Mountain Home maverick. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1906-1911, 1910-03-24
NO HARM DONE
BY CENSUS
MANY HAVE A WRONG IMPRESS
SION CONCERNING UNCLE
SANS INQUIRIES.
Census Cannot BE Employed TO Affect
Assessments Or Amy Regulation
With Respect to Existing Laws,
So Says the Department.

Letters from the census supervis-
ors to the United States census
bureau show the erroneous appre-
hension of a considerable element of
the population that their answers to
the enumerators' question in the next
census. beginning April IS, will
cause increased taxation, regal entan-
clements, or injurious consequences
to their persons and property.
In order to quiet such unfounded |
fears, which would, unless removed,
materially effect the accuracy of the
census, the bureau has prepared an
official statement relative to the di-
cennial census, its origin, purpose
and uses.
This statement should furnish COM
plete assurance to those concerned
that information given the enumera-
tors is held by the census bureau in
the strictest confidence with reference
to the identity of the informants, as
required by the policy of the bureau
and commanded by the law of the
United States.
The bureau earnestly hopes that
clergymen, priests, physicians, school
teachers, employers and other public
spirited citizens who come in contact
with large numbers of people, will
cooperate with the bureau by telling
persons who are believed to enter
tain erroneous opinions of the census
the real facts and urging them to
give full replies to the enumerators.
Teachers are particularly requested
to speak of the census to the children
and ask them to tell their parents
about it,
The statement issued by the bureau
explains that the Constitution re-
quires a census of the population to
be taken every ten years in order 10
re-apportion state representation in
the national house of representatives.
1t is the means. also. to ascertain the
increase in the population, agricul-
t ture. industries and resources of the
ma ion since the last census.
f 1t is emphadcally declared. by the
statement. that the information
= sought from the people of the United
E States is used solely for general
= statistical purposes. 1t will neither
(, be published nor used in any other
: way to disclose facts regarding any
n individual or enterprise The census
it goes on to say. is not, never has
e been and cannot be employed to OBJ
:. tain information that can be used IL
j. any way in the assessment of prop
l. erty for purposes of taxation or thu
a collection of taxes. either national
l. state or local; or for deportation pro
Is ceedings, extradition measures, arm.
d or navy CONSUMPTION, internal revenu
l. Investigations, compulsory school at
y tendance. child-labor law prosecu
e. tions, quarantine regulations, or il
le any way to affect the life, liberty, 0
ID property of any person.
D. Il points out that replies to IN
re enumerators are and must be he'll
ut by the census bureau in strict an
~ absolute confidence. All the burea
Id officials, supervisors, supervisors
tn clerks, enumerators and Interpreters
tn before entering upon their duties, ar
obliged to take a solemn oath not 7
disclose any information they ma
obtain. except to the census bureau
and a violation of the United State
law in regard to this oath means
~ $1,000 fine or imprisonment for tw
PC years, or both, in the discretion {
- the court.