The Washington herald., 1908-03-06

tors who would loaf on their jobs. But
with the safeguards that the bureau is
able 10 throw around the work, Il IS be-
lieved that the piece basis Of compensa-
tion Will be the more satisfactory, and
that has been adopted as heretofore.
Enumerators viii get from TO cents
for each inhabitant scheduled, which
averages cent higher than in the last
census They will get from 20 10 30 cents
for each farm scheduled, 10 cents for each
inelosure of live stock, % to 20 cents for
each productive industry, and in the
sparsely settled communities where such
pay would be inadequate, per diem
allowance OF from 50 to Sc will be made.
In this connection il is interesting that no
city in the country has ever complained
Of an overcount on the part Of the Fed
eral census. but dozens OF them have
complained OF undercounts.
With all the advantages that the
director will have in the taking of the
thirteenth census, he has an immense
undertaking before him. II requires about
1900 quarto pages to record the re
suits OF a single census. More than an
average Of two carloads OF material Will
have 20 be sent 70 the field every day for
two months 10 supply the census takers
with the necessary blanks. Last time
more than a hundred tons Of registered
mail was forwarded 10 the men in the
field.
The United States bIazed the pathway
of the nations In the matter of a cen
sus. II Is true that the fathers, when
I they built the good ship OF state, never
dreamed Of a census covering so many
subjects as ours now covers. but for the
purpose of ascertaining the representa-
/ ton 70 fan 20 the different States in
the House Of Representatives. they or
dained a decennial census. The results
Of the first census may have been rather
! crude from our present standpOint-it
cost only S44.377. where one now costs
SIS. 900. .oOo-but IL led other nations 10
follow suit. England and France took
1 their first census IN 1901.
/ Our first census is now being repub-
| lished-sO far as the records exist. L
gives the heads OF families by counties
/ and minor civil divisions The claw
marks OF the British lion are 10 be seen
/ In these cid records for many OF the
I papers are missing. having been burned
when the British destroyed the Capitol in
/ 1914 Others are chsrred or show the
marks Of the fire. The records for
] Delaware. Georgia. Kentucky. New Jer-
| sey. Tennessee. and Virginia, were entire
/ y destroyed. The others promise 10 be
in wide demand when published
The work Of preparing these old records
I for the printers is a difficult one En-
! thusiastic genealogists and lawyers have
gone over them so often that they are
very much worn They are written on
all sorts OF paper. and bear mute witness
10 the scarcity OF writing paper al that
/ time. Europe has looked on for a gen
Grafton and marveled at the wonderful
results OF the decennial inquisitiOns. and
has freely admitted that they represent
the highest degree OF statistical accuracy
ever obtained. But the thirteenth census
will set new mark in such work not
/ less in its value and it's accuracy than
in the progress II records.
The world wondered when the results
OF the twelfth census were published.
They showed a growth in every lire Of
business unprecedented in the history Of
this or any other nation They showed
that Uncle Sam had been taking such
long strides OF progress that no other na-
ton could keep the pace But II the in
Quiries already made on the first five
years Of the time the thirteenth census
will cover are an index. we may judge
that even the results Of the 1900 enumera-
tion viii be left far behind. II IS esti-
mated that the population will be over
l90.o00o00. The value of the output Of the
factories Of the country nearly doubled ir
that five years How much more the
increase viii be can only be surmised
The national wealth has increased at ar
unprecedented rate. In 1850 IL amounted
10 $50 oOo. co; in 1900 Il was shown 10 b,
SSs 90 o0o,0c0: in 1904 II was S107. 600 0o0 o00
In other words. II increased Sl3 600. .G00 %
from 1890 20 1880. and Sl9.0e00o0 from 19C
70 1904 Everything else has grown space
II ever the good old American eagle ha.
an opportunity 20 scream himself hoars,
he viii have such an opportunity on th'
day that the results Of the thirteenth
census are made known.
TO-mOrrOw-Fire and Ffre-fghters.