Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1913-02-13
more FREQUENT
CENSUS OF FARMS
DIRECTOR DURAND DISCUSSES
STOCK, ACREAGE AND CROPS
IN REPORT.

Washington, D. c., Feb. 11.-One Of
the most important subjects discussed
in the annual report Of Director Du
rand of the bureau of the census, re
Gently submitted to the secretary Of
commerce and labor, is that Of the
proposed quinquennial census Of agri
culture in 1915.
The thirteenth census act contains
a provision that there shall be in 1916
and once every ten years thereafter
census Of agriculture and live stock,
acreage of farm land and of principal
crops, etc.
| Schedules Too Elaborate.
One Of the chief causes of the i'm.
perfection of the recent census of
agriculture has been the great elabora.
ton Of the schedules. The agricul-
tural schedules of 1910 was not much
more detailed than that of 1900, yet it
| contained spaces for more than 500
different items regarding eac,l farm.
Many of the inquiries, of course, did
not apply to the majority of farms,
but their presence on the schedule
nevertheless made it confusing and
discouraging to the enumerator and to
the farmer. Among the inquiries were
many which the average farmer could
not be expected to answer except by
the toughest sort of estimates. Either
the public must get along without so
much agricultural information, or a
part of the information must be Sc
cured by other methods than that Of
general enum eration. .,..
Improvement Of TebuIating Machinery.
The population statistics of the
thirteenth census, like those of the
two preceding censuses, have been
tabulated by means of punched-card
system. Prior to the thirteenth CEN
sus the punching machines, electrical
card-sorting machines, and electrical
tabulating machines required in con-
nection with this method of tabulation
were rented from private concerns.
Those used at the thirteenth census
on the other hand, were devised by ex-
perts employed by the bureau, and
were either constructed in the ma
chine shop of the bureau or by outside
concerns under contract. Thus the
census bureau now owns it's tabulat-
ing machinery. These machines have
been greatly improved by the addition
of new devices, which materially re.
duces the expense of tabulation.
AS the result Of the expenditures of
the census bureau during the past
few years for devising and construct
ing tabulating machinery, the bureau
now has in its possession machines
which can be used with little additional
investment for future censuses. The
present tabulating machines will, with
little modification, prove adequate to
the needs of the bureau for several
censuses to come.
Furnishing Of Census Statistics.
One of the difficult questions con-
fronting the bureau Of the census is the
extent to which census statistics shall
be tabulated and published with refer
ence to small areas, Naturally it is
proper that more details should be
published for the United States as a
whole and for the states as units than
for such areas as counties, villages,
wards of cities, or still smaller areas.
The drawing of the line with respect
to the amount of detail to be tabulated
for small areas has for the most part
been left by congress to the judgment
of the director of the census.
The suggestion has often been made
that the census bureau should COM
pile and publish detailed information,
when desired, at the expense of the
local governments or individuals de.
string it. The director recommends
an amendment to the law which would
permit the employment of additional
clerks for this purpose, provided the
amount of salaries paid to such clerks,
together with other expenses, should
not exceed the amount received from
outside sources for work performed.
New Census Building Needed.
Since for many reasons the census
office proper has not the advantages
hat could be secured in more modern |
and suitable quarters, there was some
hesitation about retaining it during |
1913, but after thoroughly canvassing
he situation it was decided upon as |
he most advisable course, especially !
IS the lessor offered to expend several |
thousand dollars in much-needed |
changes, chiefly designed to improve
he sanitary condition Of the building.
\ more modern building erected with
! view to present and future needs of
he permanent bureau, with better
ABILITIES for lighting and sanitation,
md a large amount of storage space
or documents, records, equipment and
urniture carried over between census /
,eriods, would greatly facilitate the