The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1918-12-14
ANNUAL CENSUS.

Sam L. Rogers of the Bureau of the Census to
| Secretary William C. Redfield of the Department
| of Commerce, covering the fiscal year ended
| June 80, 1913 which has just been made public,
the Census Bureau during that year turned aside
| in large measure from it's usual peace-time work
and directed part of it's energies to the COM
pilation of war statistics. The increase in this
class of work was SO large that the number of
employees engaged on its from 90 on July
I, 1918, to 231 on September l.
The war work done by the Bureau covers a
wide range. It's more important phases include
canvasses of manufacturers and dealers to
certain the consumption and stocks on hand of
certain raw materials used in war industries,
and the production and stocks hand of COM
nodities made therefrom; the classification of
occupation of military regstrants, and under
taking that necessitated the handling and re-
handling of more than eight million cards. esti-
mates of population for use as basis in the ap-
portionment of the first draft; the ALLEGATION of
enlistments; and the determination Of regis
trants ages from census records. In addition
to carry these and other specific lines of work
at the request of the war agencies of the Gov
eminent, the Bureau has complied with many
requests for information which had bearing
on the problems arising in connection with the
war.
a census of the Virgin Islands, recently pur-
chased from Denmark. These islands have a
total area of 1872 square miles, and the total pop
ulation on November 1, 1917, was 26,O51.
Another special line of work undertaken by
the Bureau was the tabulation of data covering
the disputed areas of Europe and Africa; that
is, those areas whose final disposition will be
determined by the outcome of the war.
The force of the Census Bureau in Washing
ton comprises 685 officials and employees and in
addition there are employed throughout the cot
ton belt approximately 700 local special agents
who make periodical collections of cotton and
cottonseed statistics.
In order to avoid waste and delay in the con-
duct of the next decennial inventory of the
countrys population, agriculture, and industries,
to be made in 1920, the Bureau is carrying on |
such preparatory work as can be done prior to !
the enactment of the pending bill to provide for I
the Fourteenth Census. Under this bill, if it is !
enacted into law, all the clerical and subclerical
force of the Bureau will be appointed through 4
open competitive examinations held by the Unit
ed States Civil Service Commission, as at the Il
census of 1910. In addition, number of the
minor officials will be appointed in the same
manner; and in certain other respects also the
provisions of the bill in reference to the merit I,
system have been made more rigid than the cor
ones contained in the act providing
for the last census Il
A number of conferences have been held with
representatives of the Department of Agricul-
ture and others for the purpose of deciding upon
the exact scope of the inquiries in regard to
agriculture, irrigation, and drainage
The Fourteenth Census will cover the subjects
of population; agriculture, including irrigation
and drainage; manufactures and mines, quar-
ries, and oil and gas wells. The undertaking
will require the services of field force of about
$4,000 or 10000, chiefly enumerators. The can
vass of the urban population will require two
weeks, and the canvass of the rural population
and of agriculture will be completed in one
month; but the collection of the industrial sta
tistics will consume several months. The re-
suits of the coming census of agriculture and of
manufacturing and mineral industries will be of
unusual value and significance for the reason
that they will the operation Of the calen- Q
lar year 1919, during which the agriculture and i
Industries of the country will be passing through
4 period of transition from war to peace i,
basis. I'll
Princess Mary has inst copplotad +o,,, &c