Goldsboro semi-weekly argus., 1909-08-21
THE COMING CENSUS.

The government OF the UH1Ieu
States is now making elaborate prep
arations for the taking of the thir-
teenth decennial census and within
few days the Presidential appoint
ments in that connection will be given
out.
The growth of this important func-
tion &C the government in the course
of one hundred and twenty years may
well be imagined when We stop to re-
call how great has been the growth OF
the country itself during that period.
Historically considered the United
States may we'll be proud Of the part
it has taken in popularizing and giving
stability to this plan of collecting and
disseminating useful information as
to the status of the people and the
country in which they live. The dis
tinction of giving the first impetus to
the census, in anything like its mod
ern form, is shared by Sweden, Great
Britain and the United States. Sweden
early in the eighteenth century, re-
quired the clergy to collect certain
statistics, and at the request OF the
Academy of Science of Stockholm,
these churchmen, about the middle of
that century, extended the subject of
their inquiries and also compiled an
abstract of their records for the pre-
vious quarter of a century. This data
was made the basis of the first tables
of expectancy drawn up for the use
of insurance companies, and was the
foundation Of the more modern and
complete tables of motality.
In Gceat Britain the custom or re-
turning the Eills of mortality was es-
tablished during the plague of 1892,
and weekly returns were soon after
wards established as a regular fea-
ture.
Late in the eighteenth century, Sir
John Sinclair-who may be regarded
as the father of the modern census
undertook, on his own responsibility,
the most elaborate census ever made
in England. He received nine hun
dred replies, covering a vast range OF
general information, and set forth his
deductions and Celebrations of these
figures with such charm and clear
ness that his advocacy of regular
census department was soon reward
ed. The first official English census
was taken in 1901, and has been taken
every ten years since that time.
1t was eleven years before that time
however, that the first United States
census was taken. 1t was not neces-
sary to carry on any preliminary pro-
paganda in favor of it, because it was
made imperative by the terms of the
constitution. Representation in Con-
gress was fixed according to the popu-
lation of the various states and dis
tricts, and an official census was
therefore one of the first things re-
quired by the very machinery of gov
ernment. 1t was taken in 1880, there
fore, and has been taken every ter
years since that time. Then. as now
local towns, which had been making
extravagant claims, to have it record
ed that their population was less thar
they had claimed, so the people ol
that day and time tried to throw dis
credit upon the census. It is now be-
lieved, however, that on the whole the
census was remarkably accurate fol
a first attempt.
The census enumerator," who ha!
become very much of a factor in th'
modern census, was simply the mar
shall of the judicial district One cop.
of his roll was posted at the cour
house door and another was forward
ed to the President of the Unitet
States.
improvements in the census wer
but slight until 1851, when the sub
jects of inquiry were greatly extend
ed, while the most complete of al
was the eleventh census, taken Il
1890, the results of which filled TWEEN
ty large folio volumes, dealing wit
almost every conceivable phase OF in
yestigation.
During all these latter years an et
fort was being made to establish
permanent census bureau, and thi
was finally accomplished in 1899. Blu
it's establishment was coupled with
provision that certain subjects upO
which inquiry had been made shoul
be eliminated. 1t had been found tha
the people would not answer certain
delicate questions, such as to ehroni
diseases, and it was held that this re
luctance tended to impair the valu
of the whole work. The legal author
tiles in Congress held that the peopl
could not be compelled to answer cen
sus questions except under the censu
act, and that hence it was wiser t
eliminate certain of the more delicat
questions.
This provision would be wis
enough in itself but for the fact tina
this country makes no provision foi