The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-05-20
TO ILLUSTRATE FACTS
HOW HON. j. b. CONNER PROPOCEs TO
POPULARIZE DRY FIGURES.
Interesting Address Before the Ma
tiOnaI Association of state Blu
reaus of Labor statistics.


NASHVILLE, Tenn, May 1s.-The thir-
teenth annual session of the National Asso-
citation of the State Bureaus of Labor Sta
tistics, composed of heads of these depart
ments in each State convened in this city
to-day In the course of the proceedings
relating to the purposes and work in each
State, the statistician of Indiana, j. b. con-
ner, in his address, said:
THE Indiana Bureau of Statistics, by the
law creating it, is intended to be very COM
prehensive in its work The law says II
nation and details relating to agriculture,
manufacturing, labor, mining, commerce,
education, social and sanitary CONDITION,
vital statistics, and to the permanent pros
perity of the productive industry OF the
people of the State. When the bureau was
established, in 1879, there was little organ
lied statistical work authorized in Indiana.
1t was intended that the reports of this de-
partment should embrace the essential
throw light upon the economic development
of the States resources, point the way OF
general prosperity for every industry ana
show the reasonable relations and interde-
pendence of capital and labor. The purpose
was to enlist the interest of every class and
industry and make the reports the text
book by which the people of the State
should come to a broad understanding of
the true relation of one industry to an
other. To this end it was provided that the
reports containing all this information
should go into all public offices in the State,
all of the county, township and other
libraries, and to all other places convenient
for the people. The reports of no other
State department have so wide clrcula-
ton.
THE Indiana Bureau of Statistics as
the title indicates, is not a bureau of agri-
culture, mining, manufacture, labor, COM
merce, nor locally or distinct1vely the or
gan of any one industry, but dlstinctively
and equally the medium of all, and or
every movement and condition of the PEG
pie. The central idea and purpose of its
20 w m cr1t har n a
late and present to the public the facts
bearing upon every condition, industry and
movement of the people of the State, in or
der that every citizen of the State might
study and correctly estimate his relation to
every other one. Final authority and pow
er, by our form of government, is equally
invested in every citizen How shall they
become capable of using it if they do not
know? A perfect knowledge of the things
avocation might make such as pur-
sue 1T very capable in that one
thing, but by that sign very de-
structive and hurtful to the others neces-
sary to be conserved. In a word the CEN
trail idea in the organization of the In
diana Bureau of Statistics was to unity,
at least to gather and present the facts
upon which the problem of unifcation in
community alone be worked out 1t is
the want of knowledge of the relation of
one industry to another out of which
springs all the jealousies all the preju-
dices, all the looking backward nonsense
out of which are predcated attempts at
fantastic communism and various other
issues. The facts about everything under
lying and impeling our civilization are
what is needed by everybody, everywhere.
There is no duty devolved upon the State
more sacred, no obligation SO pressing, no
work so essential to the common good
1T was the belief of those promoting the
establishment of such department, that
by the annual collection and tabulation of
facts relating to all these subjects for a
series of years, such comparison and de-
auctions might be made as would throw
much light upon the problems of more
and more complete civilization. To carry
out such a programme however presup-
poses persistent working along given lines,
and clear view from start to finish during
the several years required to furnish the
facts upon which to work out the prob
lems. The changes incident in these depart
mentS have many times contributed to the
defeat of adequate data for results. For
long series of years some States have per-
siStenty and with method pursued the
deduction things can be predicated. The
Interruptions which have entered into the
organization of the Indiana bureau have
in some measure hindered these results,
and put them over TO later dates.
The Indiana bureau expects in the next
biennial report to pursue work along the
der to popularize the work, command wider
attention and greater interest of all
classes it is the 5na purP }6gorg5 to a aFe
eye by presenting conditions and resources
in graphic charts. To scores of people tab
ulations of facts are uninteresting. Pic
lures of things arrest attention. The child
is reached through the eye, ana 1t must
be said that there are too many scores
Of adult children when stauStlcal facts are
to be used for the general good. Therefore
it is the plan of the Indiana bureau to IL
lustrate the facts, both to arrest aItentlon
and to impress their Importance The APP
propriation of something over $IVO an
nuaIly will not reach as far as 1T is the de-
sire to 80, but the report Is prl a out Oh
partment with economy TO 90 mucn along
the lines pointed out.