The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-11-27
Owe More Than 81, ,6OO,OOO,OOO
as Shown by Census.
is MORE THAN HALF
OF the Total Public Obligations
of Every Kind.
One Third of the People Live in
These Cities.

washington, Nov. z7.-Much of the
Work OF the census bureau during the
past year as disclosed by the annual re-
port OF DR.. S N. D. North, the director
iHAoe PUBIC today, related to the CEN
sus OF manufactures OF 1905, to the
Preparation and publication OF statis-
tics on municipal finance and to the COL
lection, tabulation and publication or
prompt and accurate reports on the cot
ton crop. The report shows that the
WorK COST the government $1,249,045.
tnat sum being S235, ,667 less than con-
gress appropriated for it
annual estimates of the population of
lhe various states and territories are
maze py the census in order to estab-
hsh death rates in the vital statistic
reports, In 1905, 13 states took enumer-
atlon OF the population, the total being
70, 1885, The estimate of the census
OF the population of those states at
the same time was rs, ,743.3 .311, a diner
enee OF only 1925 DR.. North has plan
heu, IN connection with the annual mu-
hlclpal reports, a series of statistical
studies of important phases of munic-
lpal development, including parks. mai
kets, paving, sewers, police and fire de-
partments, baths, schools and libraries
The Importance of statistics OF this
character is indicated the report notes,
by the fact that the present aggregate
debt Of cities of the United States con-
tanning over 5000 inhabitants is in ex-
the combined debt Of the national and
state governments and of the counties.
school districts and other minor civil
divisions"
The director adds:
In 1900, SO per cent of the people Of
the United States resided in cities hav-
ing population of 5000 and over, and
in a few decades over one-half of the
people will reside in those cities. The
problem of self government is therefore
becoming one of city government"
The director advocates the taking of
& quinquennial census of agriculture
The report says, concerning the cot
ton reports. that it has been the earn
est desire of the bureau to bring it's
system of reporting to the highest pos
record Of the quantity of cotton
ginned, it states, "is not possible un-
less the ginners report accurately the
output of their gins That the great
majority of them do this. 1 have no
doubt; that many have failed to do so
is made evident by the distribution
report; and in some sections there are
signs of a more or less concerted pur-
pose to understate the ginnings in the
hope of thereby influencing the cur
rent market price of the crop There
can be no question that the census
ginning reports have been worth many
millions of dollars to the cotton plant
ers by protecting the market from as
saults of spectators whose privately
gathered statistics no longer carry
weight when they differ from those Of
the census"
Director North recommends the en-
actment of more rigid laws to enable
census officers to secure information.
Copies of census publications to the
number of 656.66S were distributed
during the year, 200s745 being bulle-
tins and 399, 900 cotton reports OF the
permanent census.