Evening journal., 1898-06-22
CENSUS PLAN FOR 1900.

4 4lL4CluAAA4kD IANASOIIAlI4O HI
POPULATION. MORTALITY. AGRa-
CULTURE AND nlArVUFAcTURnNG.
PROVISION Made FOR sTATIsTI-
CAL INFORMATION ON OTHER
sUBJECTs-GROwTH OF THE
CENSUS.
II a new bid which the Senate Com
mittee on the Census has reported as a
substitute for the one that has been on.
the calendar for some time is passed,
the twelfth census will be a radical de-
parture from the tenth and the e,ev-
enth in the scope of it's inquiries and
the bulk Of the resulting publications.
The bill provides that the twelfth
census shall be restricted to inquiries
relating to population, mortality and
products of agriculture and mechanical
and manufacturing establishments.
The enumerators will have at most but
four schedules to master and carry IN
their rounds, against thirteen at the
eleventh census. In cities with an ac-
ceptable system Of registration of NOR
tality statistics and with the manufac-
turing schedules in the hands Of spe-
cial agents, there will be but TWO
schedules Regarding the publications
in connection with the census it is pro-
vided that there shall be only the vol
umes relating to the four subjects of in
quiry named. These volumes, it is be-
lieved, will be of only moderate size,
four in number, and 1t is expected that
they can be available for general use
in 1902. Past experience shows that
the census reports can be published
thus early. The census Of 1890, one
volume of population, was published in
1892, that of 1900 in 1901 In 1910, for
the first time the census contained
manufacturing and agricultural stats
tics It comprised two volumes, the
last of which was published in 1913
The census Of 1910 contained tables Of
statistics OF revolutionary pensioners,
and made four volumes, all published
in 1S41. The work on the four volumes
Of the census Of 1850 dragged along
until 1859, when the last was pub
hshed The first volume Of the cen
sus of 1860 was not published until
1864, and the fourth and last in 1866.
The ninth census, taken in 1870, was
published in four volumes, issued in
1922 They comprised general COM
pendium, population and social statis-
tics, vital statistics and wealth and in
dustry. The tenth and eleventh CEN
suses numbered twenty-five and TWEEN
ty-fve volumes respectively. PcpIla-
tion Of the tenth census was not com
pleted until 1888, and some volumes OF
the eleventh census are still in the
hands Of the printer.
Realizing the existence Of a demand
for statistical informationon a great
variety of topics more or less init
mately related to, but not necessarily
and inseparably connected with the
taking of the decenial- census, the bill
provides that after the census proper
has been completed the director is au-
thorized to collect statistics relating to
special classes, including the insane
feeble minded, deaf, dumb and blind;
crime, pauperism and benevolence;
births and deaths in registration areas;
social statistics Of cities; public in
debtedness, valuation, taxation and ex-
pendttures; religious bodies; electric
light and power telegraph and tele-
phone business and street railways
The statistics thus collected need non
necessarily relate to the year 1900, but
may be brought up to date, giving the
reports a greatly increased value.
The collection of statistics for these
special reports may result in, but will
not necessarily require OF involve, the
existence Of a permanent Census Bu
reau. This feature Of the bill open.
the way for practical demonstration
OF the utility and economy Of a perma
nent Census Bureau without commit
ting Congress to its establishment prio
TO practical test of its usefulness. I
Congress does not assign to the Censu
Bureau the work Of collecting stats
tics on the special topics referred to
then the work of the bureau would nat
urally terminate with the completion
Of the twelfth census.
The committee is Of opinion, how
ever, that If Congress deems it neces
sary to collect statistics upon any {
these special topics, the provisions {
continuous work by the bureau mus
be retained in the bill or the effort I
abridge or limit the scope Of tn
twelfth census, so as to secure mol
prompt publication of the reports mu.
be abandoned.
An interesting feature of the bills
the part which deals with the appoin
ment of employees for the bureau.
,,ro,ridoc that fhev shall he aDDOintf