The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-02-05
where the Census Il Weak.

where the Census Is weak.
Tho 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 in
dlvidual will be asked not only to
count himself and his family--not al
ways an easy task in the Tennessee
mountnins-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 ID. 8. O." means and how
to spell "Croix de Guerre."
Just what will be included under
''hOnors and special achievement"
We don't know. VIII 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 nelghbors
how to make corn bread that tastes
like something. or a landlord has re-
fused to take rent from the mother
Of a soldier; will there be a place on
the blank for them?
There IL another puZxling item. The
census takers are expected to write
down the character Of abode" Of the
family visited. Are they, the census
takers, to be the Judge Of the charac-
ter Of abodes? We have known n
poor but honest Of opinion artist to
emerge from an apartment Of eleven
rooms and five baths muttering to
himself "What a Dump" We have
also known an architect to say, upon
entering a house that rented for So
a month, Wonderful I" IL a census
taker who does not like mission fur
niture to be allowed to condemn the
owners Of the square brown pieces Of
wood? character Of abode" is a
broad phrase. II we must know what
is behind the doors of a house, the
census ought not to generalize, but to
present all the facts. A careful count
Of the remnants Of the Victorian era,
for instance, would be interesting.
Much more readable than a table OF
the quarries and oil wells would be
4 hA ~ " 10 hn NJ
&C, 900. 600 homes these questions:
Have you any pug dogs? Wax how-
ersy Haircloth furnituref Melodeons?
Gilded rolling pins! BootJacks7 Frank
lin stoves? AntlmacassArs7 Whatnots?
Rogers Groupsf Ola oaken buckets:
Side-bar bugsiesr'
Mines and QuarrIes we will have
with US for centuries yet. What the
readers Of the census reports, porting
over those tones in 1920, will miss Is
tho intimate things OF life. We know
that CHEpHREN built the Second Ply.
ramid, but we don't know whether
he blew soap bubbles or not II the
people OF to-day are TO be asked ques-
lions about their special achievements
and the character of their abodes,
1t would be we'll to get down to the
real thing. Inquiries like these
might do:
what kind OF . temper have you
when It rainsr'
How much have you put in the bank
since prohibition Gamer
How DO you dispose Of old safety
rasor bladesT'
do you like raisins in bread pud-
ding"
Are you satisfied with the rearrange-
ment Of Europe. Asia and African
what DO you put In mince pie now to
sive II a tang"
"of which sex "a the en-determins-
tor In this house?"
Have you ever cut your own hair
with succs1r"
~What Is Jour fsvorits superstition
Photograph disk7 Perfume7 Movie
actor7"
~How old DO you wish you werer'
We are disappointed in the Con-
gress. 1t took the framing Of ques
lions out of the hands Of the Direc.
tor Of the Census, but did not 20 far
with its opportunity TO provide for