The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-11-12

 ----------------------- every establishment that was in operation during the year.
 There were In the neghborhood of twenty-five establishments concerning which we were not able to obtain satis- factory information. A number of these establishments were comparatively unim- portant and their omission from the cen sus reports will have no appreciable eff feet upon the relative standing of the state Some of them, however, were of considerable importance and regret that the office will be forced to publish the statistics without including reports from them.
 The success of a canvass for the cen sus of manufactures probably depends more largely upon the cooperation and assistance of the individual citizen than any other branch of the census work. The agents were given careful instruc- tions to secure this cooperation if pos sible and, under no circumstances, to arouse a spirit of antagonism to the cen- sus inquiry. At the same time 1t is im- possible for the office to allow the agents to continue indefinitely in a city or state awaiting the pleasure of the manufac- turers to make reports The canvass must be finished and the results published in time to be of current interest and value.
 Is Strictly Confidential.
 "The office has found that, as a rule, there is considerable local pride to have correct showing made for the indus tries of the different states and cities. Manufacturers have been advised that the information they furnish for the census is considered by the office as strictly confidential and that it will be used only in the aggregate the reports for all estab- lishments being combined so as to show the totals for the different cities and states and, as a rule, they have furnish ed all of the details required by the cen- sus schedule.
 "I am sorry to say that, in some sec tions. there has been an apparent lack oe this local pride and disposition to retard the census. I feel that this dis position on the part of the manufactur- CTS in Alabama not only retarded the census work in that state and made 1t much more expensive than it otherwise would have been, but it may effect the totals to such an extent as to change the relative standing of the state. It certain ly makes 1t more difficult for the office to compile statistics which will show the extent of the development of the manu- lecturers of the south
 Tried to Hinder Carriers.
 "To illustrate this, I enclose quotations from letters of the special agents who were employed in making the canvas of Mobile, Ala. and of newspaper clippings concerning their work. You will see from these quotations that 1t was appar- ently the policy of the manufacturers in Mobile to hinder the canvass as much as possible without directly refusing to make the reports. thus rendering them selves liable to prosecution under the census law. This Is one of the most aggravating features of census work.
 "I regret exceedingly that the office should have had such an experience with the manufacturers of your state and am sorry that we have not been able to make an absolutely complete canvass. However. it Is my impression. from the cursory examination we have thus far been able to give the schedules, that the results will be gratifying and show sub