Weekly independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 1887-1914, 1900-06-01

The blank schedules to be used in
tho next census hove been distribut.
ed by tho census Office to the emu.
merators. who will start work on the
LIST Of juno. The schedules contain
questions which some persons may
think prying, purposeless, or exces.
sive IN number. But their character
have been determined by Congress
and not by the census office, and ill
Of them have been asked in previous
censuses. The only important change
since 1850 II that some Of the ques.
tons have been abandoned.
People are often offended at the
question, @How old are your" and arc
apt to wonder what use tho govern
ment can make OF their replies.
Taken as a whole the replies are rs
important as any class OF Information
the census Office collects. Age re.
turns penetrate and elucidate every
other branch Of statistical knowledge
They show where child labor is pre-
yalent, and where tho 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 the
present conditions. They make 1t
possible to ascertain whether the
average length Of life is increasing or
decreasing, how many mon the nation
has who are able OF voting or OF bear
ing arms, aud whether the relative
number of children is increasing or
decreasing.
In Mohammedan or semi civilized
countries like India householders are
often unwilling to answer the ques
ton regarding the sex OF persons In
the house. but in civilized countries
where the K are regarded as on an
equal footing, such unwillipgness
does not appear. The to the
questions show that in nearly all
cities the females outnumber the
males and that the same is true OF
most OF the States along the Atlantic
coast. The belief is widespread that
take the tho world in general, ther re are
more females alive in the world at
any given time than males, and that
il it were not for immigrations, there
would DO moro females in the United
States than males. But. census
statistics show that we cannot ex.
plain the great excess OF males lover
ono and u half m%iIlion) in the United
States by immigration a~lope,for when
the foreign born are left on OF ac-
count there are still over 100000 more
males.
Few would dispute the necessity OF
asking questions regarding race. All
arguments regarding the future of
any race in this country, like the In.
dian, the negro, the ChInaman, mus.
hinge upon the returns in the cen.
sus. With the Indian, moreover it is
OF the highest iseportance to learr
what success the policy OF tho gov,
rnmen has met with in establishing
them apart from their tribes and res
cryations, and whether such Indian:
arc increasing or decreasing.
Some mothers may shrink from
stating the number Of children they
have had aud the number now living
But from the answers to these quest.
ions the country will learn whether
the native American population is
holding it's own, or whether. MS some
have claimed, it is being gradually
supplanted and displaced by the
children Of recent immigrants.
In the light Of such explanations
and only a few OF the most important
questions have been touched upon, il
mny perhaps be clear to the public
that no question has been ordered by
Congress or asked by the census OF.
flee which. il correctly answered
would lead to suggestive differences
regarding the American people and
their work.-Ex.