New-York tribune., 1901-03-24

lnaia and the Colonies are required to furnish
to the Local Government Board in I,onaon the
census returns for all the dependencies of Great
Britain
hlADooS LIKE THE WORK
notable fact in connection With the oars,s
work in India is that those e,,,1o,.os l., -
necooh herewith receive no paw for their 1abor
ANes are mainly recruited from the English and
""INe government officials But a consiaararla
ff'0i 'ioh OF The enumerators are private citi
HauNes. OF course-who are compelled TO
>AAe the WORK under peralty OF 80 ru-
pees IN the case of refusal There are however
&c" ieiusals. Indeed. the average native IS so
ready and eager TO undertake the task that he
supllles his own pen and writing materials.
WIN the exception OF the ink, which is gen
erously supplied by the government This is :,
part due TO their delight at being able TO nose
as government officials as vested with author
NY while the filling out OF schedules and the
cop9ihs OF returns seem TO furnish the ordinary
hihooo with much the same sedative entertain
eit as hhittng, embroidery and the game OF
patience in the case OF elderly women
ihe least reliable returns. so far as the Indian
eeisuS Is concerned will be, usual, those
Dealing with the hill tribes For the enumera-
tors show quite as much reluctance TO count the
herce and nomadic hill tribes as the latter do to
be counted. and the result is that the enunoera
tors have habit OF sitting at the foot of the
mountain passes and evolving data concerning
the tribes above out OF their vivid and es-
sentially Oriental imaginations.
The question of caste is another source of
much trouble TO the census authorities in India
for an enumeration who happens to be a native
OF high caste objects to recording people as be-
longing thereto when he entertains any doubt
as to the validity Of their pretensons in the
matter And while the high caste Hindoo will
consider himself deiled if he crosses the tbresh-
old OF a man of low caste for the purpose of OBJ
tanning the Information demanded by the sched-
ule. the enumerator who happens TO be of in
feiior caste experiences the utmost difficulty in
obtaining access TO the high caste houses In
deed. the questions Of caste are so subtle and
intricate as TO be almost beyond the comprehen-
sion of white people.
OF GREAT SCIENTIFIC VALUE
In spite of all the deficiencies and inaccuracies
resulting from these causes. it is the Indian ror-
tiOn Of the census of the British Empire which
is attracting the greatest amount OF attention
on the part of scientists in every part of the
world. 1t is to be no mere numbering OF heads
Particulars VIII he recorded Of the caste, re-
hsion profession, language, sex, age and bodily
and mental ailments of every person through
out the length and breadth OF India, from the
GOvernor-General down to the meanest pariah
or outcast. The forthcoming census promises a
vast amount OF interesting material. merely
for the statistician but well for the followers
OF many other branches Of science.
The first census of the entire British Empire
Showed a total population Of about two hundred
end thirty-five million. The census on Sunday
next is expected to show increase Of more
than hundred million that figure. 1t is
asserted by the most competent authorities that
the present population Of the British Empire viii
be found number nearer four hundred million
than three hundred and fifty million. The first
census taken in England was in 1901, just one
hundred years ago.
The census important feature Of the
governments of ancient Rome, Greece. Egypt.
Persia and the Babylonian Empire. A census OF
the vast Roman Empire and its dependencies
Was in progress at the time OF the birth OF
Christ But this enumeration Of population fell
into disuse in the Middle Ages. Down to the
end Of the eighteenth century even the most
trustworthy Peographers had to depend entirely
upon suessWork in forming estimate of the
IL is TO the United States that may be said TO
belong the credit Of reYyiag the census the
constitution of 1879 including a provision for
census TO be taken every ten years The
enumeration WAS rendered necessary by the fact
that the poI UlatiOn of the several States consu-