Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-10-10
THE CENSUS BUREAU
ANNUAL REPORT OF DIRECTOR
NORTH.
An Available Balance on Hand From
Last Year of $4o2, 2ea. 2e-Col-
Letting Cotton Statistics.


rector of the census for the fiscal year END
ing June 80. 1903. the twelfth census OF the
United States cost $13, 115. 1927, according
to the computations made by Director D. n.
u. North.
The total amount of disbursements for
the permanent census office during the year
was 81 1872, 0962S. To this sum should be
added the accounts chargeabe against the
fiscal year ending June 80 1903. which have
been presented for payment amounting to
sSo.4S making, since July l, 1903. the
total cost for that year 81 ,343. 4S1.9 1t is
estimated that the cost of printing ordered
during the same year. but according to in
forma ton. obtained from the government
printing office, not begun until after the
end of the year, and therefore chargeable
to the appropriation for the fiscal year
ending June 80 1894, will be about $1,000.
The total cost of the census office from it's
organization under the act of March 8, 1899,
10 the close of the last fiscal year was $13,-
115. 1877. The cost of carrying on the work
OF the office for the fiscal year covered by
this report was $402, 26S. % less than the APP
preparations available for that purpose.
Under the provisions of the act to supply
deficiencies in the appropriations for the
fiscal year. as construed and interpreted by
the Attorney General, the whole of this I'M
expended balance is available for general
census purposes during the fiscal year end
ing June 80. 1904. Adding this unexpended
balance to the regular appropriation voted
by Congress for the conduct of the census
office for the current fiscal year, 81, ISL, go
(Which includes the allotment of s25U.O00 in
binding for that Year,. the total sum avail
able tor that purpose is 81 $50 52S39, or
$242O4636 in excess Of the total expendi-
lures for the fiscal year ending June 80,
1903
Considerable space in the report is de-
voted to a resume of the work of the
division of manufactu. es, one of the most
important branches of the bureau This
division has had charge of the work of col
lectlng statistics relating 10 electric and
street railways, mines and quarrfes electric
lght and power plants employees and wages,
cotton production and all things relating to
manufactures.
Collection of Statistics.
With regard to the work done in the COL
lection of cotton statistics. Mr.. North says:
Another branch of work intrusted to
this division has been the collection of sta
tistics of the quantity of cotton ginned in
the United States from the crop of 1902 in
accordance with the provisions of section
of the act establishing the permanent CEN
sus office. Compliance with this provision
or law has required the employment of 626
local special agents located in as many
counties throughout the cotton-growing
states. and aleo a considerable office force
Three bulletirI were issued during the cot
ton-ginning season. The first covered the
cotton ginned up to October IS, and the
second to December -, and the third the
quantity ginned from the entire growth of
1907. In addition to the collection of the
statistics the field and Office force perfected
the official list of ginneries, which now con-
tains the names of 81, 753 gins of which
3O.94S were active during the season Of 1902
The collection of these statistics required
that three reports should be obtained from
each OF these gins, making total of 81 S44
reports which were obtained by personal
visit to each gin. The rapidity with which
this vast number of reports secured
transmitted to the census office, tabulated
added and the results made public Is an in
dication of the perfection of the machinery
for the collection of statistics of this char
ncter. -
1.-The cost of the field service required in
this inquiry for the season of 1902 was
SoS.O2O. For the crop season of 1903 five
reports are contemplated and the, cost of
| the service will this year be increased ac--
cordingly. and will reach approximately
!, S97 500 In view of the enormous i'm
portance of the cotton crop. and the adj
vantage to planters and consumers which
comes from early and accurate infOrma-
ton as to the size of the crop, 1t is be-
'lieved that this annual expenditure on the
part of the government is warranted. The
census Office was enabled, by it's perfected
machinery. to give the public an accurate
and final statement of the size OF the crop
of 1902 as early as April 1 of the present
year, which was five months earlier than
this important Information has ever be-
fore been available from any commercial
source. Its important bearing upon the
cotton market, In season of such I'M
usual activity as that through which we
have passed this year, Is apparent.
An Important Division.
One of the most important divisions of the
office Is the division of methods and results.
The work of this division Is divided into
three distinct branches Director North
says. 4-
l. The editing of all matter published by
the census office, the reading of proofs and
the supervision of printing. This work in
cludes the careful editing of copy. the read
ing and correcting of proofs, the determna-
ton of questions of style and Typography,
the checking of expenditures for printing,
as well as the general oversight and drec-
ton of the movement of matter in process
of publication.
The printing required in census work Is
very extensive, the appropriation for the
coming year being $25O,OOO. The more i'm
portant and expensive part of the work is
naturally the publication of the census re-
ports and bulletins. But the miscellaneous
printing is large in amount and varied and
exacting in character. including not only
| the forms, blanks and letter heads ordi-
nariIy used in the routine work of a large
Office, but also the elaborate schedules of
inquiry the circular letters. the instructions
to special agents, the tabulation sheets and
the special Investigations assigned by Con-
gress to this office.
2. The preparation Of report presenting
correlation and analysis Of some of the
more important results of the twelfth CEN
sus. This work is a further Interpretation
of statistics already published. Its aim is