Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1900-05-24
What the Census Task Means.

In thirteen aG}ua, working days.
the twelfth censGS 81 he United
States is to Is taken. Tie lew pro-
vides that the work shall he done be-
tween June l and June -, and as
there are two Sundays in that period
this year, there will be just thirtesn
DAYS to devote to the task.
The vastness OF this work is some
thing hard to realize. There are
some 100000 people to be counted.
and asked all sorts Of questions a to
birth. ancestry, nativity. age, educa-
ton, work. social position. connubial
condition. and all that. One would
think that the simple counting of
7000o.0o0 people in thirteen days
would be Il huge enough task, to say
nothing Of doing the other work OF
Icensus-taking in these days entails.
Not only in the United States, but
in fourteen European countries cen
sustaining will be one Of the big
tasks OF this year and next year. In
Europe, however. they 90 at the task
more deliberately and in most Of the
places they DO not 60 at it 50 thor
oughly.
The last census of the United States
cost $11. 500, and the one this
year viii cost two or three million
dollars more. In 1890. 10000 men
were employed in the work, and this
year there will be some ten thousand
more. according to the estimates OF
Director William X. Merriam, former
Governor Of Minnesota.
The questions that the enumerators
viii ask viii be numerous. but they
will not include some of those which
We're considered most Objectionable in
\ 1890 These are abolished not be-
cause the people objected to answer
ing them, but because they proved to
be utterly worthless as a basis for
statistics on chronic diseases, for
which they were designed. The ques-
tions this year will be:
l. Surname. Christian name. ini-
tial
? Residence street. number Of
house.
3. Relationship of each member to
the head OF the family
4. Color or race.
5. Sex.
6. Age at last birthday.
= Day, month and year when
born.
5. Are you single, married. widow.
widower, or divorced
9. Number of years married.
10. How many children?
Il. Number of children living.
u. Sex of these children.
IS. Where were you born? If il
the United States, give state or terri
4 tory: If OF foreign birth. give TIT
G name of the country only.
Il. Where was your father born
: Your mother? (Same conditions a
the foregoing.)
Is. If of foreign birth. when di'
YOU come to the United States?
16. How many years have you re
sided in the United Statesa
Il. Have you been naturalized
How many years since you became
citizen?
Is. What is your occupation
trade or profession? (This question
applies to persons ten years OF age o
over.)
10. How many months during tn
year are YOU employed
20. How many months have yol
attended school?
p. Can you read
y. Can you write9
%. Give the main facts concern
ing your education.
p. Do you own the house il
which you live9
p. DO you rent the house i
which you live?
26. If you own the house. is
free or mortgaged? CHE same ques
tions apply to farms.)
On June /. the enumerators wi
commence the task OF taking the LIT
census Of the United States.
For the convenience OF the enumer
ator. heads Of families should leay
the information III reference to tn
above questions with some member o
the family. . The enumerator Wi
have to make bat one call.