the House of
Commons in November, 1900, it had the ad-
vantage of great change which had ap-
parently occurred in public opinion on the
subject. The population bill was brought
in 10y Mr.. Abbot, member for Hefston, on
November 20, 1900, and passed through all
Its stages without opposition. The first
census was tak ken on March 10, 1901.
Lesson From Last Winters Experience.
That soldier may make splendid show
ing on dress parade but be of more harm