The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1908-03-06
The Great National Snapshot

man Hollerith, of Washington. They
are SAID to reduce the wofH OF tapu.
iation 90 per cent. This Year the ma
Snincs VIII be- MADE by the Censug
Bureau IN Its own shops. There are
now seven experts at work perfect.
me the new machinery whicn 1t il
proposed to USE
In taking Il census the government
can never attain to the IDEAL conul.
TONS Tor the enunerations. In get
.ing tosether some vp,UO0 enumeralora
there are always sure TO be some WHO
are fond OF the dollar to such an ca.
tent that they Will resort to rather
questionable gu SUI methods to get it. II
basis there is always a tendency to
make an oyercount. If 1t la made on
a per diem basis there would be emu
inerators who would loaf on Their jobs.
but with the safeguards that the bu.
reau is able to throw around the work.
| II Is believed that the piece basis OF
, compensation VIII be the more satis-
factory, and that has been adopted as
heretofore. Enumerators VIII get from
10 cents for each inhabilant sched-
uled, which averages ! cent higher
man INA IN. IN the last census. They VIII
get from 20 to 30 cents for each
farm scheduled, 10 cents for each in
closure OF live stock; 20 to 80 cents
for each productive industry, and in
me sparsely settled communities,
q per diem allowance of from So to sd
| VIII be made. In this connection IL
| Is interesting that no city In the coun-
Try mas eyer complained OF an overs
count on the part OF the Federal CEN
sus, but dozens of them have COM
planned of undercounts.
With all the advantages that tho
director will have in the taking Of
the thirteenth census, he has an i'm
! mense undertaking before him. 1t
requires about $1,000 quarto pages to
record the results of a single census.
More than an average of two carloads
| OF material VIII have to be sent to
the field every day for two months
to supply the census takers with the
necessary nee blanks; Last time more than
warded to the men in the neld.
The United States blazed the path
way OF the nations in the matter of
when they built the good ship OF
Estate. never dreamed of census GOV.
lerinS so many subjects as ours now
covers, but for the purpose of ascer.
/ the different States in the House Of
Representatives, they ordained a de.
cenAial census The, results OF the nrst
census may have been, rather cruda
only f4i,SIt, where one now costs fla
e0o.00n-but 1t led OTHER nations 10
follow suit. England and France took
Il thetr hfst census in lS0l-
Our first census is now being ,epub-
llsned-so far US the records exist,
II gives the heads OF fan1ilies bv
CVuHtASS ana MINOR SlNll divisions. The
claw marks Of the British lion arc To-
be seen In these old records. for many
of the papers are missing having been
burned ,nf when the British destroyed The
or show the marks OF the are. TIia
records for Delaware Georf.ia Kan
tuckSs New Jersey. TenRessee and yir
gina gina were entirely destroyed Ths
when published. The work of n.y..
! pairing these old records for tho nrint
ers Is difficult one. Enthusiastic
. senealogists and lawyers have gonh
, over them so often that they are very
, much worn. They are written on an
, sorts OF paper and bear mute witness
TO the scarcity of writing paper AT
that time. Europe has lacked on for
a generation and rnarvcled at the won.
derfpl results OF the decennial !nuulsi-
, tons, and has freely admitted that
they represent the highest degree OF
statistical accuracy over obtained. But
the thirteenth census will set new
mark in such work not less In lts
! value and It's accuracy than in the
progress 1t records.
The world wondered when the re-
, SUITS of the twelfth census were pub
= lished. They showed a growth In
= every line 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 nation could
keep the pace. But If the inquiries
,I
i of the time the thirteenth census VIII
cover are an index. we may Judge that
. the results Of the 1900 enumeration
; viii be left far behind. Tt Is esti-
2 mated that the population Will be ovei
: oO.00o.0O0. The vallIe OF the outnu'
!. of the factories of the country nearly
i doubled in. that five wears. How much
!, more the Increase VIII be can only he
: surmIsed. The national wealth has
: Increased at an unprecedented rate. II
: 1890 It amounted to $4,000, 0b0 900, II
: 1900 It was shown to he sss.0O0.00o:-
: 900. In 1904 It was 100000 900 900
a In other words. it Increased $4,000,
!, 100000 from 1890 to 1905. and s1s.'
2 100000. 900 from 1900 to 1904. Every,
: thing else has grown apace. II evel
6 the good old American. eagle has al
!. Opportunity to scream himself hoars,
a he will have such an opportunity. or
= the day that the results OF the thir
Il teenth census are made known.
! -morrow-Fire and Fire Fighters