Fort Mill times. [volume] (Fort Mill, S.C.) 1892-current, 1910-03-10
GENERAL MISUNDERSTANDING
AS TO PURPOSES OF CENSUS
All Information Given tse Enumerators
VIII Be Confidential and Used Only
For Statistical Purposes.


For Statistical Purposes.
Letters from the census super
visors TO the United States cen
sus bureau show the erroneous
apprehension of a considerable
element Of the population that
their answers to the enumer-
ators' questions in the next cen
sus, beginning April Is, this
year, will cause increased taxa
ton, legal entanglements, or in
i7~ious consequences to their
persons and property.
In order to quiet such unfound-
ed fears, which would. unless
removed, materially affect the
accuracy of the census, the bureau
has prepared an official state
ment relative to the decennial
census, its origin, purpose and
uses.
This statement should furnish
complete assurance to those CON
cerned that the information given
the enumerators is held by the
census bureau in the strictest
confidence with reference to
identity of the informants. as
required by the policy of the bu-
reau and commanded by the law
Of the United States.
The bureau earnestly hopes
that clergymen, priests, physi-
clans, schooI-teachers, employers
and other public spirited citizens
who come in contact with large
numbers of people will cooperate
with the bureau by telling per
sons who are believed to enter
tain erroneous opinions of the
census the real facts and urging
them to give full replies to the
enumeIators. Teachers are par
ticularly requested to speak of
the census to the school children
and ask them to tell their parents
about it.
The statement issued by the
bureau explains that the consti-
tuition requires a census Of the
population to be taken every ten
years in order to reapportion
State representation in the
national house of representa-
tives. 1t is the means also to
ascertain the increase in the pop
ulation, agriculture, industries
and resources of the nation since
the last census.
1t is emphatically declared by
the statement, that the informa-
ton 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 disclose
facts regarding any Individual or
enterprise. The census, it goes
on to say, is not, never has been,
and can not be employed to OBJ
tain information that can be
used in any way in the assess
ment of property for purposes of
taxation or the collection of
taxes, either national, State or
local; or for deportation pro-
ceedings, eXtradition measures,
army or navy conscription, in
ternal revenue investigations,
compulsory school attendance,
child labor law prosecutions,
quarantine regulations, or in any
way to affect the life, liberty or
property of any person.
1t points out that replies to
the enumerators are and must
be held by the census bureau in
strict and absolute confidence.
All the bureau officials, super
visors, supervisors clerks, emu
merators, and interpreters, be-
fore entering upon their duties,
are obliged to take a solemn oath
not to disclose any information
they may obtain, except to the
census bureau, and a violation of
the United States law in regard
to his oath means ZOO fine
or imprisonment for two years,
or both, in the discretion of the