The morning times., 1896-12-09
TAKING THE next CENSUS
Commissioner Wright Submits a
Plan to Congress.
FOR A PERMANENT BUREAU
He Also Thinks 1t Should Be an
Independent Department-Scop
of the Work in. Much Sra-
stistical Matter Found, to Be Tn
necessary.


Carroll D. Wright, Commissioner of La
Dor, yesterday ira nstnitted 10 Congress
his report. upon, a plansfor permapent cen.
sus service. IN accordance With tie joint
resolution of March 10, 1896.
The subject, Mr.. Wright says, has en-
gagged the attention ofCongress and former
officials since as far back as the time of
taking the ninth census, and several re-
ports have been made as result OF pre-
vious inquiry. H.
He is satisfied that the true principles
on which permanent census office to do
the work OF decennial censUses should be
based are all to be found in the reports
named, and especially In the testimony
given orally before the House committee;
so the plan which hdt submits m the form
OF a bill is in direct harmony. with the
opinions not only or the superintendent
OF the eleventh census, but OF the ssu perrin
tendent OF the ninth and tenth censuses.
AN INDEPENDENT BUREAU ,
The bill provides for the establishment
or permanent organization independent
or any department, the duties of which.
shall be the taking OF the twelfth census
and succeeding censlIses, and the collec-
ton of other information provided for,
1t shall be in charge OF director ut
a salary Of S6,0 600. with an assistant at
81 600; chief clerk and disbursing officer,
$4,000 each, with a sufficient force OF
clerks of ESQ to 500 in all. These and the
whole census force should be brought INTO
the classified service.
The.,iate for taking the regular oonstitu-
tional decennial census is changed from
June to April Is in order to secure the
data on population before the annual scat
terinS from the cities takes place.
BEST TIME OF YEAR.
1.-The best time of year" Mr.. Wright
says, would be October, without doubt,
but as the enumeration OF 1900 and OF
every alternate decade would Come at the
time Of a Presidential election, there seems
to be good reason for not adopting October
as date for the Federal censusr A force
OF 80 600 or 60, 600 or more, as the popula-
ton increases, tranping over the country
as Federal officers just before prcsiden-
tial election would be the result OF the
selection of such time"
The decennial Census Of the population
should include such sociological data as
Congress may authorize in order to secure
comparison with the past and valuable in
formation for the future; but the number
of the people ought to be known at more
frequent periods than decennialy; so the
bill provides for quinQuennial account OF
the population This need not be a very
expensive affair, especially If proper ar
censuscs of their own.
SUBJECTS TO BE COVERED. 's'5.
sTwenty-siX States and Territories have
constitutional or statutory provisions for
taking census, more or less complete, and
most OF them on the qUinquennial period.
The decennial census OF agricultural prod
ucts should be fun and complete, but there
should be in addition, an annual accounting
on five or six points concerning crops
andvalues;a a decennial | account of manufac-
lures; and an annual collection Of vital
statistics, including those of the depend
ent, delinquent, and defective classes. The
reports of the decennial enumeration un der
this year can be published in five quarto
volumes at most, and probably in four.
The expense OF thus conducting a per-
manentu census bureau and taking the
decenniai census, Mr.. Wright estimates
at an avera &c of $500 900 a year. The
cost of taking the eleventh census in round
numbers was 81 100000. The whole
difference, however, Mr.. Wright says,
must not be considered as saved; some of
the expense would be borne by other de-
partments and offices. '"- -.