Evening journal., 1915-08-10
CENSUS FIGURES pIscRrDITED.

CENSUS FIGURES DISCREDIIED.
HUNDREDS of thousands dollars appropriated for
II census work by the Democratic Congress and
thrown away political patronage, worthless reports
compiled by unfit TO be entrusted with the coec-
ton of statistical material, under the supervision Of
directors appointed because he chairman OF
the Democratic State Committee Of Georgia, W. j.
Harris and the other S. j. Rogers, because Of his
political activity in North Carolina, and his friendship
with Senator Simmons, Of the Finance Committee;
plumbers and confusion in cassifcations and
calculations, due to unfamnarity with census termin-
ology and with the tax laws Of the various States;
and tables disarranged be vaueess for
purposes Of comparison with previous years.-such Is
the harvest which the nation about reap from the
seed Of the spells system sown by the Democratic
administration The publication Of the figures collected
the quinquenniai of 1915 is but waste Of
time and money because the methods by which they
were secured have discredited them in advance.
One Of the most intricate schedules is that on
wool manufacture. This turned over to appren-
toe who. under the head of wooden industry" an in
designation, has included the wooden, worsted
felt goods and wool hat branches Of the wool manu-
facture despite the fact that the wooden and worsed
industries are rival branches OF wool manufacture, the
processes dssmiar and the fabrics differ widely
as the processes by which they made press
report states that this lack Of precision has so mised
well known economist that readers Of his recent book
find It extremely difficult because Of his ndiscrimnate
use OF the terms woolens wooden industry, wooden
manufacture definitely to know what was in the au-
thor's mind or about what he writing"
Due to three objectionable in the decennial
report wealth, debt and taxation the estimated
value Of New York State real property and that Of all
property is S46s4ooOOoo too great the use Of
incorrect percentage ratio between the true value
and the assessed valuation of the taxed New York real
property the second was due TO the application OF
real property classification identical with that used in
Georgia. TO the holdings Of public utility corpora
tons. In Georgia these cassed separately in New
York they come under the head Of real property"
The expert" duplicated them; the third
the jumping the value Of exempt real estate reported
by the State Board of Tax Commissioners, S2o6S
100000 TO S3,09s 5000 The margin of in the
estimate for Georgia real property is said to be
less than s450OOOO 600 and may equal s72o 600
AS of the slipshod method Of collecting
census data, the following is quoted from an order
to the special agents to take the manufactur
ing census by former Census Director Harris. now
member Of the Federal Trade Commission:
"2. II the establishment made a report for the cen
of 1902 that report must be obtained and con-
suited in making the estimates for 1914 The report
for 1909 used as follows If answers have been
given 10 two three inquiries the schedule for 1914
and, upon comparing the return With the report for
1909 it is found that the indicate that the
business for 1914 was about the in magnitude
il was in 1909 the answers TO the remaining inquiries
should be supplied from the report for 1903 IT, how
the information in the schedule far prepared
indicates that the business for 1914 was greater or
less than the business for 1903 the figures from the
1909 report may increased decreased in the proper
ratio obtain the for the questions for which
replies not received for. 1914.
% If the defective schedule is for establishment
that was not reported in 1909. the suggested
tons may made by using the completed returns for
1914 that have been received from establishments in
the same industry in that locality
Comment is unnecessary The manufacturing
is a farce