The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-06-07
COUNTING THEMEN
Also the Women and Children
Is Mr.. Coburn's Task.
Legislature Provided for a Re-
liable State Census.
WORK HAS COMMENCED
County Clerks Are Valuable Aids
in Undertaking.
Cities Are Enumerated Inde-
pendent Of Counties.
WORK HAS COMMENCED

Kansas now has a census bureau in
full operation. w. ]. Stagg is director
of the census" and the headquarters
are in the two northwest rooms on the
fourth floor of the state house. The
work is being done under the supervis-
ion OF F. D. Coburn. secretary of the
state board of agriculture, under auth
ority of a law passed in 1875.
The last session OF the legislature ap-
propriated $4,000 to pay the expenses OF
this census, and judging from the
amount of work which is involved in
the undertaking, $1,000 will be none too
much to pay the expense.
The work of the state census bureau
commenced about a week ago with half
has now increased to 16. and within
week or two the number will have to
be Increased to %. 1t is expected that
the work will not be completed for
about three months.
This state census is taken every ten
years. It was arranged to take the first
state census in 1875, and this has been
followed on each decenniaI anniversary
with another census. It comes midway
between the United States census years.
This is the second census which has
been taken under the supervision of
Secretary Coburn. The census of 1875
was taken by Secretary Gray.
When the state board of agriculture
is getting ready for the decennial CEN
sus, it's first duty is to send out to the
county clerks a blank form, bound in
books, which are distributed to the as
SCISSORS. Every township in the state
has a book: some townships require
more than one. Each city is also
enumerated by itself, and usually a city
takes several books. The city Of Tope-
ka, for example required 81 books to IN
clude the whole population. These
blank forms must be IN the hands of
the county clerks before March of the
census year. Before July 1, the county
clerks must send them back, properly
filed out and footed.
1t is provided that the state shall Sc
cure information on the following sub
jects:
Population, the name, age, sex and
color Of each person, place or BIRTH
and where from to Kansas; number OF
families and number Of persons in each
family.
Occupations, population. 10 years and
over, engaged in all occupations. num-
ber engaged in agriculture, in profess
sionaI services, in trade and transpoTta-
ton, in manufactures and mechanical
industries, in mining, number Of per
sons learning trades, native and foreign
population under 21 years of age.
Agriculture; name of person mana ging
farm; size of farm; quantity Of land
under cultivation; quantity of land un-
der fence; quantity of land not under
fence; acreage of the principal crops
number of rods of different kinds of
farm; value of farming implements;
number and kinds of live stock; number
and value of slaughtered animals.
Manufactures; number OF establish
ments; name and pOstoffice address of
corporation, company or individual pro-
ducing: name of business; kind of mo-
tive power; average number OF hands
employed; capital invested; raw ma
terial used; product.
Blind, deaf. dumb, Insane and 1diotlc;
number, giving age, sex and color, to-
gether with name and postonice address
of parents or guardians
Libraries, newspapers, churches and
school houses; number OF puDlc ana
private Libraries, and books in each;
number of newspapers, when establish
ed and circulation; number of church
organizations of each denomination,
membership. number of church edihces,
and value; number of school houses and
value of school property.
Pauperism and crime; number Of per-
sons supported in whole or in part at
public expense during the year; cost OF
annual support; number of persons con-
Victed of any criminal ofense before me
district court, justices courts ana po-
lice courts, specifying the oHense by
persons in prison or in the county jail
on the first of 4darch.
The assessors of the state must col
lect this information at the same time
they make their general assessment of
property. The statistics about agricul-
t,1re manufactures and the blind, deaf
ana dumb, insane and idiotic, are col
lected every year, but the decennial
census is a general extension OF the
duties
No one is making any forecasts as to
what the census will show. It is ex-
pected that the state has gained con-
siderably in population since the United
States census was taken in 1900. but no
sensational increase is anticipated.
When the returns come in from the
county clerks. they are placed in the
hands of w. J Stagg, who distributes
them among his clerks, and has the re
turns compiled and tabulated. The
footings which the county clerks nave
made on certain portions of the returns
are verified by Mr.. Stagg. who is an ex-
| pert accountant, and well qualified for
the work to which he has been assigned