Los Angeles herald., 1909-10-31
THE TIHIR TEENTH CENSUS
preparing the Data
. Bv Frederic j. Haskin :

in gathering the data; yet on the other
hand the more questions asked the
more susceptible of correct interpreta
tion will he the data. So the schedule
Trainer must find the happy medium;
he must make the questions Few and
simple enough to secure essential ac-
curacy in collection, yet many and
elaborate enough to secure accuracy of
Interpretation.
Director Durand cites the instance of
oil statistics to illustrate how 1t is
necessary to have more than the figures
of cost and production to show the true
condition of the oil business now and
3. score of years ago. Then the oil was
Skinned mostly in barrels, and the per
gallon price for census purposes was
made to include the cost of the retain
ers Now it is shipped mainly in bulk,
and the per gallon price does not in
clude the cost of retainerS. SO, IN or
Ger to properly compare the past with
the present, many questions must be
asked to elucidate the relation between
oil and containers.
Another thing the schedule Trainer
has to bear in mind is that there are
dozens of questions that might be
asked, which, if they could elicit the in
formation desired, would give most
valuable data. Yet from the nation
wide standpoint 1t would be Impossible
to gather information on such points.
The man who makes out the questions
always must consider what are the pos
sibilties of getting satisfactory answers
to the questions he would ask. For
instance it would be highly edifylng to
know lust how much pin money each
person in the United States spends in
year. Yet how many people could even
approximate their expenditures of small
change?
The population schedule Is now, as
it ever has been, the most important OF
all the schedules Primarily designed
as a mere counting of noses for the
purpose of apportioning representation
in congress, all the other inquiries have
come about as incidental and collateral,
and although they are of deep interest
the actual count of the people is still
the most important phase of the work
On this count may depend the political
complexion of the nation. This year
the population schedule will carry some
new questions. One will be relative to
whether a person is an employer or an
employee and, if the latter, how steadily
employed he is. This was added at
the instance of the labor organizations.
What the man who lives on a salary
and hires a servant Will answer is
something of a puzzle. Another ques-
ton will relate to whether the person
questioned was a Union or a Con-
federate soldier, and the showing upon
that question will be of interest.
The preparations for the taking of
the thirteenth census are the most
thorough and satisfactory in the his
tory of census taking. This is the first
time there ever has been permanent
census to serve as a nucleus for the
greater organization. The permanent
census establishment is made up large
ly of the cream of the force which took
the twelfth census-the people who
made good in that undertaking. AS
the standing army forms the nucleus
around which the country goes upon a
war footing, so the permanent census
force gives tone and direction to the
raw recruits that have to be mustered
in for the big count.
While Uncle Sam has insisted by an
act of congress that every man, woman
and child shall make true and faithful
answer when the enumerator comes
around and has provided fine and
Imprisonment for willful failure to give
such answers, he is equally careful to
assure the people that they shall be
protected If they answer we'll and truly.
The enumerator is required to hold in
sacred secrecy the things he learns in
the discharge Of his duties, and a jail
sentence stares him in the face IL he
divulges any information he obtains.
No matter If he unearths the biggest
tax dodger in the country, no matter
if he finds even a notorious criminal,
his mouth must be forever closed.
Much has been written about the di-
vorcing of the thirteenth census from
politics. OF course those who know the
ways of politics are aware that an alb
solute divorce is out of the question.
Yet there is this much that seems GER
tain: While politics still will figure in
it to some extent, it will not in any
wise be allowed to interfere with the
excellence of the work or the accuracy
of the returns. Where all else is equal
the Republican naturally will get the
best of it, but political considerations
never will be allowed to outweigh the
interests of the work itself.
With the preparations for the thir-
tenth census, the most complete in the
history of censuses, and with the peo-
gle possessing a deeper interest in gov
ernmental affairs today than ever be-
fore, those who are acquainted with
the situation believe that conditions
are ripe for the most satisfactory,
thorough and accurate census the ma
ton has yet seen-even IL 1t is the
thirteenth.
TOmorrow-The Thirteenth Census-II;
Gathering the Data.