The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1899-05-25
QUESTIONS TO BE ANSWERED.
When the Twelfth Census will be Taken.


Just what the population Of the
United States, territories and posses
sions is, will not I've known until a,ohg
the latter part of next year, when the
census will have been computed. 1t
may not be kncwn accurately even
then.
The taking of the twelfth census
will be a stupendous undertaking, as
many men in the proposed standing
army, say 10000, will be required
merely to enumerate the people, and
the additions of other help will almost,
if not fully, double that figure.
With Hawaii, Porto Rico and the
Philippines to be traversed by the
head counting officers, the expense of
conducting the census OF 1900 will be
double that of the last census in 1890.
Under the director of the census
there are to be 500 supervisors, and
one enumerator for every 1000 in.
habtants, estimated.
The supervisors are apportioned
among the states and territories, each
controlling district and directing the
enumerators under him. The enumera-
tors are allowed a maximum of Sc a
day, which with 10000 of them, will
mean an expenditure of $4,000 a
day for thirty days or about $1,000
900 for month of hard counting and
gathering information about all sorts
of things.
In the main Office at Washington
there are to be an assistant director,
at $4,000 fire chief statistcians at
$4,000 each; one chief clerk, at
$2,5oo; one stenographer, at So, 500
forty-fi five clerks, averaging $1,000
each, an indefinite number of clerks
at $72o each; captain of the watch,
at $34o; two messengers at 5000 each;
distributing clerk, at ST. 900; and a
number of helpers, classed as skilled
and unskilled laborers, the first at
$500 and the latter at $24o each.
The schedules for 1900 are under
five heads; the individual, cor
porations, agricultural, mortality and
special. The questions to put to indi.
viduals are: Your age, conjugal rela-
ton, place of birth, parents birth. place
alien or naturallzed, number of years
in the United States, occupation,
months employed, llteracy, school at
tendance and ownership of property.
Every person over twenty years is
considered responsible representa-
tive to answer for each and every
member of the family. The above
questions are the ones you will be
compelled to answer. If any further
questions are put to you, you may
safely ignore them. If you are out,
your neighbor next door must answer
for you, as he is supposed to know all
about you. Refusal to answer or any
Justification of facts is misdemeanor
for which the guilty one will be fined
$Ioo; an alternative punishment, how
ever, providing for the possibility OF
the deliquent not happening to have
the ready money, is not mentioned.
The schedule under ''individuals'
is rather modest, while inquiries per.
tanning to manufacturing establish
ments are pretentious. Here are the
questions: Name and character o.
organization; whether individual o.
, cooperative, or other form; character
of business and kind of goods manu-
factured; amount of capital invested
firm members, CO partners, or officers
I amounts of their salaries; number O
employees; amount Of wages; quantity
and cost of materitl used in manufact
ure; amount of miscellaneous expen
ses; quantity and value of products
, character and quantity of power used
character and number of machines EN-
=, ployed. The president, treasurer an(
: secretary, agent or any direct Office
= of any corporation, business, factory
1 or firm is answerable for ALL And an,
S refusal to answer, or any false state
ment, is an offence for which the cul
e prt must pay $1,000 fine or so t'
i prison for one year, or both.
S The questions relating to Agrlcult
l. ure include: Name or occupant c
. each farm; venture, acreage value c
t farm and farm implements; averag
h quantity and value different produc
:. number and value of live stock.
e Statistics will also be gathered rela
/ ting to special classes, including; Th
n insane; the feeble minded; crime; dea
d dumb and blind; pauperism, juvenil
delinquents, and inmates of reforma
c tories and benevolent institutions: AM
i last of all, in the cities, social statistic
c relating to public Indebtedness, valu
}, ton, taxation and expenditures; t
IL religious bodies, to electric light an
power, to the telephone and telegrap
IS business. and tO tranSDOrta tiOn--lr