The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-04-21
CENSUS AGE STATISTICS.
MOST INACCURATE OF ANY THE
BUREAU DEALS WITH.
Care1essness or UnwilIingness OF
People TO Make Proper Returns
flinders Estimates i'm other Di-
rections-Taints Whole Census

Special Dispatch 10 the Post-fntelligencer
WASHINGTON. April 2o.-An enormous
number Of people are either ignorant Of tho
ages of themselves and their families. or
else they are unwilling 70 tell them. This
might be inferred from general experience
but census statistics prove il. Census age
tables are hcneycombed with error IN eve-v
country IN which such tables are prepared.
The divergence from the truth displays
several distinct characteristics. The most
important Is the tendency TO express the
age In round numbers usually at one some
what below the true age. With fairly
steady flow NJ immigration and station
ary or increaging population there ought
always 10 be fewer persons OF a given age
than of any single age preceding; less peo-
pie FIFTY years old than forty-nne. less
sixty years than ffty-nine. and SO on.
But census age tables invariably snow he
reverse. At tho last census 90 $50 persons
were returned rs ifty-nine years old, while
the number returned az sixty was 5021sS.
The tendency to use round numbers arises
mainly from ignorance and carelessness.
and is noticeable at evory period of life
from childhood to second childhood But
the irresistible impulse to understate the
rye IL especially noticeable among adults
from twenty-five to sixty years OF are.
The greatest proportion Of error Is at the
ssxteth year, but the greatest actual
amount Is at the thirtieth year or furtieth
year. At this fatal Rubicon an immense
number falter In 1890 there were Gis,ei1
persons reported az thirty-nne years 81
age OCT 1896 Mt forty and 4s6S53 persons at
forty-one Among women. Jo.TT4 were re-
ported to he forty. 29o.TT thlrty-nine, cei,-
ISL forty-one
Where immigration is slight. the persons
~ given age Mt one census must neceS-
A.. f..fS frs.flr &c
Younger AT the preceding census. Thus In
1890 the persons twenty. five years old are
necessarily fewer In number than the per
sons fifteen years odd in 1880. because the
twenty-five year class OF 1880 Is composed
OF the survivors Of the fifteen years class
In 1880 These are facts. but English W.
men are not abashed by facts. In ENGLAND
the number OF women returning themselves
~ twenty to twenty-five years OF age y
always greater than the number OF a'rls
raported nj the preceding census from ter
ia fifteen years old And yet, people can
30 born twenty years old. .tB
These are only few Of the idiosynerasfes
OF people when their age II IN question.
Young people want To be old. elderly peo-
pie want to he younger. very Ole people
want to be considered centenariana cant
drsn under fifteen throw their ages tor
ward 10 sixteen girls stretch point TO be
etyhteen and thsre are always more mon
twenty-nne years old than twenty. Wp'h
there IL no other excuse Tor seiIig Mr '',,pa
people choose even NUMBERS III PtTtreFH's,
Ia odd This IL one Of the most seffudh anu
dIficul, errors with which age siasHnss
are affected .e,,..,aa = -
naps as important as any class OF stars.
t,cs II the age returns are incorret "
is impossible TO determine ae.nrtsy
whether the average duraton ., n.s T. n 70
crcssing or decreasing. II Is lfnoosNbta ~
commute exact life insurance tuhlss T o..
certain the death rate; we cannot teii WIZ
norton ~ the men are OF nulltafy ,Ne ~
child -hearinx class. AYE statistics cnter
into almost every branch OF census stdt
tics and almost every other set ~ 80 =
teal returns must be CLASSIFIED accordi'S 10
ages Tn this wev we ascertain az far rs
the imperfect ag0 statistics allow, Nhe'nt,
the negroes have more chluf1u. nNn
,yhe.her they live longer or die eafiisr tih1
ths whites: whether the crimineis 81 the
country are. In the main, recruited from
the Younger or the older element or tce
population; whether the enploymFh' q
rhildren IL Increasing or decreasing
These ara only a few illustrations ~ me
vitality important comblnations Wnlen oe-
mend upon the age returns iptH h ac-
curacv threatens TO tnint the Wh"ie ren
ma lahorlous and tedious methemad%l
combinations have to be employed 10 teoi-
~ the aye returns.
gtrange 10 state. the age returns are hn,
40 accurate In America ms they gre IN
rurcne Nut studies ~ the eleventh cen.
a,s give reason for the betef that the l"N,
census was the best IN WIS tes' ~ ~
saehvs~tta cansus ~ tsB indicate similar
,,nprovcinent IN that state,
Improvement OF Lewis river
prnreseniative Jones has presented the
following statement concerning the needeu
itnurtyy ement Of the North Fork OF Aho
Let river betwren Clarke and Cowhts
counties Washington, which was FURNISH
ed by T.. NJ RandR OF Vancouver, WASH
"As will he seen by document 40 w.
houSo Of represen tatiVes, F1ftN ~fourth ouo-
gross second sesaion the Improvement
from EtnA Clarke county. WASH, 10 the
junction Of the North and EaSt FORKS. mas
engineer who investigated the river and
adjacent territory, and indor@ed 10y the
division engineer and the chief ot ensl-
neora II ia not deemed necessary by
tho engineering department that a survey
should be made This places the matter
I'm such shape that an Appropriation ousht
20 loo secured ana placed Ia the hAh1~ "l
the engineers To- make the Improvement
st should h. noted that capt Taylors
rersart was made Va iss2 since whjcn time
the country tributary 20 tho North fNrk
~ the Lewis river has been considerably
scttled up and improved.
The valley 90 The LOWS river. extend
In, several miles back from thc river IL
well timhercI and wntvr,i and ia" soil Is
rIh and productive $40 that the "Hc"nl-
agrment and impetus afforded h} an ufrH
rfVcr about hftrcu miles further inio the
interior Wil materially develop ihr corn-
try and ada Ga q large measure 80 the
shipments - produce. anu thereby 60 the
wealth and uphhlilnk ~ the country.
WIN improved ahlppiuE facilities ~.
foFded rs AN opsn river ga tAna- %niDe -
the beat Fruit laul go the state, rsgF tally
n3atsctf ta the culture ~ apples. would be
Drought Within easy acor@s - market
4 am personally familiar atth al the
territory that would Do. benefited EF 'In
proposed Improvement know uinsl ~ The
inhabitants personally. ami am certain
thai thetr condition would hr very much
snlursV,Ni by this open river } mas asa
thar thuru IA a c0uS'dcrat4e ares ~ tltfkr
county act tributary Co t6r riyey bnaer
exiaiing conditions. which with this Jw-
;,ruvcrsnt would haul ta Etna ana save
more than half the distance now required
a. ise caSered From my intimate know l-
edge % thia country I iVi.tNc that an
Onen river e. ictul would more lhan iHupiv
thr shipments ffom che North Fork Ga two
~Ti,e Improvement rrQuirel VIII uot he
e,.stiN GaNN0 h.nE rho estimate. / think
would he ample
Lcrcstch Gets His land.
samuel Ierpslch has been permitted q,
homestead THE greater portion ~ tbt uti
o. harbar reservation. Tao interior cy-
ptrtmeut has delivered a dec Sion ia tte
H-. "a ~ a. .ePANant V~ swfegf f.v.-