The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-03-14
OF THE CENSUS
Opposition to the Law as Too
1nquisitorial.
ALASKA BILL is POPULAR
Penal Code Was Sadly Needed by the
Territory-A Chance for Arid
Land Legislation in the
New Congress.



last acts of the late congress was to pass
the Carter bill providing for the taking
of the twelfth census. The measure
was rushed through the senate in the
closing hours of the session, and after
appending his signature to it the pres
ident nominated Ex-Governor Merriam
of Minnesota to be director, the senate
confirming the nomination just before
final adjournment.
There are several features of the new
census law of special interest to all in
dividuals, firms and corporations en-
gagged in operating what the act de-
scribes as manufacturing and me-
chanical establishments A special
enumeration of these establishments is
provided under conditions that have
aroused considerable opposition on the
ground that the proposed inquiry is
distinctly inquisitorial in character.
Section of the Carter act provides as
follows:
The schedules of inquiries relating
to the products of manufacturing and
mechanical establishments shall en-
brace the name and location of each
establishment; character of Crganiza-
ton; whether individual. cooperative
or other form: date of CONNIE ncement
OF operations: character OF business or
kind of goods manufactured: amount
or capital invested; number of propr.-
etors, firm members, copartners, or off
GERS, and the amount of their salaries:
number of employees and the amount of
their wages: quantity and cost of ma
terlals used in manufactures; amount
of miscellaneous expenses, quantity
and value of products: time in opera
ton during the census year; character
and quantity of power used and char
acter and number of machines employ
ed. The form and subdivision of in
quiries necessary to secure the infor-
nation under the foregoing topics rela-
ting to manufacturing and mechanical
industries shall be in the discretion of
the director of the census. The infor-
nation collected shall be of and for the
fiscal year of such corporations or es-
adjustments having its termina ton
nearest to and preceding the first Of
June. 1900. Whenever he shall deem it
expedient, the director of the census
may withhold the schedules for said
manufacturing and mechanical stats
ties from the enumerators of the sew
eral subdivisions in any or all cases,
and may charge the collection of these
statistics upon special asentst. to oe
employed without respect to locality
statistics upon special agents, to- BE-
requirements of the above provisions
referring to the details of organization.
including number of proprietors firm
members, copartners, etc. and their
salaries, and also the quantity and cost
of materials, etc. These data, it is
claimed are unnecessary in the compI-
lation of scientific federal statistics on
manufacturing enterprises and hence
should not be required by the census
law. 1t will be remembered that sim.
liar, though by no means so compre-
hensive a provision. was incorporated
in the eleventh census act, and was
successfully resisted by manufacturers
because of the failure of congress to
privide penalty for refusal to an
sWer the questions propounded by the
enumerators. The contingency has
been foreseen and fully provided
against in the new law. Section % pre-
scribes heavy penalties a follows:
And every president, treasurer. sec
rotary, director, agent, or other officer
or every corporation, and every estab-
lishment of productive industry, whetf-
err conducted as a corporate body, lin
tied liability company, or by private in
dividuals, from which answers to any
of the schedules inquiries or statistical
interrogatories provided for by this act
are herein required who shall, If there
to requested by the director, supervis-
or, enumerator or special agent, will
fully neglect or refuse to give true and
complete answers to any inquiries au-
thorized by this act, or shall willfully
give false information. shall be guilty
OF a misdemeanor, and upon conviction
thereof shall be fined not exceeding
100000 to which may be added impris-
onment for a period not exceeding one
year.
1t is further provided that all fines
and penalties imposed by this act may
be enforced by indictment or informa--
tlon in any court of competent juris-
diction.'
In this connection it is interesting to
note that the compensation allowed
enumerators for gathering the above
described data is fixed by the law at
from 20 to 80 cents for each estan-
lishment of productive industry enum-
Grated" 1t is hardly surprising that
manufacturers should object to fur
nlshing important facts relating to
their business to enumerators who, in
scheduling them, can afford to give but
30 cents worth of time to the work
This consideration points to the only
remedy which can be invoked under
the law, namely. the painstaking and
accurate reporting Of these industrial
statistics by experienced and diseree.
special agents whom the director is au-
thorized by section to assign to this
work in place of the ordinary enumera-
tor. The agitation of this subject
which is now on foot has for its chief
object the selection of thoroughly COM
petent special agents in place of enum-
orators, and it is believed that proper
representations promptly made to the
new director will accomplish much in
this direction, and may also result in
the framing of schedules of a less oo-
jectionable character than required by
the exact letter of the Carter law.
But while Senator Carters census
bill may be open to some quite serious
and persistent objections his Alaska
legislation is very popular. w. D.
Rittenhouse of Sitka said at the Raj
eigh this week: THE people of Alaska
will never cease to be grateful to Sen
ator Carter and Senator Shoup for their
splendid and unselfish work in behalf
of our territory. In the closing days
of the congress just ended these sena-
tors worked faithfully for the bill to
give Alaska a penal code and IL is