Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1900-05-24
Census Queries.

The blank schedules to be used in
the next census are now being dis
tributed by the Census Office to the
enumerators, who will start work on
June The schedules contain ques-
tions which some persons may think
prying, purposeless. or excessive IN
number But their number and
character have been determined by
Congress, not by the Census Office
and all Of them have been asked in
previous censuses. The only import
ant change since 1890 is that some
questions have been abandoned.
People are often offended at the
question ..How old are you2" and are
apt to wonder what use the Govern
ment can make of their replies. Taken
as a whole the replies are as import
ant as any class OF information the
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
small. They reveal the great num-
Der of colored children and the short
life of negroes under present condi-
tions. They make it possible to asoer-
tain whether the average length of
life is increasing or decreasing, how
many men the nation contains who
are capable of voting or bearing arms,
and whether the relative number OF
children is increasing or decreasing.
n n hon n n m Il
countries like India, householders are
often unwilling to answer the ques-
tion regarding the sex of persons in
the house, but in civilized countries
where the sexes are regarded as on an
equality, such unwillingness does not
appear. The answers to the questions
show that in nearly all cities the fe-
males outnumber the males and that
the same is true of most Of the states
along the Atlantic coast. The belief
is widespread that taking the world
in general there are more females alive
at any given time than males, and
that if il were not for immigration
there would be more females in the
United States than males. Bat cen
sus statistics show that we can not
explain the great excess OF males
lover one and half miIlion) in the
United States by immigration alone,
for when the foreign born are left out
Of account, there are still above COO,
600 more males than females.
Few would dispute the necessity
for asking questions regarding race.
All arguments regarding the future Of
particular race in this country, like
the Indian. the negro, or the China
man. must hinge upon the returns in
the census. With the Indians, more
over. it is of the highest Importance
to learn what success the policy OF
the Government has met with in es-
tablishing them apart from their
tribes and reservations, and whether
such Indians are increasing or de-
creasing.
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
zion is holding its own or whether, as
some have claimed, it is being SUP
planted and displaced by the children
OF recent immigrants.
In the light Of such explanations,
and only 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
Congress. or has been asked by the
Census Office which, if properly ans
wered, viii not lead to suggestive in
pie and their WORK Il MElEE. JR.