Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-03-08
CENSUS OF AUSTRIA.
1t Has Just Been Taken and Has Pecu-
liaritles of Its Own.


| Vienna Correspondence London Standard.
| The census, which in this empire is de-
| cennial. was taken on Tuesday last in Aus
| tria. and separately in Hungary. Every
| thing is always done differently in the two
| halves Of the monarchy. and the census Is
no exception to the rule. In the first place.
| the Austrian chief enumerator Is far more
| inquisitive than his colleague in Hungary.
| or, for that matter, than English. French
or American census commissioners. In
| Vienna we all received, last week, sched-
ules to be filled UP, of size which would
| brighten an Englishman and which actu-
| ally did terrify lady, reported in to-
| days papers, into committing suicide. This
| census schedule was big an open
| sheet of the Standard, and had numerous
| columns on both sides. Along with it were
| distributed instructions, filling six pages of
print. with thirty-One subdivisions, each
| containing several paragraphs; and, in adj
| dition. second, and somewhat smaller,
| schedule. with supplementary questions
probably for a separate purpose. Bewilder-
| ing as this mass Of columns must be to the
| ordinary man. it Is, also, highly annoying
| to every head of q family to be asked in
addition to the exact date of BIRTH the
place, parish, district and province of BIRTH
| the principal and the collateral occupations,
| the exact number of years OF residence In
| the place in which he now lives, the prin.
| used In his family, the number of work.
! men, artisans and apprentices he employs,
| etc.: all of which questions are to be an
| swered separately for each member Of the
| household. servants included. There are,
| also. the following questions:
How much rent do you pay?
Is gas or electricity used in your house?
Have you a bath room?
Describe each separate room in your
| house, whether with two windows or one;
| whether hall or kitchen or scullery.
Give the number and species of your do
meStic animals.
State whether you belong to the class OK
| the unemployed.
If not, do you follow your trade in a
fixed place, workshop. or shop. or by hawk
ing: are you a sweater. and for whom do
you work?
Can you read and write?
State your religion.
There is much besides which do not re-
| member. The loyal subject. as in duty
bound. and under penalty Of fine and I'm
prsonment, will do his best conscientious
| ly to satisfy the curiosity Of the census
| enumerator, but in this country he Is Ill
rewarded for his plans. because, from the
| outset he is disbelieved, and Is called upon
| to prove what he has stated Some day
next week every one of us. whether prince
or pauper, will have to appear, documents
in hand. at the lodge Of the hausmeister or
concierge, there to prove to one or two
enumerators that his statement contains no
| falsehood. We shall have to show our birth
| and marriage certificates, our diplomas.
passports, workmen's or servants book. in
which, in this country, characters have to
be entered. each entry being certified by
the local police, and woe to the man or
woman whose documents are at variance
with the entries in the schedule. for mis-
statement is severely punished. The haus-
meister and other inhabitants of the same
house-as likely as not ones own servants,
who must appear in person-will be In
position to learn the ages of the mistress
| and her daughters, and variety of other
| details which one might prefer to suppress
| 1t is rather annoying task to be COM
PEELED. not only to record such things In
| the schedule, but also to prove every detail
| to strangers, and perhaps, to argue about
| them in the presence of neighbors. children
| and servants, and 1t may be confidently
| foretold that the peace of more than one
| family will be disturbed in consequence of
| the impertnent curiosity Of the census. as
practiced in police-ridden Austria.
Most of the unnecessary questions I
| quoted are not asked in Hungary, where
| there is no supervision Of the documents,
| either at the porter's lodge or elsewhere
| The census will also be taken on New
| Year day (old style) in Bulgaria.