The Advocate and news., 1898-03-02

OldLlbLlCS OL the OJdle Oh hhHSdS was
created in 1886 and has, therefore,
reached its thirteenth year, but is still
in It's infancy so far as the recognition
of its usefulness is concerned. AS will be
seen by Chapter 70, Section 3, General
Statutes 1897, it Is the duty Of the Com
missioner of the Bureau Ito collect, as
sort, systematic and present in annual
reports to the Governor, to be by him
biennially transmitted to the Legislature,
statistical details relating to all depart
ments Of labor and industrial pursuits in
the State, especially in their relation to
the commercial, industrial, social, edu-
cational and sanitary condition Of the
laboring classes, and to the permanent
prosperity of the productive industries OF
the State" The law creating the bureau
further provides that "the Commissioner
herein named in the discharge
of his duty shall twice at least in each
year visit and inspect the principle fac
tories, workshops and mines situated
within the State and true report make
Of their condition" 1t will be seen by
the very wide scope and field given by
this law that a multitude of subjects
could be invested with great benefit to
the citizens of our State and much in
formation thereby added to the sum of
human knowledge.
Statistics, as a rule, do not appeal
readily to the minds Of the masses for
the reason that statistics are usually dry,
concrete tables Of matter, that one is
unable to remember except the totals, and
they only indifferently. Again, statis-
tics are often criticised because of con-
tliCtions. You hear the saying frequently,
you can prove anything by statistics"
This is not true II the statistician will
be honest in making proper classiflca-
tiOns and full explanations of methods
in building his tables, and the readers
of the same must be likewise honest in
quoting explanations and methods used
in tables and thus avoid misleading re-
suits.
Statesmen, students and writer's often
demand that statistician Offhand give
certain results Of an inquiry and expect
an answer in concrete form, without
giving any consideration of the classifi-
cation, methods or forms necessary to
bring out great truth; thus the foun-
datiOn OF great truths are often ignored
or destroyed because of desire to pre-
sent an aggregation of facts in a single
sentence. The work of q statisticlan,
therefore, Is made the more difficult be-
cause OF the lack of understanding OF his
methods and forms by those who demand
specific answers to general inquiries, and
because of his inability to meet these
inquiries both statistics and statistician
are often criticised.
Far too little attention Is given to the
value of statistics by the public gener-
ally. 1t should be remembered that sta
tistiCs are to the social, political and
economic life what an architects draw
ings are to all mechanical construction
the guide to progressive, intelligent
action. They should be to legislative
action what the blue print is to the arti-
san, withal chart indicative of success
or failure Of all the various theories,
policies and dogmas that go to make up
every phase of our social and economic
life. How essential, then, to our progress
and advancement, and how important
1t Is that our system Of gathering sta
tistics should be developed to the very
highest state Of perfection. To meet this
euu reuulSLLS unhuClal equipment Is
necessary. A sufficient Office and field
force is also necessary to get satisfactory
results. Indicative of the value and true
worth in which some statistical bureaus
are held 1t might be well to enumerate
the appropriations given to some sta
tistical bureaus, for instance Our Ma
tiOnal Department of Labor, at Washing
ton, is supported by Congress by an an
nual appropriation for 1897 Of $1S8, 900.
Many Of the States are equally mindful
Of the value of this work as indicated
by some Of their annual appropriations
in support Of their work. For 1897 Mas
sachusetts expended $27 $50; Pennsylva-
mia, $1S, 400; Kentucky, $4,000; Missouri,
$4,000; Illinois, $4,000; New York, $27,-
500; Michigan, $4,000; Minnesota, $12,-
L. l.