The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1900-06-01
Census Queries.

the next census are now being distrib-
uted by the Census Office to the en-
umerators, who started work on June
i. The schedules contain questions
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 cencuses. The
only important change since 1890 Is
that some questions have been aban-
doned.
People are often offended at the ques-
ton, "How old are you?" and are apt
to wonder what use the Government
can make of their replies. Taken as a
whole the replies are as important 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 number of
cOlOred children and the short lie OF
the negroes under present conditions.
They make it possible TO ascertain.
whether the average length Of life is
increasing or decreasing, how many
men the nation contains who are capa-
BILE of voting or OF bearing arms, and
whether the relative number Of chill
dren is increasing or decreasing.
In Mohammedan or semi-civilized
countries like India householders are
often unwilling to answer the question
regarding the sex Of persons in the
house, but in civilized countries where
the sexes are regarded as on an equal
ity, such unwillingness does not appear.
The answers to the questions show
that in nearly all cities the females
outnumber the males and that the
same is true of most ofthe states along
f! the Atlantic coast. The belief is wide
spread that taking the world in
general there are more females alive
at any given time than males, and
that if it were not for immigration
there would be more females in the
United States than males. But CEN
sus statistics show that we cannot ex-
plain the great excess of males (over
one and a half million) in the United
States by immigration alone, for when
the foreign born are left out of account,
there are still above 100000 more
males than females
Few would dispute the necessity for
| asking questions regarding race. All
arguments regarding the future of any
particular race in this country, like
the Indian, the negro, or the China
man, must hinge upon the returns of
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 establish
ing them apart from their tribes and
reservations, and whether such Indians
are increasing or decreasing.
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 popul-
ican is holding It's own, or whether, as
some have claimed, it is being grad
ually supplanted and displaced by the
children of recent immigrants.
In the light of such explain ations,
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
Congress, or has been asked by the
Census Office which, if properly and
correctly answered, will not lead to
suggestive inferenccs regarding the
American people and their work.
The count of the people in the
United States begun IN all parts of
the country June /, and ends in the
cities weeks later and in the rest of the
/ country before The close of the month.
The people are to be counted at their
places OF residence, but as many per-
sors and families will be away from
their homes during June there is some
danger that such persons will not be
counted. IT they are not counted, the
locality in which they live will be
misrepresented to that extent, and in
some cases this misrepresentation may
be enough to affect the representation
| in Congress OF the State from which
they come. Local pride and state
pride, therefore, should influence all
such absentees to take reasonable pre-
cautions against being omitted from
enumeration in their places OF resi-
dence.
| Charles III Marks, while acting IN
the capacity of nurse at the Second
Divisi0n Hosuital of the Fifth tArmv