El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1900-05-28
"HOW OLD ARE YOU?"
An Explanation As To Why 1.-The
Census Man Asks You the

An Explanation As To why 1.-THE
Census Man Asks You the
Question.
The blank schedules to be used In th e
next census are now being distributed
by the census Office to the enumera-
tors, who will start to work on June L.
The schedules con tain questions which
some persons may think, purposeless,
or excessive in n am Der. But their mum
Der and character have been determin.
ed by congress, not by the census
Office, and all of them have been asked
10 previous ceususes. The only importabt
change since 1890 is that some questions
have been abandoned.
People are often offended at the
question, 'How old are you ?' and are
apt to wonder what use the govern
ment can MAKE of their replies. Taken
as a whole the replies are as impor-
census Office collects. Age returns
penetrate and elucidate every other
branch of statistical knowledge. They
show where child labor is prevalent,
and where the proportion OF persons
able to support themselves is large or
email. They reveal the great number
of colored children and the short life
Of the negroes under present condi-
tions. They make 1t possible to ascer
tain whether the average length of life
Is increasing or decreasing. how many
men the nation contains who are capa-
BILE of voting or bearing arms, and
whether the relative number of chill
dren Ia increasing or decreasing.
In Mohammedan or semi- civilized
coun tries like India householders are
often unwilling to answer the questions
regarding the sex of persons in the
house, but IN civilized countries where
ho I'D ad a 4.
ty suoh unwillingness does not ap-
pear. The answers to the questions
show that in nearly ell cities the fe-
males outnum Der the males and tbs the
same is true of most of the states along
the Atlantic coast. The belief Ia wide
spread that taking the world in gener-
al there are more females alive at any
were not for immigration there would
be more females in the United States
than males. But census statistics show
that we can not explain the great
excess of males lover one and half
million) in the United States by
immigration alone, for when the
foreign-born are left out of account,
there are still above 600, 1000 more
males than females.
Few would dispute the necessity for
asking questions regarding race. All
any particular race in this country,
like the Indian, the negro, or the
Chinaman, must hinge upon the
returns in the census. With the
Indians, moreover, IL is of the highest
importance to learn what success the
policy of the government has met with
in establishing them apart from their
tribes and reservations, and whether
such Indians are increasing or deoress-
ing.
Some mothers may shrink from
stating the number of children they
have had and the number who are
living. But from the answers to these
questions, the country will learn
whether the native American popula-
sion is holding its own, or whether,
as some have claimed. 1t Is being
gradually supplanted and displaced by
the children of recent immigrants.
In the light of much explain alton,
and only a few of the most important
questions have been touched upon, it
may perhaps be clear to the public
that no question has been ordered by
or has been asked by the
census Office which, If properly and
correctly answered, will not lead to
suggestive differences regarding the
American people and their work.