The Washington times., 1904-07-31
MANY QUERIES AT
CENSUS OFFICE
information Sought on All
Subjects.
GENEALOGICAL RESEARCH
Preparations for IeIo-AdvisoIy Com
mittee Has Already Been
Appointed.

II is astonishing the extent 10 which
the Census Office is now asked to an
swer questions One clerks time iz
wholly devoted to this search, and the
work is growing.
From all parts of the country inquiries
come. and on all classes OF subjects.
1t is the policy of the Office 10 give the
Information wherever IL can do so di-
rectly, while If 1t is a matter that be-
longs 10 another bureau Of The Govern 4
ment the inquiry is forwarded TO the
proper place. AS a help TO this work.
there have been transferred 10 the Cen
sus Office the schedules OF al the past
censuses from the foundation Of the
Government, and these now rest on steel
shelving in the great vault, which was
designed for the preservation OF records.
Family Schedule Basis.
The eleventh census-that OF 1S9O-was
taken on the family schedule basis and
in consequence fl is the only census that
is still unbound. The ordinary way is to
put as many names on a sheet Of paper
as it Will carry, usually fifty. but in 1880
Mr.. Porter decided to give each family
a sheet OF paper by itself. In the case
OF q single man MS NAME WIS alone en-
tered on the schedule The result is
that while the census OF 1900 which has
recently been bound. contains but 5000
volumes, that of 1880 would make 5000
and the cost OF its binding is
so great as to be almost prohibitive.
1t has been suggested that the Gov
eminent should print the names Of the
heads OF families as returned by the first
that OF 1880, so great has been
the call for this information for his
toricaI and genealogical purposes. Di-
rector North may recommend this. One
class OF inquiries which the Census Of
fee obviously cannot answer is this:
Where was Mary Elizabeth Jones liv-
ing when the census Of 1850 was taken?'
To answer these questions would re-
Quire an index.
National Card Catalogue.
IL mas even been proposed to establish
a national card catalogue, carrying the
name of every person in the United
States in alphabetical order. so that the
OF any person who was
known by his right name could be as
certained on inquiry here. Perhaps.
duplicates could be struck of for similar
centers OF information in each OF the
large cities.
Every ten years the list would be gone
over 10 take out those who had died or
abandoned their old names, and to in
sert the new ones. Director North, how
ever. does not look with favor upoI this
proposal. on account OF the tremeL gus
cost which It would entail.
Preparations for Census of 1910.
An advisory committee has already
been appointed 20 consider plans for the
next decenniaI census. which VIII doubt
less be the most scientific and con1pre-
hensive one ever taken in this country.
-Four members have already been APP
pointed, and fifth will be named as
soon as Mr. North can ind the right
man.
Those already selected are Carroll >.
Wright, Prof. Walter L. Wilcox. Of
Cornell University. Henry Gannett. Of
the Geological Survey. and Prof. Davis
r. Dewey. Of the Institute OF Techni-
cology- For the fifth man some one who
can bring expert knowledge TO bear
upon agricultural statistics is needed.
This committee viii make a thorough
study in the time that intervenes be-
tween now and the next census OF the
subject. with a view 10 simplifying and
the work, as well as outlin-
ing the directions in which it should be
extended.
Seek Unihcation.
They will work in harmony with SINH
lar boards Of foreign countries. striving
for the unihcation OF statistical meth
DDS and terms. They viii also give at
tention TO the mechanical devices for
handling the returns. in an endeavOr 10
keep pace with the progress in tabulat-
ing machinery. This committee will
meet in September for the first time.
and viii eventually prepare a report and
draft a bill for taking the thirteenth
census.
One great benefit Of the permanent
Census Office. for which plans will
doubtless be made in the provisions for
the next census, comes from its studies
Of the census returns by experts in he
office. The recent bulletin on the negro,
which has attractd so much attention,
is one OF the most important Of these
studies. The volume on occupations
which has Just been published is an
other. The bulletin on estimates OF
population for the present year IS both
volume will show the proportions Of the
two sexes in the different parts of the
United States.
Quarters of the Census Office.
The building at the foot of Capitol
Hill which the Census Office now occu-
pies is just the right size for the perma-
nent work Of the census. and II is prob
able that the Government viii buy il at
an early day. The item has already
passed the Senate once or twice. but as
a measure Of economy was stricken out
In the House. The structure was built
by private enterprise, but purely for
census purposes 1t is hardly desirable
that the Government should own a
building large enough for the great mass
Of work which comes in on tie deem
NAL periods, since so much OF IL would
be unOccupied for the rest of the time.
But this structure not only answers for
a headquarters during the rush periods.
but il affords space enough for the cur
rent work of the permanent bureau.
An Expert Statistician.
S. N D. North. who has been for one
year at the head of the bureau. brought
to that position more experience as an
expert statistician than most Of the
recent appOintees. Francis A Walker,
great abilities TO bear in the discharge
of that duty and Carroll ID. Wright. who
YEAS asked by President Cleveland TO
trained statistician. But other ap-
pointees have often been merely political.
IL is hoped that the establishment of a
permanent Office Will put the position
on a different basis. and that no Presi-
dent will hencefOrth think OF using IL as
l. ..-n.r q