The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1910-02-26
But Fear that They Maybe Impedes Taking of Census
 of Manufactures for 1910
An Inquisitorial Govern ment Wishes to Know Much About Investment, Profits, Taxes and Such Like = Facts Obtained Are By Law Secret, and Publication Is Only of Ag- gregated Information.

That the manufacturers do not like the new corporation tax law is proven by the manner in which some of the manufacturers have received the cen sus agents, who have been taking the census of manufactures during the past week.
 As a matter of fact the census of manufactures has nothing to do with the corporation tax It is being car- lied on by the Department of Con- merce and Labor and the corporation tax is being looked after by the De- partment of the Treasury.
 The census of the manufa ctures is directed in this State by J. Olin Howe, a newspaper man of wide reputation, and secretary to the late George l.. Lilley when the latter was Congress man. t-large.
 Mir. Howe's official title is chief spe- cial agent. He has three special agents who are Peter w. Peterson of this city. Attorney Ivan Lee More house of Stratford. and Otto F. T. 7anser of this city. All are men picked for the work The examina- tion which they passed requires them to have had either a college or univer- sity education or service in the &C., counting department of some manu- featuring establishment.
 It is five years since the last cen- Sus of manufactures. No fear was expressed by the manufacturers at that time about giving information. The trouble now is because the income tax lists are being collected by reve- nue agents at this time.
 Because of this condition the first thing the special agents have to ex- plain is that they have nothing to do with the corporation tax. Next they teM the manufacturers that none of the information will be used against any individual concern. Furthermore the agent explains that everything is strictly confidential. and that the agent is liable to fine and imprison- nlent for making public anything that he learns about a concern; and also that the manufacturer is liable to fine and Imprisonment if he refuses to give the information desired by the agent.
 The definition of a manufacturer as supplied by the Department of Com merce and Labor is person or set of persons who make over $500 worth of goods for the trade. There is one man in town who puts up a great dead of horse liniment in a single room. He is a manufacturer
 There are between 800 and 900 man. ufacturers in the city, big and little and it will probably be about six months before the work is finished here. Where it is necessary the agent has the authority to examine the in- ventory or the books of a concern.
 The schedule which the agents de- sire to have filled out by the manu- facturers does not leave much to he told about a concern. First they want the name of the establishment, the name of the owner, the location, the period covered by the report, the character of the organization, the number of partnership owners, the number of stockholders and the char acter of the industry.
 In second classification the census will show the number of days 2 plant is in operation and the number of hours worked by wage earners per shift and per week.
 The third set of questions deals with the capital invested, both owned and borrowed. This must be accom- panied with the value of the land, buildings, machinery and tools, the materials including the unfinished stocks in process and the finished product
 Section 4 wants to know all about the salaried employees of the concern as per payroll and Section has to do with wage earners, including piece workers.
 The agents want to know the total amounts paid in salaries and wages each month as well as the total amount paid during the year
 Fuel consumption, the amount of power used and the cost of power and fuel must be supplied with accuracy.
 Each concern must also tell the value of it's products, the amount paid for royalties, patents, rent and sun- dry expenses so that there are few features of the manufacturing busi- ress that will escape the notice of the agents.
 That the present census shall fur nish figures to protect the natural resources of the country is very like ly the intent of the Department of Commerce and Labor sfor a special section of the schedule seeks to know whether the concern uses bituminous coal, anthracite coal, coke, gas, oil, or any other kind of fuel.
 Besides looking after manufactures the census agents will have to visit all the quarries and grist mills in this vicinity.
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