Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1910-03-02
WRONG VIEWS OF THE CENSUS.
No Harm Can Come to Any Person
= Who Answers the Questions.

| Washington, D. c., March 2.-Let.
| tiers from the census supervisors to
the United States census bureau show
| the erroneous apprehension of con.
siderable element of the population,
! that their answers to the enumerat-
ors questions in the next census, be-
ginning April Is, this year, will cause
increased taxation; l gal entangle-
ments, or injurious consequences to
their persons and property.
In order to quiet such unfounded
fears, which would, unless removed,
materially affect the accuracy of the
census, the bureau has prepared an
official statement relative to the de.
cennial census, its origin, purpose and
uses.
This statement should furnish com
plete assurance to those concerned
that information given the enumeration
is held by the census bureau in the
strtctest cnfidence with reference to
the identity of the informants, as
required by the policy Of the bureau
and commanded by the law of the
United States.
The bureau earnestly hopes that
clergymen, priests, physicians, school
teachers, employers, and other public
spirited citizens who come in contact
with large numbers of people, will CO.
operate with the bureau by telling
persons who are believed to entertain
erroneous opinions of the census the
real facts and urging them to give
full replies to the enumerators. The
teachers are particularly requested to
sneak. of the census to the school
children and ask them to tell their
parents about it.
The statement issued bv the bureau
explains that the constitution REQUIRES
a census Of the population to be taken |
every ten years in order to reappor-
ton state representation in the ma
tional house of representatives. 1t
is the means also to ascertain the
increase in the population. agricul-
ture, industries. and resources Of the
nation since the last census.
1T is emphatically declared, by the
statement. that the information sought
from the people of the United States
is used solely for general statistical
purposes. 1t will neither be published
nor used in any other way to dis
close facts regarding any individual
or enterprise. The census, it goes on
to say. is not, never has been. and
cannot be employed to obtain infor.
nation that can he used in any way
in the assessment Of property for
purposes of taxation or the collection
Of taxes, either national, state. or
local.; or for deportation proceedings,
extradition measures. army or navy
internal revenue investi-
cations, compulsory school attendance
child labor, law prosecutions, quaran
tine regulations. or in any way to ef-
feet the life, liberty, or property of
anv person.
1t points out that replies to the
are and must be held by
the census bureau in strict and alb
solute confidence. All the bureau Of
ficials. supervisors, supervisors
clerks, enumerators, and interpreters,
before entering Upon their duties.
are obliged to take solemn oath not
to disclose any information they may
obtain, except to the census bureau,
and violation Of the United States
law in regard to this oath means a
81 900 fine or imprisonment for two
years, or both, in the discretion Of the
court