The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1910-03-04
NOT A GOSSIP SHOP
CENSUS BUREAU HOLDS ALL IN
FORMATION SECRET.
Uncle Sam Is Not After the Answers
That Will Increase Taxes; Legal
Entanglements, or Cause People
Annoyance; Replies Are Not For
Publication, Only in a General
Way; Absolute Secrecy Prevails.
ESPECIAL to The Free Press.1

Washington, ID. c., March 2-Lettes
from tie census supervisors to the
United States census bureal show the
erroneous apprehension of consider
able element of the population that
their answers to the enumerators' ques-
tons in the next census, beginning
April ID, this year, will cause increased
taxation, legal cntanglements, or in
furious consequences to their persons
and property.
In order to quiet such unfoumded
fears. which would, unless removed,
materially affect the accuracy of The
census, the bureau has prepared an Of
fetal statement relative to the decen-
NAL census, its origin, purposes and
uses.
Held in Strict Confidence.
This statement should furnish COM
plete assurance to those concerned that
information given the enumerators is
held by the census bureau in the strict
est confidence with reference to the
identity of the informants, as required
by the policy of the bureau and com
manded by the law of the United
States.
| The bureau earnestly hopes that cler-
gymen, priests, physicians, school teach
crs, employers, and other spirited
! citizens who come in contact with large
numbers of people, will cooperate with
| the bureau by telling persons who are
believed to entertain erroneous opinions
of the census the real facts and urging
them to give full replies to the emu
mcrators. 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
census of the population to be taken
every ten years in order to reapportion
state representation i'll the national
house of representatives 1t is the
means also to ascertain the increase in
population, agriculture, industries, and
resources of the nation since the last
census.
Why Data is Sought
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.
i The census, it goes on to say, is not,
inever has been. and can not be employ
ed 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 pro-
ceedings, eXtradition measures, army or
navy CONSUMPTION, internal-revenue in
!vestigations, compulsory school attcn
dance, child labor prosecutions, quar-
antine regulations, or in any way TO
affect the life, liberty, or property of
any person.
! 1t points out that replies to the emu
merators are and must be held by tie
census bureau in strict and absolute
confidence. All the bureau officials,
supervisors, supervisors clerks, emu
merators, and interpreters, before en-
tering upon their duties, are obliged
to take a solemn oath not to disclose
Continued on Page Six.