The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1900-05-01
INACCURATE CENSUS STATISTICS.

A striking Illustration OF the i'm
portance Of care and accuracy in re-
porting the coming census is afforded
by a statement issued upon the work
of the last one. From this statement
it would appear that an enormous num-
Der Of people are either ignorant Of
their ages or else they are unwilling
10 tell them. OF course this would
be a natural inference from general ex-
perienee. but other census statistics
prove that the false showing thus made
is not an error attributable altogether
to the frailty Of human nature. Census
age tables are honey-combed with
mistakes in every country in which
such tables are prepared. With
fairly steady flow Of immigration and
stationary or increasing population.
there ought always to be fewer per-
sons Of given age than Of any sin.
gle age preceding; less fifty years old
than forty-nine, and so on. But cen.
sus age tables invariably show the re.
verse. Al the last census 240.S0S per.
sons were returned as fifty-nine years
old, while the number returned AS
sixty was so2.7ss. The tendency to
use round numbers arises mainly
from ignorance and carelessness. and
IS noticeable a. every period Of life.
But the impulse to understate the age
is especially noticeable among adults
from twenty-five to sixty. The great
est proportion of errors is al the six
iieth year, but the greatest actual
amount is at the thirtieth year or for.
tieth year. In 1880 there were slSs4l
persons reported as thirty-nine years
Of age, Los7.Sss at forty and 4ss,s5s at
forIy-one. Among women SCOTIA were
reported TO be forty, 2s0.s77 thirty-nine
and 224,55l forty-one.
When immigration is slight the per-
sons Of given age at one census must
be less than the persons
-en years younger at the preceding
'ensus. Thus, in 1880. the persons
twenty-five years old are necessarily
ever in number than the persons
fifteen years old in 1850, because the
twenty-five class Of 1890 is composed
# the survivors Of the fifteen year
lass in 1850. These are facts; but
English women are not abashed by /
acts. In England the number Of wo-
men returning themselves as from j
wenty to twenty-five years Of age is
llways greater than the number Of I
'irls reported at the prece ling CEN
us from ten to fifteen years old.
II the age returns are incorrect, it {
s impossible to determine accurately
whether the average duration Of life I
5 Increasing or decreasing. to compute {
xact life insurance tables or ascertain
he death rate. to tell what portion c
( the men are Of military age or
That portion Of the women are in the n
hid bearing class. Almost every
ther set Of statistical returns must be q.
lassiied according to ages. In this c
'ay IT Is ascertained whether regroes =
ave more children and whether these L
hiliren live longer or die earlier than Z,
hites; whether the criminals Of the +
1untry are in the main recruited
ON the younger or the older element In
the population. and whether the
nployment Of children is increasing 3;
: decreasing. And 50 with many other y
nportant matters Of inquiry, the re- ly
Its Of which have no practical util- 7,
y if based upon careless or mac in
rate census returns.