Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1919-03-27
THE NEXT CENSUS
Every Sort OF Question Will BE Asked
by Those Who Take 1t
(From the New York SUM

tFrOm the New DIRK SUM
The census Of 1920. the Washington
dispatches tell us, is to be the most
complete ever gathered. To take 1t will
require investigation by 100000 federal
employees, or one to every thousand of
the population The individual will be
asked not only to count himself and his
family-not always an easy task in the
Tennessee mountains-but to tell all
about his health, his part in the war and
his "honors or special achievements"
Census takers will be expected to know
what I'D. S. o." means and how to spell
"Croix de Guerre.'
Just what will be included under hon
ors and special achievement" we don't
know. Will the inquiry be in regard to
the accomplishments of dollar a year
men and like patriots, or will special
achievements in the household also
count? Suppose a woman has taught all
her neghbors how to make corn bread
that tastes like something, or a landlord
has refused to take rent from the mother
Of a soldier; will there be place on the
blank for them?
There is another puzzing item The
census takers are expected to write down
the character of abode Of the family
be the judge Of the character Of abodes?
We have known a poor but honest Of
opinion artist to emerge from an apart
ment of II rooms and Ave baths NUT
tering to himself What dump" We
have also known an architect to say.
upon entering house that rented for
$12 a month, 'Wonderfuln' Is a census
taker who does not like mission furniture
to be allowed to condemn the owners of
the square brown pieces of wood? Char
acter of abode" is a broad phrase If
we must know what Is behind the doors
of a house, the census ought not to gen.
eralize. but to present all the facts. A
careful count of the remnants of the
Victorian era, for instance. would be in
teresting. Much more readable than a
table of the quarries and oil wells would
be the result of putting to the owners OF
20, OOO, 900 homes these questions:
Have you any pug dogs? Wax fiow-
ers? Haircoth furniture? Meodeons?
Gilded rolling pins? Bootjacks? Frank
| lin stoves? Anumacassars Whatnots
Rogers groupsT Old oaken buckets?
Side bar buggies?"
Mines and quarries we will have with
US for centuries yet. What the readers
/ of the census reports. porting over those
times in 1920, will miss is the intimate
things of life. We know that Chephren
built the Second Pyramid, but we don't
! know. whether he blew soap bubbles or
/ not If the people of to-da,' are to be
/ asked questions about their special
| achievements and the character of their
abodes, II would be well to get down to
| the real thing. Inquiries like these might
| do:
what kind of a temper have you
| when it rains?'
| How much have you put in the bank
since prohibition came?"
How do you dispose Of old safety
razor blades?"
DO you like raisns in bread pudding?'
! Are you satisfied with the rearrange-
| ment of Europe, Asia and African"
what do you put in mince pie now
| to give II a tang
"Of which sex is the self-determination
In this house,"
Have you ever cut your own hair7
, With success?
What is your favorite superstition?
Photograph disk? Perfume? Movie ac-
| tor"
How old do you wish you were?"
We are disappointed in tho Congress,
1t took the framing Of questions out OF
the hands of the director of the census.
but did not go far with Its opportunity
to provide for really human census.