The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-07-27
REPORT TO Mr.. COBURN
How He Secures His Statistics on
Agriculture.

Over two-thirds of the los county
clerks have returned to the Kansas
state board of agriculture their 1904 alb
stracts of agricultural and livestock
statistics. These are made up from as
SCISSORS returns to the clerks of their
respective counties. and comprise data
on acreages in crops, numbers of live
stock ON hand, values of products of
livestock, fruit trees in bearing and not
in bearing, garden and horticultural
products marketed. and many other
kindred items of interest and value to
record.
Assessors or township trustees are re-
quired each year, in a house to house
canvass, to learn from the farmers
themselves what their crops and live
stock are. The farmers are carefully
advised at the time in each instances
that this enumeration is not in the re-
hottest way connected with taxation
and the assessor makes oath that he
has performed his duties as required
and that his returns are correct.
When all assessors returns are filed
with the county clerk that official
makes up the abstract and forwards it
to Secretary COburn of the state board.
where it is put under the microscope
for examination in detail. 1t is sifted,
diagnosed, dissected. analysed and ciar-
ified. If the critical analysis given by
Mr.. Coburn reveals anything that
seems incorrect or inconsistent this is
brought to the attention of the county
clerk, and If the suspicion of error is
Of the opportunity to have blunders
rectified- Occasionally. however. a
county clerk is found who has too lit
tie pride or is too much of a sloven to
straighten Inconsistencies when pointed
out, but he is the exception. Returns
1mperVious to Secretary Coburn'S
searching scrutiny are rare, but before
they are finally accepted for use they
are as free from error as is the New
International Encyclopedia and in their
line can be accepted as equally trust
worthy.
The figures i'm these abstracts furnish
the basis for the boards statistics and
no pains are spared to have them ac-
cord with the facts. Hence il is that
the agricultural statistics are not only
the most complete and accurate pub
lShed by any state or government but
AFFORD the standard toward which sta
tisticians everywhere work.
Under the law, county, clerks have
until August l each year to file their
abstracts Of assessors returns with the
board of agriculture, but few utilize the
full time limit As matter of fact
many abstracts are forwarded in June
the earlier ones being generally from
the less populous counties but the rec
ords cannot be closed until the last
county is heard from. Failure to re-
ceive statistics of one county may re-
tard the work of the whole office and
cause eXasperating delay. TWENTY
five counties are yet to report this year
but these are expected within the next
week
After these abstracts are received.
scrutinized, and if necessary revised
and corrected, all of which requires
considerable attention and time,
classifications and compilations begin
and this in itself is no small task
Throughout this work accuracy is the
keynote and accuracy is the result
when run through the cleansing process
SeS mentioned.
1t is generally conceded that the sys-
tenn and practices of the Kansas board
in its statistical department are so uni
foFmly reliable and trustworthy as to
have been resolved in the public mind
into the standard of excellence. and
many other states have been inquiring