The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1910-03-23
PRESIDENTS PROCLAMATION.
Calls Upon All Citizens to Answer
census Questions.

Census Questions.
Washington, March 21,-President
Taft In proclamation urges every
body throughout the United States ito
answer promptly, completely and ac-
curately, all inquiries addressed to
them by the enumerators or other
employees" VINO viii be engaged IN
the taking Of the thirteenth decennial
census, which work will begin one
month from today. The proclamation
follows:
Whereas. by the act Of congress, ap-
proved July 2, 1909. the thirteenth
decennial census of the United States
Is to be taken, beginning on April
1890; and
Whereas correct enumeration
Of the population every 10 years is
required by the constitution of the
United States for the purposes of
determining the representation of
representatives; and
Whereas it is of the utmost i'm
portance to the interests Of all the
people of the United States that this
census should be complete and ac-
curote report of the population and
resources of the country:
Nov, therefore, l, William How
ard Taft, president of the United
States of America, do hereby declare
and make known that, under the act
aforesaid, it is the duty of every per-
son to answer all questions on the
census schedules applying to bim
and the family to which he belongs,
and to the farm occupied by him or
his family, and that any adult refus-
ing to do so is subject TO penalty.
THE sole purpose of the census
is to secure general statistical in
formation regarding the population
and resouces of the country, and re-
plies are required from individuals
only in order to permit the complica-
ton Of such general statistics. The
census has nothing to do with tax
alton, with army or jury service, with
the comuplsion of school attendance,
with the regulation of immigration,
tional, state or local. law or ordi-
nance, nor can any person be harm
ed in any way by furnishing the in
formation required. There need be
no fear that any disclosure will be
made regarding any individual per-
son or his affairs. For the due pro-
lection Of the rights and interests
Of the persons furnishing informa-
ton, every employee of the census
bureau is prohibited, under heavy
penalty, from disclosing any infor-
nation which may thus come to his
knowledge
81, therefore, earnestly urge upon
all persons to answer promptly, COM
pletely, and accurately, all inquiries
addressed to them by the enumera-
tors or other employees of the cen
sus bureau, and thereby to contri-
butte their share toward making this
great and necessary public undertake
ing success.
I'm witness whereof, | have here
unto set my hand and caused the seal
Of the United States to be affixed
Done at the City of Washington
this fifteenth day of March, A. D.,
one thousand nine hundred and ten,
and of the independence of the Uni
ted States of America the one hun
dred and thirty fourth.
BY the president.
(SeaD William II. Taft.
"P. c. Knox, Secretary of State"
The proclamation is for the pur-
pose of removing fears from the
minds Of some people who are of the
opinion that information which they
give concerning themselves to the
census taker may be used in some
way to the detriment of their per
sonal or business interests. Against
any such abuse, however, the gov
ernment has thrown the strongest
safeguards.