Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-09-29
Director Harris of the Census
Bureau Will Adopt Radi-
cal Reform Measures.
RECOMMENDATION BY
BOARD OF EXPERTS
Believed Study of Investigators Will
Result in Great Saving and Ex-
pedite Publications.

Radical measures are to be taken by
Director William J. Harris of the bureau
of the census to bring the office out of
the deplorable condition under which 1t
is said to he working. The work is re-
| ported to be far behind. The steps which
are to be taken to bring the work of the
bureau up to date involve the omission
of some reports and the elimination of
| certain data from others.
Some of the reports will be sent to
| the printer just as they are and minus
| much of the material and data which
usually accompanies them. In some cases
advance reports will not be made. but
the data will be confined to chapters in
the final volumes.
Secretary Redfield, in a further effort
toward aiding the bureau to get out its
back work. will seek to have President
Wilson instruct the public printer to- give
precedence so far as practicable. to the
remaining publications of the thirteenth
census and the long overdue annual re-
ports.
These steps We're taken upon the rec
on mendations of a board of experts ap-
pointed by Director Harris several weeks
ago to go over the work in the bureau
and to make recommendations for expe-
diting it. This board consisted of S. y.
d. North and former Gov. William r.
Merriam Vi MISSOURI. DOlH IOIiHSF
rectors of the bureau: Prof. Walter f.
Wilcox of Cornell University, w. $.
Rossiter former chief clerk of the bu-
reau, and Daniel c. Roper. now first as
sistant postmaster general. but at one
time a chief of division in the census.
Work Of Investigating Board.
into two separate divisions, the DISPOSE
ton OF the much-delayed work of the
thirteenth census and the plan for the
future conduct of the bureau.
The board has now started to work on
the second division. and recommendations
as a result of this investigation are ex-
pected within the next thirty days.
The committee advised that addi-
tional tabulatiOns or analyses were nee
essary in connection with the unfinished
branches of the thirteenth census, name
ly. population and mining and duarries
and that the work on those branches and
on the delayed annual reports can and
should be readjusted so as to insure their
publication not later than December 81.
1913, without detracting from the value
of these portions of the census
Director Harris declared that he would
follow the recommendations of the board
He expressed the belief that the studies
of this expert board will result in greater
improvement in the quantity and quality
of the census work. The detailed recon-
mendations of the board were as follows:
Tabulation to Be Stopped.
That it is undesirable to tabulate oc-
equations further than already done
Stopping such unnecessary further work
will expedite the publication by about
six months and will reduce the cost of
finishing that branch of the work by
about $65.O00; the tables already PRE-
pared should be printed without addi-
tional derivative tables or explanatory
test. These tables give the number of
persons of each sex in each occupation
and classify them by race. nativity. and
parent nativity. and five age periods so
that the publication of the primary clas-
sification or occupationaI data as reported
at previous censuses is thus assured
THAT the report upon native tongues
be limited to the chapter to appear in
the forthcoming final volume on popula-
ton
THAT the numerous tables relating to
mines and quarries now in the form of
printed bulletins. proofs or manuscript
be sent to the public printer at once the
same to constitute the final reports on
mines and quarTies. and that no further
calculations or text he prepared in con-
nection with that particular report
That the tables for the benevolent in
stitutions. and for the institutional popu-
lation-namely, prisoners. insane and
feeble minded, and paupers-be prepared
and published without further percentage
or other derivative tables and without
explanatory text.
To Abandon Compilation.
That the annual compilation of the
statistics of forest products be aban-
doned, since there appears to be no au-
thority of law for an annual inquiry of
this character, which the records show
to have cost from $4,000 to 10000 a year
That the annual report on the finan-
cial statistics of cities for 1919 be com
pleted and published by January 1, 1914.
by curtailing the amount of detail to be
included: that the schedules and report
for 1913 be similarly curtailed: that the
reports for the years 1912 and 1913 be
printed without text, except such as is
necessary for explanation and definition
and that until these annual reports are
brought up to date no further attempt
be made to elaborate the reports on mu-
nicipal financial statistics. This recon-
| mendation is based on the fact that de-
lay In the compilation and publication of
the annual municipal reports detracts
seriously from their value.
That the reports on mortality statis-
.ished before the close Of the present
calendar year To make this possible
the explanatory text of these reports
should be reduced to minimum, the
tables condensed, and no effort made to