Los Angeles herald., 1910-02-01
CENSUS PATERNALIsM

4 u LII 3AIAFA4IOAN0 are UGlllS i1ldue lbl
taking the census of 1910. In this
solemn statistical ceremony many
Of the bright young men of the ma
ton Will be employed. They have our
sympathy. The census worker will find
himself an investigating committee of
one. without any sergeant-at-arms to
support him. To anyone who real
ICES the vital necessity of keeping
tabs on the people Of the United states,
white, black, yellow, brown and red,
and mingled, the sweet reasona bleness
of all the questions is apparent. Such
patriots will regard them as pertinent.
But there are others who may regard
some of the interrogations as impert-
inent.
The census aims at finding out a
great deal more than the name, age,
nativity and ancestry of the inhabi-
tants of the United States. The CEN
sus man will ask us where father was
born. where mother was born whether
we are able to speak English, and, if
not, the language we use. We will be
asked all about our education, about
the ownership OF our home (if mort
gagged, we must confess it,. If we are
lame we must so state, and If deaf
and dumb must acknowledge it.
Height and weight are not required,
but If you cannot read even with the
aid of glasses you must be reported
"blind."
This census is manifesting solicitude
about child labor and unemployment.
1t looks as If after having collected sta
tistics and had them arranged by stat
isticians and published in special re-
ports the government meant to think
about preparing to start in to consider
the question of maybe really DOING
something in the direction of "tack-
ling the great kindred questions of
adult unemployment and child labor.
Employees must state whether they
were out of work on April 10, 1910.
Perhaps if you should happen to be
out of work on that day the govern
ment intends to make up for It, You
must also state the number of weeks
you were out of work during 1909.
This will stump the members of the
Four Hundred who toll not neither do
they spin. Just as sure's they are
born, they will be censused among the
'vags" if they don't watch out. Oh,
horror!
The Inquiry regarding the number Of
children is a corker (as Colonel
Roosevelt would say). Only women
are required to answer this question,
which is classed under the general
heading: Mother Of how many chill
dren." There is no corresponding
query which asks, Father of how
many children" Dad doesn't count.
The census man doesn't give a bean
for him. Thus are Womans Rights at
last vindicated officially, and we beg
to suggest an indignation meeting of
ignored fathers should be summoned
without delay to view with alarm and
hereby denounce.
If the census man manages to col
lect the truth, the whole truth and
nothing but the truth, the completed
census-(at least to some people, who
are not keenly aware of the drift of
the times)-will be a most startling
revelation as to economic conditions
and may have the effect of stirring up
patriotism and reviving American
ism.
In the census instructions is the sig
nifcant statement: 1.-THE occupation
followed by a child or a woman is just
as important for census purposes as
the occupation followed by man.
Therefore, IT MUST NEVER BE Ia
KEN FOR GRANTED without inquiry
that woman or child old enough to
work has no gainful occupation."