The record-union., 1896-04-11
PROPOSED CENSUS REFORM.

The House of Representatives some
days ago adopted resolutions favoring
radical census reforms. The idea is to
have a Government department, as that
of Commissioner of Labor, for instance,
communicate with the census officials
of all other Governments and ascertain
the method by them employed and the
scope Of inquiry covered by other ma
tions. That department is then to con-
slider our own census system and for
mulate q plan for a new and improved
one
As we now proceed we take the gen.
era1 census every decade and appoint
special Commissioner for the purpose.
who organizes a corps of assistants.
But, naturally, every time this is new
body, practically, throughout. Very
few OF the earliest trained men engage
in the work, because the employment
is not sufficiently continuous to encour-
age life study Of census work. As IT is
with us, our census labor Is supposed
to be accomplished inside Of few
months, but it really extends over sew
eral years, and the fact Is that now,
six years after the date of the COM
mencement OF the last enumeration
and statistical gathering, the publica-
ton Of the results is yet incomplete.
1t is found that because Of the time
involved by the decennial organization
af lett ~ ov,5
enumerators, the data is SO widely dis
tributed as to dates that accurate re-
suits are not possible. Therefore, very
much of the total gained in the several
classes relates to data extending over
some considerable period of time. This
is largely due to the fact that for the
ascertainment Of certain facts the Gov
ernment is dependent upon data sup
posed to be gathered or kept in the sew
eral States. But when inquiry Is made,
1t IS found that there are States in
which the basic data is not kept at all,
while there is no uniformity Of method
among the States as to such as is kept.
Desirable important conclusions are
very frequently vague. indefinite. and
even such as we get largely rest upon
estimates. themselves unreliable.
The idea seems to be, therefore, to
erect a permanent census bureau and
have the census work continuous It
needs no elaboration to indicate to the
intelligent the very great value Of such
a bureau. It would be no fifth wheel,
but an economic working department,
having specific high value for every Cit
izen. The humblest and poorest would
find such bureau to be a reservoir Of
information of the highest Importance
to them. The work Of such a continu-
Gus force would. 1t Is believed, be much
less costly than the decennially organ
lied special bureaus, each under a new
system and each setting up its own
methods Of procedure and working with
new and untried men.
The continuous system would tend to
bring about uniformity also In State
statistical systems. for naturally every
matter harmonic with the Federal sys-
tenn, which would reservoir all the facts
ascertained. Thus the aggregates con-
corning population. production, agri-
culture, Institutions, commerce. immi-
grafton, vital statistics, education, de-
velopment Of industries, and SO on,
would come to be accurate and inspire
faith in their verify.
The people want to know something
more about their country and civiliza-
tion than a mere mathematical total.
They need to know the relation each to-
tai bears to all the others, and how each
relates to movement, production, Ma
tional and State economies, to decrease
and increase, and what ratios exist be-
tween given factors OF activity In our
social and political system. We want
to know also how our showings in all
lines compare with those OF other lands
that we may ascertain where we are in
error and where reform is needed. and
betterment ia systems is demanded in
the common interest OF all the people.
Perfectly exact oemparison never car