Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1918-10-11
War Won't t Stop
102O's Census
BY Frederic ]. Haskin

House of Representatives recently, TINS
question reached congressman from many
sections of the country. Tho answer rs
that war has shown the deccnnial IN
ventory of the nation resources IN men
and wealth to be an absolute necessity.
Tho census was provided for IN the Con
stitution TO determine how the repre-
sentatives in Congress should be appor-
toned. and the first census was taken for
this purpose alone. But as the value Of
national statistics became more apparent,
its scope was widened to include agricul-
ture, manufactures, forestry and forest
products, mines and quarrles.
In 1900. when the first national survey
of population was taken, the area to be
covered was only about one-fourth Of the
present United States Although nine
months was the time allowed, enumerators
to make their returns, Is months elapsed
before they were completed The blH
for the fourteenth census allows the enurn-
orators in the urban districts two weeks to
gather the reports and those IN the rural
districts are allowed one month.
COVER THE sAaB OLD GROUND.
The 1920 census will be taken along the
same lines as the last and will cover,
practically the same ground. The d1rrUtUrf
Of the census now has an office force OF
period he expects to need in the nelghbor-
hood of 1000 These clerks will be OBJ
tained by civil service examination, or
by transfer from other government de-
partments II the war is over, the prob
lem of clerks may be solved by transferring
some of the best trained war workers to.
the Census Bureau If the war IL not over,
II will be quite n problem TO obtain these
clerks. The field work will require nearly
one hundred thousand workers. The law
provides that wherever possible, women
and honorabIy discharged soldiers and
sailors are TO be employed in these posi-
tions
The date for the taking of the census
has been changed to January /. For many
wears the census was taken for the calcn
dar wear preceding June 30, but as this
seemed inconvenIent for tho farmers, II
was changed The thirteenth cenusus
was taken on April Is This also met with
dsapproval from the agriculturists. Octo-
her was considered. hut did not seem ad-
visable on account Of the elections, and
finally January was decided on. II -
hoped that this will suit everyone The
Alaskan census has always been taken IN
the winter as that i the best time 10 travel
III Alaska
MANUFACTURES AND AGRICULTURE
More attention will be given 10 manu-
features and agriculture in the coming
census The war has brought home 70 the
government the necessity Of having =
complete inventory Of these two phases OF
national life The value of the census Of
manufactures taken in 1918 Is we'll
known II has served the government as
basis upon which the maximum output of
certain industries could be estimated. II
.a- also helped the War Industries Board
IN It's diffcul. task of deciding what IN
tuatries are essential for the nation $ vel
fare 1T his flme
When the Food Administration under
took 10 manage the food supply for this
country and the Allies the first thing
they looked for was a late and complete
agricultural census. But they looked in
vain The gentlemen Of Congress IN their
endeavors % cut down the budget, failed
10 appropriate the necessary funds for the
agricultural census which should have
been taken in 1915. Had this census
been taken. much valuable time and
money would have been saved last winter
The lesson has been learned and the
present census bill contains provisions
for census OF agriculture III 1925. 1t
also provides for several reports on the
manufacturing Industries to be taken
1928, 1925 and 1927
Every census 50 far has shown higher
percentage increase IN population. But
this will not hold true IN 1920. The Bureau
Of the Census has estimated that the
population of the United States in 1920
will be about 10000. 900. This means an
increase OF l72 per cent IN the last ten
Years, as against an increase OF 21 per
cent in the preceding ten years. The main
reason for this Is the cessation OF lmmlgra-
ton The war casualties alone probably
will have very little effect on the popula-
ton But the war will affect our popula-
ton through markedly decreased birth
rate,
IMMIGRATION SURPRISES.
The immigration reports Will be "a sur
prise to most people. II Is popularly sup
posed that immigration has ceased The
reports nov being sent into the Immigra-
ton Bureau OF the Labor Department
show that immigration has greatly IN
creased everywhere except at the At
lantic ports. The greatest number Of I'M
migrants have always entered through the
eastern ports and the statistics from these
entrance points will be almost negligible
from 1915 to 1920, compared with those
for previous wears.
Figures for the southern and Pacific
ports will show an astonishing change.
The number of Mexican immigrants has
doubled in the last two years: South
American immigration has increased;
Spain and Scandinavia are also sending
more men than usual
The last census showed that of the
great number OF aliens in this country, a
surprisingly small proportion had taken
out citizenship papers. This was due
chiefly 70 ignorance aud indifference.
Here again the coming census will register
an important change The war has taught
the forelgn-born the disadvantage OF
a1ienage and the advantages Of citizen
ship, Consequently there has been a
great rush for first papers
OUT FOR FINAL PAPERS.
Before 1920 most of these aliens Will
be eligible for final papers The natura1iza-
ton of civilian aliens, however, will
appear insignificant beside the great mum
ber OF soldiers who are being naturaliged |
daily at the camps. These alien soldiers |
are eager to take advantage of the new
law allowing them to petition for final /
papers without going through the usual !
preliminarles. 1t is Impossible to make /
even an estimate of the number of new I
citizens who will be made in this way, but +
1t Is certain that returns Of the fourteenth /
census will be contrast TO previous ones /
IN which the unnaturalized foreigners /
have always far outnumbered those who /