The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-08-04
CUBA CAN'T WAIT.
Census of the Island to be Taken
Right Of

New York, Aug. A special to the
Tribune from Washington says:
The president directed that the census
of Cuba be taken as soon as possible.
The matter has been energeticaIly taken
up by the war department, with the ex-
pectation of completing the work and
furnishing the principal results to con-
gress at the opening of the next ses-
sion. On Secretary Roots return to
Washington next Tuesday he will hold
final conference in his Office to settle
the details of the undertaking with As
sistant Secretary Neiklejohn, who has
immediate charge of colonial affairs,
and with the officials of the census bu-
reau- The latter have already draft
ed the blanks which probably will be
used by the enumeTatOrS, and these
schedules are now in process of trans
latiOn into Spanish.
General Brooke, commanding the de-
partment of Cuba, has appointed five
experimenting enumeratOrs who are
now on their way to Washington to re-
ce1Ve instructions as to the manner of
taking the census and to familiarize
themselves with American methods of
insuring accuracy in the data to be OBJ
tanned.
The Cuban census is to be wholly in
dependent of the United States census
of next year, although the large or
ganization under Director Merriam,
which will not begin its actual field
work until the first of the year, may
be utilized to some extent in the tabu-
latiOn and arrangement of Cuban data
secured in the next three months. 1t
is determined that the Cuban census
shall be finished before the census of
the United States, including Porto Rico,
begins. The object of haste in deter
mining the condition of affairs StatiSti-
cally in Cuba is to furnish to congress
such an exhaustive statement of facts
that legislation for the future of the ISL
and may be promptly and intelligently
accomplished It is expected that the
president viii be able to include a sum
mary of the results in his next mess
age,and at the same time furnish a pre-
Hminary report of the census, with the
prospect of giving the senate and house
the final and complete detailed result
by the middle of January. 1t IS not
intended to secure simply an enumera-
ton of the inhabitants of the island,
but to determine as precisely as posi-
bic its agricultural and industrial con-
ditions.
The last Spanish census of Cuba. was
taken in 1887. While its accuracy was
in many respects doubtful, as a whole
1t was conceded to give a fair idea of
the conditions then existing. The pop
ulatlon was said to be 1,631 6S7, Of whom
nearly 50 per cent were white. Army
officers who have been connected with
the Cuban administration since the
American occupation began estimate
that this total has fallen to about 1 30O,-
600 The census of 1887 gave nearly
6O0.OO0 horses and mules, 2,5OO,OO cattle
and 100000 pigs in the island. These
according to army officers, have prac-
tically disappeared as a result of the
long war The income of plantations
the sugar-ulaking capacity and acreage
under cultivation for tobacco have been
almost obliterated, but these and other
vast sources of wealth are being randi
ly restored and it will be one of the OBJ
jects of the census to show what oppor-
tunities may be found for the revival
and development of Cuba's resources.
The collection Of information will be in
General Brooke's charge, the expense
being met from the Cuban revenues.