The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1897-08-30
CENSUS REPORT OF 1896.
pROF. ALEXANDER REVIEWS THE
WORK DONE.
Considers the Report as Timely-Nal-
liable Statstics-Suggest for the
Taking of a Future Census.

port. Professor Alexander kindly UNI /
dertook the work, which is here given.
The Professor says;
The long looked for Report of the
Census of 1896 has at last been issued, /
and proves to be highly creditable, .
both to the Superintendent of the
Census and to the Republic of Hawaii.
It's publication at this iuncture is
most opportune, as the facts which it
reveals will effectually dispose of many
current Misrepresentation in regard
to these Islands.
The law passed i'm 1868, under which
the Census has been taken. is very
brief. simply providing that Every
census shall comprise in distinct col
umns. the number of inhabitants in
each district, the number of each sex
and such other particulars as the
Board of Education may direct. and
shall show the increase and decrease
of the population"
Accordingly the Census Reports pre-
vious to the year 1890 had furnished
/ little more than bare enumeration
of the population. classified as to sex
/ and nationality. At that time laud-
/ able effort was made to collect and
/ tahulate much fuller information in
| regard to the social. economic and
moral condition of the people, and in
spite of the disadvantages under
/ which it was taken. the Census of
! 1890 was an immense advance on all
former attempts of the kind
The Superintendent of the Census
of 1896, having studied not only the
methods used by his predecessors. but
also those used in other countries. es.
peciallv in New Zealand. and the Unit
ed States, succeeded in carrying out
much more extensive schedule than
country.
His experience. however. shows the
necessity of such revision of our Cen
sus Law. rs will enlarge the scope of
the census. and specify the subjects to
he included i'm the schedules. For. as
DR.. Rogers stated in his report in 1890.
"The collection and publication of re-
liable information of this kind is gen
orally recognized as one of the regll-
lar functions of government. and the
manner in which it is performed af-
fords a GOOD test of the DECREE of civ
ilization to which a nation has attain
ed" The present report is remarkable
for its extreme clearness and concise
ness, combined with fullness and ac,
curacv, for its excellent index and ia.
BILE of contents, and for the conven.
lent arrangement of the tables. BY
using smaller type in places, the
author has succeeded in dispensing
with the use of folding leaves, which
is decided gain.
The subjects relating to population
under the various heads of national
ity, age, sex. etc, of marriage. of tn,
birth rate. of the education of the PEG
pie, of the ownership of real estate
Il and houses, etc, have been worked on
/. in a manner that leaves little to b,
desired, and that compares well will
the Census Reports of the most en-
lightened nations. The New Zealanc
Censur Reports surpass Gus chiefly il
their elaborate analysis of occupa
pations, in their classification of 1ant
owners according to the size of thei
holdings, and in the use of colore:
than mere figures.
Among the noteworthy improve
. ments in this census may be mention
! ed the classification of Hawaiian Dor
foreigners by their nationalties, an
that of Part Hawaiians according t
the nationality of the father.
An attempt was made to ascertai
. the number of persons belonging (
three religious denominations fespe,
lively, viz, the Professionals. the Catl
olics and the Mormons, but the r,
= turns obtained are probably only a
approximation to the truth, as owe
= 10000 Hawaiians, Europeans and AM
ricans either declined or neglected
declare their religious beliefs.
. The results of the Census on Ii
whole are encouraging to the fricn
:, of this country. They are ably di
cussed by the Superintendent hin
self in his report, to which we ref
our readers.
1t will he seen that during the pa
: six years the Hawaiians of pure bloc
have decreased about ten per cen
d The rate of decrease, however,
steadily diminishing, and the propo
ton of children surviving is stea
lily increasing. On the other han
there is a great increase of part TT