The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1915-02-24

IT H 4
THE HAsKIN LETTER
What The Census Bureau IS Doing Now
By Frederic ]. Haslsin.

H ( All of the results Of the census Of
1910 having been duly recorded. tab.
ulated and published. the general
public thinks OF the census bureau
as being done with It's work until
the end Of another decade.
AS q matter Of fact, this branch
OF the government service is busy
ieyery day In every year collecting the
most varied and detailed informa-
tion about these United States. II
has BECOME the greatest statictical
bureau in the world. National and
state Legislators, scientists, educa-
tors and business men depend upon
It for accurate information and IT.
records are those Of our nationa,
growth and progress.
The census of the population TAX
en- every ten years Is really less than
half OF the bureaus work. In .ad.
dition, reports must be made at reg
ular intervals upon manufactures
agriculture and other industries;
annual reports are published Of such
statistics as those OF birth and death
rates, and numerous special studies
are made. Of subjects such as the
negro Aand t1ndian populations. the
composition of metropolitan popula-
tions as to race, age and sex and
other matters or general interest.
| Heretofore, all the statistics have
been; presented as such, with little
comment or explanations $50 that
their greatest VI, ue has been to stu.
dents and othe.s skilled in tfieiI
fuse. One OF the policies OF Director
Harris, however, is to make all Of
this information about the United
state available and comprehensive
to the average citizen. and for this
purpose, the bureau will issue In the
future monographs on various inter
esting subjects, explaining the sig
nificance of the figures gathered.
At present the bureau is engaged
upon a census Be manufactures IN
the United States, which is taken
every five years. The work was be-
gun last July and is already we'll I'M
der way. An idea of the size of the
undertaking my be gained from the
fact that about 100000 envelopes
have been ordered for use in con-
nection with it.
/ The present census of manufac.
4 lures is to be taken chiefly by mail,
special agents being employed only
where It has proved impossible to
\ get the necessary information by
4 writing. This correspondence meth
cd has long been used to some ex-
Il tent in taking the census OF manu-
features, but neve before has 1t
been so extensively employed. The
business men of the United States
are cooperating with the bureau in
the collection of this information
in way which shows that the i'm.
portance OF the work is being mNre
and more generally appreciated. The
isuccess Of thee correspondence; meth.
cd will save the American people
about 100000.
1t would seem at glance that 9
Il correct appraisal of manufactures BY
eacn individual would describe hi:
property to suit himself. AS mat
I ter of fact, however. the bureau ha:
so many checks and counter cSecki
that fraud is extremely difficult.
The first step in collecting thi:
census was to write to all of the
manufacturers who were listed in tho
last census of this sort. sending eacl
of them a schedule to fill out. APP
I plication was next made to the boart
of trade, chamber of commerce
manufacturers associations, and al
other similar organizations, for eS
act information as to the manufac
lures controlled by their member
ship.
I Meetings of many Of these organ
izations were attended by officials
of the bureau and they were Sad
dressed upon the Importance of the
work being done by the census bu
reau. The willing and efficient co
operation OF most of them has beer
secured.
In addition to the Information OBJ
tanned from these organizations ant
from the individuals themselves, the
reports and records of state bureau!
of manufactures are used, and al
city and trade directories are con
isulted.
The first returns from this stud,
OF American manufactures will prob
ably be sent out next July. when the
figures for some of the smaller states
will be complete. These will be fol
lowed by the reports for metropoli.
tan districts, and finally the report
for the entire United States will be
published.
Among the most interesting publ
cations of the census bureau are Its
special reports. These are made b,
calculating the figures of the regular
decennial census with regard to spe
lcial classes or districts. Thus the
present "intercensal" program OF the
. bureau includes special reports upor
the racial classes represented in tn.
: population, the population OF me
tropolitan districts, the age. Of far
mers In relation to the tenure anc
size OF their farm. the Indian pop
ulation. and the blind and deaf
): Nearly all Of these reports cove