Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1909-09-28

lmore elaborate schedules were prepapsu'
M the growing Importance and diversity
Of the Industries of the country seemed
| to require until 1880, when the system
almost broke down of its own weight,
| "Sinee that time a reaction has set III
and there has been movement IN the oi-
rection of greater simplicity. This has
taken two forms, as exemplifed In the
censuses of 1900 and 1905 In iSU' .ne
schedule was simplifed materially py tne
elimination Of certain inquiries anu .iie
consolidation of others, notably TIC
quiries In regard to capital anu
ployes In 1906, a few changes were Ia
| in the schedule, but the scope OF the CEN
sus was limited to those establishments
conducted under what Is known as the
factory system, exclusive of the so-calied
neighborhood and mechanical industries
| Both of these methods of simplification
have been made necessary by the chang
| ing character and by the growing size ana
complexity of our manufacturing indus
tries The hardness with which the fact
that the factory system long ago supple
mented the household or neighborhood
Industries of an earlier stage Of our ma
tional development has been taken note
of a desire to make each census compare
BILE. so far as possible, with preceding
censuses. There was also the desire tat
the census of manufactures should ac-
count for all production not included in
the extractive industries or in trade and
| transportation. The attempt to enumer-
ate the hand trades. however, was never
successful. as they became of less
| relative Importance the reasons for
abandoning the attempt made a stronger
appeal to Congress and the Census Off
Gals.
THE act providing for the taking of the
18th decennial census limits it's scope
practically to the same field as that GOV.
! cred by the quinquennal census of 1905
The inquiries within this field include the
| name location, and ownership of each es-
Enlistment: the character of the indus
try; the number of officers and employees
with the total amount of their salaries
| and wages; quantity and cost of mater
ials; miscellaneous expenses; quantity anG
value of products; time in operation dur.
ing census year; and character and
amount of power used. The only thing
required now is to perfect the method OF
securing the data within the narrower
limits,
1T is to this task that the committee
of experts on manufactures, called to.
gether at the Census Bureau by Direc.
tor Durand, have devoted their particular
attention. Recognizing the desilablitx
of preserving compatibility, they have
been loath to suggest radical changes in
either the form or contents of the in.
in ,n
of manufactures. They have moreover
been Influenced by the obvious necessity
of limiting the expense and effort required
to obtain the data in the field. AS users
of the census figures in research and
classroom work, they have also realized
the Importance of the early publication
Of the results of the census. and they
have been especially anxious to facilitate
in every way possible, without sacrificing
thoroughness or accuracy, the speedy
completion of the field work and the COM
pilation of the information collected
1t is perhaps to early to announce spe
cific changes as the tentative schedule
will probably be tested in the field before
its final adoption. but it may be safe to
speak of the general trend of the commit
tees suggestions. They call for definite
figures from the books and pay-rolls of
manufacturers where this does not in
volve too much trouble and when the in.
quiry cannot be regarded as mnduly in.
quistorial. In order that this should not
involve added labor in the filling out OF
schedules, it has been found necessary to
reduce the number of inquiries or sub-in-
quries. The theory upon which this has
been done in that three of four accu-
rately determined figures are better as
basis of deduction than dozen estimates
which in many cases must necessarily be
merely guesses.
In some cases it has seemed desirable
to re-classify the items included in an in
quiry. This does not in the least inter-
fere with the compatibility of the totals
but it serves to bring out certain ten
dencies in the industrial world which the
former methods of presentation were
found to obscure.
While it is the primary aim of a census
now. it has always been. to take an in
ventory Of the nations resources and pro-
ductlve capacity, still it seems desirable
to secure other economic and social data.
at least as a by-product of this great en-
terprisee. The United States Census has
come to be regarded as model the world
over and other countries are falling in
line with its methods. Its reports are
more and more being used as storehouse
of material by economists and social in
vestigators. not only in this country but
abroad. In view of these things the COM
mittee have felt that no backward step
should be taken at the present time, and
that every legitimate effort should be put
forth to secure accurate and complete
data in regard to wages. hours of labor
and regularity of employment. as evil
dences of the well-being of industrial la
borers.
Quite as important on the other hand
however. are the inquiries showing the
improvements in machinery and in the
methods OF organization, which make it
possible to utilize our natural resources
to the best advantage and with the least
waste