Evening star., 1899-02-02
TAKING THE CENSUS
Committees Report on the House
Substitute Bill.
REASONS GIVEN At LENGTH
Why It Should Be an independent
Bureau.
A WING EXP ECTED

Chairman Hopkins of the House commit
tee on the census has submitted to the
House a report on the substitute census
BILL prepared by the committee. The re-
port says:
The committee on census, to whom was
referred Senate bill No. 45i5, entitled An
act to provide for taking the twelfth and
subsequent census has fully considered
that bill. and beg leave to report substi-
tute for the same and recommend that the
substitute as reported by the committee
receive the favorable consideration Of the
House. The substitute bin the same as the
Senate bill. provides that the twelfth CEN
sus shall be restricted to five separate
heads-Eamely, population, mortality pro-
ducts Of manufacturing and mechanical in
dustries and agricultural products of the
United States. II is also proposed to re-
strict the inquiries under these heads to
mGch greater extent than was done in
either the tenth or eleventh censuses"
The report sets forth the character of the
schedules, and says:
Comprehensive Schedules
1T is thought by your committee that
these schedules are quite comprehensive
enough to obtain all the data necessary for
all statistical and scientific purposes. The
director of the census is authorized to
formulate such questions relating 10 the
subjects contained in these schedules as
Will insure exact and specific information
on all the subjects contained in the fore
going subjects. 1t Is recognized by your
committee that much of the information
sought 70 be obtained relating to manufac-
turing and mechanical establishments will
be difficult 10 gather. and the director OF
the census iS therefore authorized 10 with
hold the schedules relating to these divis-
Ions of the census business. and to colIec.
such inform atiOn by the aid of speciaI
agents. to be employed without respect to
locality.
The experience of those in charge of
such matters in the tenth and eleventh
census concur in the conclusion thai rDurb
OF the information relating TO manufa. TAR
Ing and mechanical establishments can
best BE- obtained through special agents
and that will be less expensive to the gov
ernment than If they were sought to be
had through the enumerators, whose prirn-
airy duty VIII be to take the population
In many of the states there are laws which
provide for the official registration of
deaths and in all such states the director
Of the. census. can. in his discretion, with
hold the mortality schedule rom the sew
cities a. the case may be and obtain this
Information through the official records
paying such sum of money as may be nee
CSSary not to exceed two cents for a,,b
death returned Wherever such official reg
lister is kept it is apparent that the official
returns can be obtained by the director of
the census much better than to reIy 11non
the enumerators.
The director of the census Is also direct
cd and authorized to make suitable pro-
vision for the enumeration of the population
and products of Alaska and other non-con-
usuous possessions OF the United States
administered under the civil government
thereof. and for this purpose Is authorized