Polk County observer. (Monmouth, Polk County, Or.) 1888-1927, 1910-08-12
WHY RETURNS COME SLOWLY,

Contrary to the general opinion
all the counting of people in the Cen.
sus Department is being done by hand
and not by machines" says a recent
dispatch sent out from Washington.
Yes. The people will be counted "by
hand" all right. That is a good slow
process, and the hungry army" in
the census office may be safely count
ed upon to string the job out as long as
possible. The use of adding machines
might make it possible to get the re-
suit Of the count to the people some
time before the year 1920-and that
would never do. That would be too
much like bushes.
1t used to be that we took a census
to find out how many people were in
the United States, and upon the re-
suit Of that count we apportioned our
representation in the National law
making body. That is what other CIV
ilized countries are doing now-and
they usually finish the job in about a
week or ten days.
But here at home we are no longer
satisfied with the constitutional pro-
vision which merely calls for a count
or noses. We must. go further. We ,
must find out how many Swedes there (
are in the United States, and how G
many Italians. Then we must ascer-
tain how many of these Swedes came 7
from Sweden, and how many were
born In this country. Next we must .
find out how many of the Italians were !,
horn INT
many in Italy. Having accomplished :,
this task, we must investigate and as =,
certain, If possible, If any of these ;,
Swedes have married Italians. If any :,
such are found. we must spare no ex- :,
pense In finding out how many Swed- =,
lsh wives OF italian husbands were ..
born In Sweden, and how many Ital- =,
Ian wives Of Swedish husbands were a.,
born in Italy. and how many i'm the VI
United States. Then we must pursue -,
our Investigations still further and as
certain how many Swedes who are -,
farmers have married Italians whose ",
parents were fruit peddlers. Nay. -,
more; 1t Is imperative that we count
very Swede farmer whose wife's ~
ather was born in the United States
II parents who came from Italy and =.
Those wife's mother was the daughter
I fruit peddling father. When we Ne
ave finished a few million pages OF "a "a
rain-racking statistics concerning the -
wedes and Italians. 1t will then be- o.
ome necessary for us to turn our at - -
'ntion to the Irish and Dutch and w
reneh and Germans and Lithuanians -
nd Polacks and Anti-Assemblyites ~
nd Statement Number Oners.
Nor. when we have figured this all
lt, may we fiatter ourselves that we
ave finished the 5ob-for our real
ork will then begin. We must find 'o'
1t how many farmers in the United
ates own wheelbarrows. and II they WI
e mortgaged or paid for; and how
any bushels Of turnips and ears of oni'
'pcorn were raised by landowners
It year, and how many by renters:
d what wages were paid to iaborers
er l6 years OF age by sawmills u
rning wood for fuel: and how many TASK
unds OF cotton waste were used in oanl
ping engines. and how many pounds lens
type were used in country print tort
BPS employing one foreman. two pass
npositors and an ofyl.o an - subs
This type included in the inventory. pass
was II charged on to the expense ed
'ountg the
Ind all for what? To provide a tenn
| Job for the next ten years for an once
ny OF hungry tax-eaters "a - partI
nish the government printer with IN
y for volume after volume OF dry Keep
istics to be distributed among the nane'
pie at an expense of bun,,reSs - capt.
1sands OF dollars ana pses b., ,,,.,. alton
lxindIing the morning Ar Z, ar dreds
hen stove class,
. good. old Uncle SAM You are Der
original easy mark grega