The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1919-07-14
PREP AIRING FOR CENSUS.

PREHARINO FOR CENSUS.
In less than six months from date Uncle Sam
is to begin the great decennial count of noses,
or in other words of taking the federal census
of 1920. Already sociologists from American
universities at work planning the preliminary
details. 1t is designed to have every detail I'M
der experts.
Ten years ago the federal census began April
Is. The forthcoming census will start on jan
uary 1, as date better suited to ascertain the
crop yield of the, preceding season. 1t is expect
ed that all places of $500 inhabitants will be
canvassed in tuo weeks. What is known as
the hand count" will begin about January Is
and the bulletins announcing the population of
cities will follow.
About thirty questions will be asked each in
dividual some one representing him. There
also are agricultural industrial and other sched-
ules with extensive questionnaires The chief
work is in arranging for the tabuation of
this immense amount of highly specialized in
formation. 1t will be done by machinery so
much improved over that of ten years ago that
the work will approach the miraculous.
During the period of greatest activity about
100000 clerks viii be employed in the field and in
the Census Bureau in Washington. This force
represents a larger body than the combined
population of New York. Philadelphia and Bos-
ton $50 years ago, when the first census was
taken.
The enumeration of 1880 cost $4,000, and at
that money ran out and the names were never
printed. 1t is estimated that the total cost of
the forthcoming census will be at least S2OO0O,-
600. The design is to proceed regardless of
cost, efficiency being of more Importance than
economy. The aim is to make the 1920 census
the most efficient taken by Uncle Sam
The first census numbered the inhabitants of
the original thirteen states. On the whole it
vastly more difficult to take the first CEN
sus than it will be to take the forthcoming emu
meration of 1920. Conditions were much more
difficult. All work west of the Aleghenys was
practically abandoned, in spite of the fact that
there important interest in the North
west; but Detroit not reported neither was
Vincennes, then highly important military and
trading post.
1t was the day of small things. Philadelphia
was then the national capital, and Washington
was still paper plan without name but pop
ularly caed'the Federal city"
Uncle Sans first census shows that he was
very green at the business. Today the records of
that enumeration would be thrown at once into
the waste basket as wholly impossible; but they
were the best the times afforded, crude weak
and childish as piece of scientific work In
short, the first census is statistical curiosity
whose real value is purely sentimental
The enumerators were not even provided with
blanks, and they used such odds and ends as
they CHANGED to have, could beg or borrow
such as butchers brown paper bits of parch-
ment, the back of wallpaper or slips pasted in |
long ribbons.
One of the greatest difficulties encountered
by the enumerators was the religious supersti-
ton OF the people. Many of the preachers were
violently opposed to the census, becaus5 in Bible
times curse fell over the land when the chill
dren of Israel were numbered
Where the first census, taken less than a
decade after the American colonies had achieved
their independence, required only the name Of
the head of each family, with the number of per-
sons IN the household, the Forthcoming enumn-
ration will include not only people, but horses .
cattle, sheep and swine, together with the COL
lection of enormous amount of data
The census will include Guam Samoa and the
Canal Zone, but not the Philippines which will
AXE census of its own this year.