Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-12-07
A PERMANENT CENSUS,
A Biii to Establish 1t Prepared by supt.
Porter.

TEE ADVANTAGES THAT WOULD RESULT
CHANGES MADE FROM THE PRESENT ARRANGE
zssT AND wHr TEEr WERE SUGGESTED.
Senator Hale will introduce in the Senate
bill for establishing permanent census bureau
A report on the same subject has been pre-
pared oy Supt Porter in response to a resolu
tion adopted by the Seuate in February last.
In connection with the preparation of tn,
report the superintendent has been in CORE
spondsnce with the chambers of commerce
and boards of trade of the principal cities o.
the country, with officers of state boards o.
health. state bureaus of labor and agricultural
organizations, state superintendents of educa-
tiOn. bishops and other prominent churchmer
aud officers Of institutions for the insane, deaf
blind, &C., all Of whom are necessarily inter
ested In the movement looking to the improve
ment Of the present system OF collecting and
compiling census statistics The views ex-
pressed in response 10 his letter OF inquiry
show, the report states, wonderful unanimlty
Of opinion among all Glasses throughout the
United States IN favor of n permanent census
bureau. and are incorporated IN the report
He has also received letters from eminent
statisticiAns in Europe, including DIR. Angus:
Neitzen of Berlin, DIR. Won Scheel, director OF
the German imperial statistical bureau; Mr.
Robert Giffe and Sir Rawson W. Rawson OF
London and DIR. Emile Lsyasseur of Paris,
France.
In commenting upon tie bill which LIE
drafted Supt. Porter says;
MIR. PoRIER's AIMS.
'.In the preparation Of the bill herewith sub
xni.ted have endeavored to retain the most
valuable features Of the present census law.
STRENGTHENING il by making the office
permanent and amending 1t in all the weak
spots revealed by the experience OF the
eleventh census-
The new bill provides for q superintendent
OF census chief clerk, disbursing officer and
Eve expert chiefs of divisions, together with an
Office force, the aggregate cost OF which VIII
not exceed 500 eco annually. The chiefs of
division, who are to receive g, 500 per annum,
must be experts-not merely head CLERKS
that is men thoroughly trained in statistical
methods The clerks Of class four. three and
two may be statistical experts, the idea being
that in calling for these clerks the superln-
tsndent of census would require of the civil
service commission special examination.
The new bill places the entire permanent force
OF the Office under tine civil service rules. Inns
force. with the special agents, will give work
ing Office capable of conducting many OF the
special branches OF inquiry annually and
every five years, thereby relieving the
decennial enumerators of the infinite variety
of questions and large number OF schedules
with which they are burdened by the present
system. The date of the enumeration has been
changed to October only after careful thought
and deliberation. Nearly all statisticians seem
to agree that an enumeration taken October
~ 10 would bring more Satisfactory results In
cities and towns Of over 5000 inhabitants, and
am unable to See why that month would not
be convenient Tor tie country districts as
the month OF June
QUICK POPULATION RETURNS NEEDED.
''Col. Carroll u. Wrisht's plan [see his letter.
of giving additional time to the enumerators is
q good one is regards everything but popula-
ton; but il is not believed that the people
would be willing TO wait longer for population
returns than they did this time. The people
want quick population returns. There is more
general interest in the population returns than
In any other class OF census statistics. On
other points of change / agree with Mr.. Wright,
and some of his suggestions have been incor-
porated in the proposed bill The schedules of
agriculture AMI manufactures, as explained
elsewhere. should not be given to the population
enumerators. If prompt and accurate population
statistics are regarded, as they should be. of
paramount importance. have not decreased
the period Of enumeration, but with q perma-
nent census conducted in accordance with the
proposed new bill the total official count of the
population of the country by states should be
announced before the close of the year in which
the census is taken, and the aggregate popula-
tion by minor civil divisions printed and ready
fer distribution by the middle of the following
year. And. above and beyond all. the work
would be accurate in every particular.
IMPoETASCE OF SUPERVISORS.
The bill provides for an increased number
of supervisors This is necessary for the
present law is very weak in the matter of
supervision The census Of the united king
dom, for example. Is supervised by not less
than 1000 superintendent registrars, regis
trars and police inspectors 1 was only allowed
us supervisors for the United States. and prob
ably eight or ten special agents were sent to
places complaining of imperfect enumeration.
The proposed bill increases the number of
supervisors to 500 and provides for supervisors
clerks IL also authorizes the employment of
chief enumerators il found necessary. 1t re-
duces the size Of the enumeration districts and
places the final decision as TO these districts in
the hands of the superintendent of census who
is not likely to be biased by local considera-
tons. permanent bureau will enable the
geographical division Of the census Office to
make these divisions with greater skill than
heretofore and with less dependence upon the
supervisors
PAYMENT OF ESUMERAroRs.
The change in the present system of paying
cpumerators Is deemed imperative. On this
subject Hon. Carroll d. Wright says: One of
the most important features which should be
recognized in any new act relates TO the COM
pensation OF enumerators. To my own mind
~ - an absolute lmpOcslDlIlIy To take u very
respectable census of either population. manu-
features or agriculture with the present COM
pensation allowed by law. object most strenu-
oIsly to the whole method of compensation
In census work. IL should be per diem
compensation and not 4 per capita one
I am ready to corcede that under q per
diem compensation the expense Of the
census might be increased, but this il Of no
consequence whatever if the government cares
Tor very exact returns Under the present act
i was able to pay per diem rate for the statis-
tics OF manufactures in all cases in which the
schedules we're withdrawn from the enumera-
tors. It worked admirably. Possibly it cost
little more. The valre OF the work. however,
was greatly enhanced. Ey placing the de-
eision OF the number CT days work to
be allowed in the hands of tie superin-
tendent OF census a check was provided
asains; incapacity and dilatoriness. The daily
cards sent TO the superintendent OF census and
70 the supervisor showing each days work will
serve as an index to the character and quantity
OF the work Under the present system men
worked hard and faithfully fog twelve and
fourteen hours per day to be rewarded by 81. IS
70 - pay. Under the system which compels
the superintendent TO decide upon the rate Of
pay In advance of the enumeration, we could
only judge by the earnings of the tenth census,
and they prove in many cases of no value what
ever IN gauging present rates OF pay. There
Are numerous other reasons for this change
many Of which viii occur to those who may be
called upon to deal with this question.