The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1908-03-06
nY rI,EnERIc j. MAsIlIN.

Preparations are now being made
for the putting of almighty army into
the Held by the spring or 1910. tits
proposed to Make the soldiers Of this
army and train them and drill them
with great care for the important
work that VIII confront them II will
NUMBER about G5.oOp able bodied Amer
lean citizens, recruited from every
school district in tile land. 1t Is not
Ito be mustered in for the purpose OIL
invading other lands, neither ~ it to
b,. called into existence TO repel
army of peace, not OF war. 1t is the
great consus army. called into exist
ence 10 furnish Uncle Sam q snapshot
OF himself. lie likes to know how
10 take stock and let the world know
once In awhile the size of the clothes
he has to wear. And in these de-
cennial views of himself he does not
stand back on account OF the eX-
Tense. Last time It cost him some S1a.-
900 900, and it will cost about $1,000
000 more this tine, for he has grown
some since then.
will be the biggest job of its kind eve,
undertaken by man. To get careful
and accurate information about tho
more than 9o0o0,000 souls who will
get all OF that information together
within the thirty or forty days al
lowed by law, Will be gigantic un-
dertaising. But there are Indications
that the thirteenth CENSUS will be the
| most accurate and the most complete
census that has ever been taken. In
previous censuscs the laws providing
| for them have been passed so late as
| Ia allow little time for the prepara-
| ton of the work. An illustration of
| this is to be had from the expert
ence of Governor Merrirnan rho was
| the director OF the last census. The
law under which he was to assemble
his army OF census takers and make
all his preparations Tor the taking OF
| the twelfth census. was not, passed
Charge OF the work he rell heir to one
old typewriter badly out of repair: one
| horse of uncertain age, one old wagon,
unfit for anything but trashmun's
vehicle one old cart, a few scattered
records and papers. $4,000 reports oil
the eleventh census. which had not
been placed in the hands OF the pub
lie and a few odds and ends Of Of
flee ftirniture. This was all that was
/ left of the plant on which had been
ieNpended ll,oOO.O0o In fifteen months
/ he had to recruit his army. equip II,
drill II and be ready for the fray.
Conditions Will be vastly diIeren'
with the taking of the thirteenth cen
sus. SIX years ago to-day the bill
/ creating the permanent Census Bureau
was passed. Through Il there has been
4 kept together the Very cream of the
workers under the twelfth census. By
this time every one OF the 400 work
ers In that bureau has become AZ
} the nucleus of the big force that must
be gathered together. THE director
has had years of the most valua bis
training. and each of his staff assist
ants has enjoyed like advantages
i Instead OF q nondescript, bargain
day lot of things 10 start with, Xix,
Governor Merriman had. Director Nortl
!, Will start In with a bureau fully equip.
. "A
!. can promote the work OF census TAX
ing. All that he Will have to do vii
be to spread out. In addition to these
advantages. he will start out In hi;
/ great work with law passed a veal
| earlier than that under which Gov.
ernor Merrlman operated; 1t will give
him opportunity TO have the $50 SUPER
visors come to Washington and lear,
their, duties. 1t will give the emu
lauaint themselves with the work they
| are to have in hand. And II Ia upoI
these enumerators that tho real value
| Eof the work must depend The pre-
| lllminary work may he lfkened TO TIN
| irreparation Of q meal. the enunerat ioi
! to the eating OF 1t. and the tabulatioi
To the assimilation OF the food thu
| eaten. IT all depends on what is eater
in this case If the .enumerators d
not do their work we'll. there can b.
80 accuracy nor any opportunity t.
rectifv the errors.
Another feature of the thirteenth
! census will be the omission of the col
$ lection of date relating to vital sta
j tistics. The permanent census ha
beeh collecting this line of Information
4 every year. and this covers about one
!, halt of the population of the country
q Instead Of vital statistics there will h
a information gathered about mines an
!, mining and ouarries. The field worl
V Will also be done earlier than hereto
d fore. Much difficulty has been expe
d rienced on previous occasions, becaus
: in the cities many people would shli
lup their homes and go to the noun
: tains or the seashore about the tim
y lof tho enumeration. To obviate this
C the count will take place begfnnin
r April 15 1910. The tabuIating VIII u
n done by electrical machines Millions a
:, cards will be nnnched on electrical ma
7, chimes not dfssimilar from an electri
'e Typewriter. These cards will then b
n put through another machine. while
8 Will tabulate. the returns. These ma
e chimes are the invention of DR.. Her