The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-11-08
CENSUS
 0F MANUFACTURERS
General Schedu'e Has Been
 Formed For 1909 Census
SOME IMPORTANT CHANGES
President Taft Has Devoted Much Time and Attention to the lm- provement of Waterways-Set-
 tied Policy Is Demanded.

Washington, November 7.-(Speeial J. The general schedule which will be used in the federal census of manufactures for the calendar year 1909 has been formulated and about 70O, GOO printed copies have been ordered by Census Director E.. Dana Duran.
 The schedule is in the form of four page folder. about 9xl1ia inches in size. It is smaller and simpler than the ones upon which the 1900 and 1905 censuses of manufactures were taken. It has less than half as many spaces for entries as the earlier ones and seems likely to insure less labor and greater accuracy in the collection of the manufactures data.
 There are in the general schedule IS principal questions. with their subdivis- ions. This is the same number as in the general schedule for 1905. There are, however important differences between the two schedules These comprise, in the 1909 schedule, the new questions au- thorized by Congress; the elimination of former queries to which it is impossible to obtain approximately accurate re- plies; and also the simplihcation of others by their separation or combination in other forms.
 One of the subdivisioiik of the question relating to power employed for manufac- turing purposes, calls for the name of the stream or lake from which water is obtained to generate power whether di- rect or electric. This Information will be valuable in a census of the country s water power plants and operations, in case Congress provides for 1t later.
 Another new question involves the quantity of fuel used. whether anthracite coal, bituminous coal, coke, wood, oil, gas, or other kind. This is expected to elicit replies affording considerable data on the fuel conservation question.
 The 13 principal questions are, briefly: First. a description of the establishment; second. time in operation and hours worked: third, capital invested; fourth. saaried employees; fifth, wage earners, in- cluding piece workers on the payroll De- cember 15 19O9 sixth, wage earners, in cluding piece workers, employed on the 10th day of each month seventh, salary and wage payments; eighth, materials, mill supplies and fuel; ninth, mls- cellaneous expenses; teath, products; eleventh, power, twelfth, fNs thirteenth, remarks.
 The general schedule, beginning short ly after January l, 1910, will be circu- lated among the manufacturers through out the country by the special agents, of whom about 16o0 will be appointed from the successful applicants at the test examination held November 3.
 Taft and Waterways.
 If President Taft should ever write an autobiography, one of Its most interest ing chapters would be devoted to wa terways," for no President has ever de- voted so much time to a serious considera- 4. IrA as has the present occupant of the White House. And no subject, unless 1t be the tariff. has been so widely discussed this year as the necessity for q broad and comprehensive policy toward the rivers. harbors and canals of continental United ; States.
 Senators and representatives in Con gress have discussed the question with great freedom and the time is not far distant when some fixed policy for wa terway improvements will have 10 be made by the federal government to meet the demand for cheaper transportation. Senator Charles Dick of Ohio, who has taken a most active interest in the cause of waterway betterment, said yesterday
 .'The United States does not yet appre- ciate the importance of settled and continuing policy of river and harbor improvements Appropriations and inn movements are made too much by piece meal. Appropriations are made to com mence an improvement and before an- other appropriation Is made the hrst lm- proverent has fallen into decay. This is not always the case, but sometimes 1 happens policy should be adopted covering a long term of years and pro- viding for the improvement first of che most important projects. Work once be- gun on an improvement should be con timed without interruption and should not be dependent on uncertain .and oc- casional congressional appropriations de pendent on the state of the pubic finances. The money should be provided to finish the improvements thus begun even If necessary to sell bonds for that purpose.
 ."rhe money already spent in improv- i ing and deepening channels and harbors on the great lakes has been well invested. The size of ships built for that traffc is limited only by the depth of water at tained. The industrial supremacy of the United States is due largely to the cheap | freight rates for iron ore from Lake Su- oerior to Lake Erie. The cheapest trans portation in the United States are those charged on the Ohio and Mississippi rivers from Pittsburg to New Orleans. The traffic on those rivers Is already large, but would be much larger if navigation was certain and continuous. The traffic will not develop to normal size untn tnere is sufficient depth of water to insure the dispatch of cargoes every day in the year when not interrupted by ice. A great fleet of coal barges has been lying al Pittsburg since May waiting for enough water to float 1t down the Ohio.
 Work In Germany.
 | "Germany has expended dollars where the United States has spent cents in ] h,ilding internal canals and canalizing its rivers. and has found the investment ! tremendously profitable. It would pay 1 to make our principal rivers navigable 1 at All times. even if there was not an i'm 1 mediate and large increase of water traf- l fic thereon because of the lower freight ] rates waterways force from the railroads. 1 A million dollars spent in improving a | waterway would be well expended, even i if the water traffic did not increase a 1 single ton If by means of the potential competition of this waterway $1,50O, ,00t | was thereby saved shippers in railroad 1 freight rates. Waterways have accomp- l lished this very thing.
 | "Railroads and waterways are not com netitiye so much as complementary. Bulky i freight which can be carried so much | cheaper by water is the raw material i which mills and factories turn into light /! ar and more profitable freight for rail- | roads to handle. The interests of water | ways and railroads are therefore not an 1 tnyonistic What helps one Is beneficial ! to the other
 l ..I hope to see Congress aS no distant I date adopt some broad anl continuing