El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1910-03-18
TAKE CENSUS Of
SOUTHWEST MINES
information to Be Held Con
fidential Says Govern
ment Representative.

George V. Newton, of Washington, D.
c., special agent and representative of
the bureau of the census department OF
commerce and labor, is in the city from
a trip through the mining districts of
New Mexico. He is engaged in getting
the census of the mines. quarries and
manufactures in the territory assigned
TO him in the southwest, viz: New Mex
leo.
The census of mines and quarries, I"
said Mr.. Newton, lis taken in conform
ity with the requirements of the act of
congress approved July 2, 1909. Re-
ports are required on this schedule for
all mines and quarries that were in
operation for development or productive
purposes during any portion of the year
ending December 81, 1909, but the
statistics may pertain to the business
year which most nearly conforms to the
calendar year. The law makes it OBJ
ligatory on the owner or operator of
any mine or quarry to furnish the
census data
Many Questions Asked.
ITO avoid duplicate inquiries, the
geological survey, which collects annual
statistics of production, and the bureau
of the census are cooperating. The law
provides that this mining census shall
be taken only once in 10 years, whereas
the census on manufactures is taken
every five years. 1 think that il would
have been better if the same time had
been required for the census on mines.
Mining is the great industry of the en-
tire west and southwest and such a
great industry certainly deserves as
much attention as that of manufactur-
ing.
Il furnish each mine owner and COM
pany with a general schedule blank
with questions to be answered, such a.
the name of the owner or operating
company Of the mines, number Of mines,
locality, period of organization, whether
individual, partnership or incorporation.
time OF operation and hours worked.
capital invested, and area of mineral
and other lands held by the operator.
the number of salaried employees and
wage-earners. salary and wage pay
ments, materials, supplies and fuel, mis-
cellaneous expenses, total cost and kind
of development during the year, the
mechanical power employed about the
mine.
In addition to the above schedule a
report must be made on the special
supplemental schedule. which furnish"
Information Confidential.
"All answers made TO the questions
asked in the schedules will be held alb
solutely confidential No publication
will be made in the census reports dis
closing the name or operations of in
dividual establishments in any par
ticular, and the information will be
used only for the statistical purposes
for which it is supplied.
THE act of congress provides that
the bureau Of the census shall not per-
nit any others than the sworn en-
ployes of the bureau TO examine the in
dividual reports. 1t also provides that
any employe who shall without the
authority of the director of the census
publish or communicate any informa-
ton coming into his possession will be
guilty of misdemeanor, punishable by
fine and Imprisonment. All the data
obtained by me will therefore be held
strictly confidential. and under no
will this information be
given TO any state or local officials, tax
assessors or collectors
Il earnestly wish the cheerful coop
Grafton Of all mine owners and oper-
ators to assist me in getting the correct
information for the government, and 1
am sure that they all will do their best
to assist me when they understand the
object of this census taking"