Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-09-29
UNABLE TO ANSWER.
The Census Bureaus Questions We're
Very Impracticable.
so STEEL MANUFACTURERS SAY.
Pittsburg Statistics May Appear in the
Coming Bulletins.
RE- JONES AND OTHERS TALK ABOUT 1T

Ii Plttspurg Is uOt given place IN the
coming census bulletin, giving the manu-
featuring statistics of the leading cities of
the United States, it will be because of the
impracticability of the questions asked by
the census officials. That Pittsburg is not
on the list, however, is not an assured fact,
and it is thought by many that when the
bulletin is issued Pittsburg will be there
DISPATCHES from Washington yesterday
said that the report was about completed.
that in every State the Mckinley bill was
followed by large increase in the number
of manufacturing establishments and that
the capital invested is increased. 1t is also
to show that the wages of the
employes have increased in pro-
portion. The dispatch then says
that Pittsburg, the typical protection city
of the land, will be missing from the list
The reason given for this is that the Pitts
burg iron and steel manufacturers have de-
clined to give the information. This Is true
in part, but according to several leading
manufacturers, they had good cause to with
hold some of the things the bureau asked
for.
The Questions Were Impracticable.
The questions that the Census Bureau
sent to the PittsbGrg manufacturers were
impracticable. Had they been answered,
every man, woman and child would have
known pretty much everything which it
had no business to know. The bureau
wanted to know how much each manutact-
urer had invested; how much of his capital
raS horrowed -nonay. u ho it horrowed
from; how much interest he had to pay on
it; what his yearly earnings were; how
Much it cost to produce ton of product;
how much labor cost, and numerous other
questions of an impertinent nature One
manufacturer in speaking of them last night
said: "The Census Bureau might as well
have asked us how much we owed our tail
ors and whether we were ever going to pay
them
B. F. Jones thinks it is not the fault of
the Pittsburg manufacturers if Plttsburg
does not get the proper showing in the Gen.
sus bulletin.
Why the Questions Were Not Answered.
'The whole trouble" said he, "was be-
cause of the impracticability of the quetions
Hhev asked US to answer 1t was impossi- |
bic for us to do it The questions may have
been answered by some Of the smaller on-
Germs of the country. but when firm as large |
as ours or numerous others in the city was
asked to comply it was absurd. 1t Tould |
take six clerks Ealf year to make any |
thing like proper answer. Then it would |
not be complete Indeed, there were many |
questions that could only be answered by |
the manufacturers themselves, and it is |
doubtful if even they could do it satisfac- |
torily
Il can hardly believe that Pittsburg will |
l. \ l. II
feel sure that there was no concerted action |
to keep anything from tine census bureau |
that it should know.
Fair Statements Have Been Sent In.
81 feel sure that my, own firm has sent in |
a husiness-like statement in the way of |
statistics A census official was at our Office |
the other day and 1 think he was given |
what it was right that he should know.
do not think it is the intention of the census
department to make the coming report
tariff feature. l do not see how it could
be-"
A. E W. Painter, of J. Painter & Sons
Company, was of the same opinion as Mr.
Jones. He spoke in the same manner of
the questions. He said, however, that he
thought his company had sent in some sta
tistics. They were not direct answers to
The questions OF the bureau Mr.. FAINTER
also said that he did not think that Pitts
burg would be the loser even if it was not
in the coming bulletin.
Henry Oliver puts liJtle credence in the
story that Pittsburg is not to have place
in the bulletin. He says his firm has CON-
piled with the census bureaus request so
tar as it was practicable.
The Report Not for Political Purposes.
He knew of no move of the Pittsburg
to withhold anything that
would benefit the city. AS for the CON-
ing report being political tariff measure,
Afr. Oliver did not see how it could be.
Another large Pittsburg manufacturer was
OF the same opinion as Mr. Jones and Mr..
Oliver He heartily denounced the ques-
tiOn that the bureau had sent him to be
'They are impertinent," said
he ITO answer all those questions would
be going too deep into ones private busi-
ness l do not think it is the census
bureaus business how much pay for labor
and what my profits are. Such matters are
not withheld for any political reasons
As far as that is concerned, am paving nv
men just as much under the Mckinley
tariff law as 1 did before it was known. L
do not think Plttsburg is to be entirely left
out of the coming report Her manu-
have too much pride to allow that.
[ think you viii find that when the bulletin
appears lair report will be found from the
manufacturers.