Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1899-02-09
The Census of 1000.

Persons who have had occasion to refer
frequently to census figures will ardently
hope that the history of the census of
1890 may not repeat itself in connection
with the census which is to be taken next
year. The complete official report of the
last census was not published until over
eight years after the work of enumera-
ton had been completed, and with the eX-
ception of bulletins dealing with various
subjects sent out from Washington at in
tervals the public had no source Of infor-
nation during this period with reference
TO the country's general statistics except
the census of 1880. The work was of gil
gantic magnitude. of course. but the pro-
cess of publication ought to have reauir-
ed much less time than was actually oc-
cupied.
q Preparations for the census OF 1900 are
already being made and if the bill which
has been prepared with this end in view
by the House census committee becomes a
law, the next census will be much more
satisfactory than was the last. The
method of taking the enumeration in 1900
as provided by the act in question will
differ radically from that employed in 1872.
The measure requires that the final re-
port of the census be published in COM
plete detail within two years from the
time of the completion of the enumeration
so that the statistics will not have be-
come obsolete as was the case with the
last census.
According 20 the provisions of the meas
IRE the taking of tie census of 1900 is to
be begun on the first day of June of that
year and the work of enumeration must
be completed within lfteen days from that
date in cities and within thirty days in
rural districts. The measure carries an
appropriation Of $1,000, 900 for the first
years expenses, and it provides a salary
Of 5000 per annum for a director, s4.O0.
per snnum for an assistant director, S3,O0C
for the necessary heads of geographical
divisions, and compensation for other nee
essary assistants.
Each geographical division of the coun.
try as determined by the geographer is t.
be divided into districts under the charge
Of the supervisors, who will have annua
salaries OF 81 900. The number of grand
divisions of the census is to be five named
, according to subjects, as the division OF
population, mortality, manufacturing, me
chanical establishments and agriculture
If this bill becomes a law, the enumera
ton districts will not comprise more thar
: from 800 to 1900 inhabitants. this limita
ton being made necessary by the rule
that the enumeration shall be completed
within fifteen and thirty days. Enumer
ators will be paid Sc and 81 daily, In,
: larger sum going to enumerators in larg,
J cities where the work of enumeration il
more difficult.
. Persons who are contemplating an ap
I plication for the position of enumerato
S will be interested TO learn that that Their
will be a much smaller number of ques
1 lions to ask than was the case in 1890, whel
= the number of queries was 2J0 nd whel
1 the work of census-takng was tedious a
E we'll as time consuming.
a The timorous house wife, who in man,
3 Instances is obliged to furnish the neces
= sary information for the cen
D sus taken In the absence o
0 the head of the house, need no
= become unduly disturbed over the pros
!. pect of another census; for II Is stu som
: sixteen months distant. But In numerou
t families 1t will be we'll to begin to coun
S the children. commit to memory selec
: passages from the family record and &C
o quire other miscellaneous information
t which will tend to make the visit Of tn
a enumerator short and pleasant to tn
q household as well a. profitable to himself