Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-01-04
THE ELEVENTH CENSUS
sapt. Porter's Statement Relative to the Cost
of Its Completion.

of Its Completion.
Supt Porter in report to Secretary Noble
relative 70 the cost Of completing the census
makes the following statement:
From the fact that about half the appro-
Priation for printing remains unexpended
should think it safe TO estimate that the cost of
printing the eleventh census. as at present
mapped out, will be. relatively speaking, less,
certainly no more, than the tenth census. OF
course this estimate based on the law as it
stands today. Should Congress order larger
editions OF the several volumes the cost will be
accordingly increased Q
Allowing for amount unexpended the per
capita cost of the eleventh census up to this
date has therefore been 9.7S cents and 9.93 cents
for the tenth census
The change in the method of collecting the
data relating to manufactures. vital statistics.
mines and mining and in other divisions, by
employing per diem special agents, has I'M
doubtedly increased the cost, and while the
population of the country has increased q per
cent during the decade, the agricultural
mining and manufacturing interests have in
creased from 30 to 100 per cent, enhancing I'M
mensely the cost OF getting the material, but
the results are far more accurate and valuable
Including the amount paid enumerators ana su-
pervisors the total cost of the collection OF the
data for the eleventh census has been S3,6OO.-
3S5.S6. Not only was the cost of collecting
statistics of manufactures, mines anu
mining. vital statistics, &C., increased under
the present act authorizing the SUI erlntend-
ent Of census to Withdraw schedules from
snumerators and use other and more efhclent
methods, but the pay for collecting the asrl-
cultural schedules was likewise increased by
Congress.
Should the eleventh census therefore show
when completed a slight increased per capita
cost it will be due to the ever-groWIng popular
demand for local and minute information and
TO the better work, better methods and better
pay allowed for collecting manufacturing and
agricultural schedules
i have reason to believe that the census work
proper can all be finished and ready for the
printer by the close Of 1892, and that the total
cost, exclusive Of printing and farms, homes |
and mortgages. will not exceed S7,OUO.OOO. or a
trifie II cents per capita, as against total
cost of about S5.OOOO 900. or about 10 cents per
CAPITA for the tenth census. an increase Of
only l cent This will finish up the work
within the next twelve, or, at most, eighteen
months, in accordance with the original plan.
without a single outright or even partial
failure. In brief. the cost OF the eleventh CEN
sus. when completed, exclusive of printing and
farms, homes and mortgages, Will be about l
Cent per capita more than the tenth an in
crease less than the increase between the cost
of the ninth and tenth censuses- The printing,
as now mapped out, Will cost no more. PROB
ably less, than the printing of the tenth census.
The work of the Office lis well advanced and
fourteen of the twenty-five divisions OF the
census office will have ceased TO exist soon after
the new year sets in. the work having been
completed Three other divisions Will exist
only in name, and in the aggregate employ bu:
fifteen or twenty clerks. The ONCE force Tor
the coming year will be concentrated on pOpu-
lation, agriculture and manufactures. Vita!
and statistics OF special classes are
well advanced. waiting for the detail tabula |
tlons of the population should Congress de |
eide to continue the collection OF stats ties OF
farms, homes and mortgages it can be com |
pleted by the close OF 1882 The printing dlyl- |
sion and the division OF final results will con- |
tinue until the last volume has gone to gress.