The Republican journal., 1910-03-10
WRONG VIEWS OF THE CENSUS.
NO Harm Can Come to Any Person Who
Answers the Questions.

eAsAoWSIo thsS AkUC9tsossSe
WASHINGTON, D. c., March z, 1910.
"'.ers from the census supervisors to
tne United States Census Bureau show
Tue erroneous apprehension of a consider
ADle element of the population that their
answers to the enumerators' questions in
.ne next census, beginning April 18th,
this year, will cause increased taxation,
regal entanglements, or injurious conse-
qoences to their persons and property.
In order to quiet such unfounded fears,
which would, unless removed, materially
affect the accuracy of the census, the
bureau has prepared an official statement
relative to the decennial census, its origin,
purpose and uses.
This statement should furnish complete
assurance to those concerned that infor-
nation given the enumerators is held by
the Census Bureau in the strictest conf
dence with reference to the identity of
tne lnformants, as required by the policy
OF the bureau and commanded by the law
OF the United States.
The bureau earnestly hopes that clergy
men, priests, physicians, schoo-teachers,
employers, and other public-spirited citi-
zens who come in contact with large num-
pers OF people, will CO operate with the
bureau by telling persons who are be-
ieved to entertain 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 school children
and ask them to tell their parents about
IT.
The statement issued by the bureau
explains that the Constitution requires a
census of the population to be taken
every ten years in order to reapportion
State representation to the National
House of Representatives. 1t is the
means also to ascertain the increase in
the population, industries and resources
of the nation since the last census.
1t is emphatically declared, by the
statement, that the information sought
from the people of the United States is
used solely for general statistical pur-
poses. 1t will neither be published nor
used in any other way to disclose facts
regarding any Individual or enterprise.
The census, it goes on to say, is not,
never has been, and cannot be employed
to obtain information that can be used in
any way in the assessment of property
for purposes of taxation or the collection
OF taxes, either National, State or local
or for deportation proceedings, extradi-
ton measures, army or navy conscrip-
ton, internal revenue Investigations,
compulsory school attendance, child-labor
law prosecutions, quarantine regulations,
or in any way to affect the life, liberty
or property of any person.
1t points out that replies to the enumer-
ators are and must be held by the Census
Bureau in strict and absolute confidence
All the bureau officials, supervisors, su-
pervisors' clerks, enumerators and inter-
prefers, before entering upon their duties,
are obliged to take solemn oath not to
disclose any information that they may
obtain, except to the Census Bureau, and
a violation Of the United States law in
regard to this oath means 81, 900 fine or
imprisonment for two years, or both, in
the discretion of the court.