The Daily Missoulian., 1910-12-04
WORK OF CENSUS BUREAU EXPLAINED
BY PRESIDENT Or STATE UNIVERSITY
DR.. c. A. Duniway Tells Of Recent Visit Central Office
OF Government lnsttution---History Of Decennial
Countings Shows Nations History

DIR. c. A. Duniway, president of the
University of Montana, had the privi-
lege of thoroughly inspecting the work
of the census bureau during his recent
visit in Washington. In view of the
great interest that is being taken in
the census just now, especially in
Montana and Missoula, what DIR. Dun
iWay has to say about the machinery
Of the decennial counting of the Amer
Jean people and the takings stock of
the nations resources is, timely
1.-The first thing that strikes one on
beholding the census bureau in full
operation says DIR. sDuniWay, lis the
elaborate and careful organization of
the great number of men and women
employed-really small army. The
proportion. of men, and women en-
ployed is about equal; there are many
colored people in the bureaus offices.
1.-The next thing that attracts at
tention is the automatic machinery
used in making up census returns,
particularly the electrical devices. In
Washington I met a special agent of
the Canadian government, there to in
spect the census work, and he ex-
pressed the greatest admiration for
Yankee ingenuity. The bureau has
it's own laboratory and most of it's
special machinery is made there"
DR. Duniway describes how electrical
machines tabulate returns and make
automatic count and tells Of how the
science Of statistics has been made SO
exact that even the element Of per
sonal error has been calculated. IL
small, this is neglected.; il above GER
tain per cent the operator responsible
is taken to task.
The schedules and the cards made
from them are kept in great, fireproof
vaults. There the records are filed
away and comparison is always possl-
BILE ti
t.The census is not and cannot be
absolutely correct" says. DIR. DuniWay
ION account of it's vastness and the
fact that the count is made by human
beings; we never become automatic
Still, a visit gives one. the sense that
the census office is we'll run" r.
History Of Census.
Already much of the work of the
census bureau this year had been given
to the public; the populations of states,
cities, towns and villages have been
announced. The figures regarding
mines, quarries, agriculture and man.
ufactures will come later, for it should
be known that the American census
has come to be much more than a
counting of polls. But is was not al
ways so. Beginning as a mere ma
chine for the ascertainment of popu-
lation figures for political purposes,
the census has come to be an inves-
tigation into the fundamental affairs
of the country, "a complete photo
graph to borrow an expression from
Former Director Merriam, "displayfng
upon c. broad canvas the various ele-
ments that comprise the intellectual
and moral and commercial conditions
of the nation" 49,
To use a different figure of speech,
the census has come to be a national
taking of stock, in which we indulge
every 10 years, and if we were not
such restless people it would enable
us to know just where we stand in
dustrially, educationally. commercially
financially, sociologically, and vitality
at the end of every decade. But we
ways keep going. We never stand
still While the census man turns
his back to make additions we
change position. However. the fig
! nres are accurate enough for practica
purposes. They enable the world al
large to form a fairly definite idea o!
conditions in this country, and are es-
pecially valuable to manufacturers
who want to know what goods tt
make and where to send them.
1t is intended. that this mirror Of the
i nation should reflect our shortcomings
! as we'll as our beauty spots. It gives
/ the facts regarding the. defective
classes as it does those concerning ou1
resources and general progress. I
must be confessed, however, that
broadly speaking. the picture is {
I pleasing one. Not only is the popu.
lation growing, but educational ant
] religious institutions are also increas
ing, and the country is maintaining it!
present position in the van of indus
) trial producers. When, all the fact!
are known, it is expected that ou
wealth will be shown to be equal t.
that of our two great commercial
rivals, Great Britain and Germany
combined. In point of population, th
United States is exceeded only b,
Russia and China.
But whence comes this stupednou
system of figure making Have w
always had a census? And has
been so complete from the beginning
Yes, and no. We have census eve
since the United States became ma
ton, but it's perfection has been
matter of growth. Indeed, the institu
ton was of very humble origin. and y
it's first stages there was only sligh
1 promise OF it's present proportions.
Our periodic enumeration of tn
population grows out of our form o
government, and the requirement TO
1t is set forth in the very first arti
Gle of the constitution, where it is pro
yided that Representatives and direc
taxes shall be apportioned among tn
several states according to their re
spective numbers" and where it
further required that an actual enum
Grafton shall be made within tire
years after the first meeting of tn
congress of the United States an
within every subsequent term of !
years, in such manner as they shall b