The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1918-04-19
COUNTING OF NOSES
DATED FOR next YEAR
Census Will Be Taken Of All
The Folks in Country.
WHAT JOB MAY COST
Suggestions Are Now Being
Made To the Department;
Some Ideas
Associated Press Dispatch.1

1
will soon be faced with the necessity
of providing millions of dollars for
| the 1920 census. Just what inquiries
will be made at every American home
| is the problem now being worked out,
before determining upon the exact
appropriation needed. Census Director
Rogers estimates that the total cost
of the census, including the annual
and other inquiries occurring during
the decennial census period, if done
in accordance with plans the census
bureau has formulated, will not
exceed $20,OO0,000, to ,$22,OOO.OOO. The
estimated cost of taking the popula-
ton census alone is $40, 100000.
Besides considering population, the
bureaus plans contemplate the usual
elaborated inquiries on manufactures,
agricultural, mines and quarrles, annu
al special inquiries and other work This
includes vital statistics, statistics OF
cities and states, tobacco, cotton, and
cottonseed products. Taken collect
lively, Director Rogers says that the
estimated cost of various lines OF
| work, would run, manufactures, mines
and quarries, $2,593,OOO; agriculture
| S6,O49, 900; mostly for field work.
population $1O,44O,O0O. The expendi !:
lures for the census of 1910 were
about 15,5O0,0OO.
Receiving Many Suggestions
The census bureau is receiving
many suggestions for extension OF
the usual field of nation wide enum-
Grafton. There has been q great de-
mand to know the stock OF hides,
leather, and manufacture of saddles,
shoes, boots, betting and leather
goods and it was deemed essential to
get at once the leather output, in
Guiding wool drawn from the hides
of kids and sheep that goes into the
manufacture of wooden goods. The
| Tanners council, an organization OF
the tannery owners is getting that
information now and furnishing it to
the government at cost OF $3O,O0O
to $4,000. They collect statistics OF
raw material, different kinds OF
leather, amount in stock as well as
1.-THE cured or finished product, but
the Census bureau proposes to as
certain more than that The bureau
wants to know the uses to which the
raw material and manufactured prod
uct are to be put, the stock on hand,
consumption by the manufacturers
and the prospect of having supply
for the country's future needs, all of
which delves into the fields of shoes,
boots, saddles, beltings, harness and
Of q
census will gather this information
by mail through special agents.
Despite criticisms OF belated
census reports in past years, Direc :
tor Rogers says the population of the
United States could be ascertained
and made public in less than six
months, and likewise the number OF
farms, by couties and by states,
and that any other information on
which the government wanted quick
results could be sent out promptly.
He says the fuel administration war
trade board, tariff commission and
internal revenue bureau make daily
use of the basic census facts.
The Census Committee
Before the house census committee,
| which is about to frame the necessary
| legislation, there has been consider
able criticism of limiting provision
proposed by the census bureau that
Gin no case snail information fur
nished under the authority of this
act be used to the detriment of the
person or persons to whom such in
| formation relates" Representative
Miller of Washington contended that
| the information should be permitted
such use as a court or governor
might see fit, as it is not a judicial
or inquisitorial proceeding. Represen-
tative Houston, Tenn, contends the
clause is futile.
Director Rogers thinks the in
dividual has the personal right to
keep private information from other
persons; that manufacturers, for
instance, are willing to tell the
census about their business for
statistical purposes but do not want
publicity of it and, if they knew it
were to be published, they would not
give the information at all or would
do so under protest. Chairman Helm,
Of the committee, believes they do
not want to give their trade secrets
away.
can individual informs the census
of his father, and mother his age,
and where he was born and where he
lived at certain time," explained
Mr. Rogers. "Now in the selective
draft he is questioned about his age,
nationality, and identity. That man is
to be prosecuted upon the statement
he made to the census. l would refuse
to give information to anyone other
than to the local constituted author
ity for the annoyance or prosecution
of that man. If the court were to
issue an order that the states
interests are involved and it is my
duty to certify the record as it was
given at particular time, l would
do so. The same kind of "a question
comes up as to an estate and the
census does not want to be used in
the courts to the prejudice of any
man who makes a confidential. state
ment 1t is now discretionary with
the director" Director Rogers said
he would not protest against elimina-
ton of the disputed provision.
The Minnesota Commission of
Public Safety has approved the ap-
plication of the Farmers State Bank
of Springfield for charter.