The daily banner., 1919-07-25
WOULD CARD-NDEX us.
Senator France, of Maryland, Intro
duces Bill in Congress-To Tabu-
late Every Citizen.

Washington, July Ex-senator
France, of Maryland, introduced a
bill in the Senate today extending
the scope of the Federal census to in
clude virtual card-indexing of eV-
cry man, woman and child in the
United States as a part of national
survey of the country's resources in
man power and woman power.
The measure follows generally the
lines of amendments offered by the
Senator to the census bill months
ago, but which, after being accep-
ted by the Senate, were rejected by
| the House. These amendments, the
Senator assumes, were turned down
because House members had not CIV
en- them a careful examination.
Senator France wants the Census
Bureau to assemble all vital infor-
nation throughout the nation regard
ing the individual inhabitant in or
der that health, birth, mortality, en-
ployment, child labor and all other
facts may be at hand for the guild
ance of Congress and the States in
legislating upon these questions. He
wants the survey to embrace educa-
tion also.
The expense inv olved in this extra
work will not be heavy, the Senator
says, for much of the work is now
being done by widely separated and
unrelated agencies of the Govern
ment. In an extended statement is
sued today regarding his bill, the
Senator says:
mo one can deny that, as re-
suit of the war, we have been made
aware of many grave and menacing
problems in our national life, con-
corning the nature and magnitude OF
which we need more specific infor-
nation. We need this information
concerning these problems because
we cannot solve our problems until
we have more intimate knowledge
of them. If we are to abolish ill1t-
eracy, preventable injuries and dis
eases, unemployment and child Ia.
Dor, with all of their attendant ills,
we must know their extent and the
agencies at hand for combating them.
"The proposed legislation provides
for comprehensive and continuous
survey of the population of the Unit
ed States for the gathering of those
social, vital and industrial statistics
which we must have before we can
formulate legislation for the improve
ment of the condition of things. My
plan calls for card catalogue of
the population, which card catalogues
would be continually revised and
kept up to date. so that at any time
nature and condition of our popula-
ton. There would be card record
for each individual, upon which
would be recorded the place and date
of his birth, his acute and chronic
contagious diseases, and occupation
al diseases or accidents, ali of which
would be available. together with
similar records concerning others, for
use by the National Board of Health,
which would be charged with the
adoption of measures for Improving
the health and physical condition Of
the population. There would also be
a record Of school attendance and
progress, business and vocational
training and service, high school,, col
lege or technical training, character,
sanitation and tenure of abode. con-
dition of employment and unemploy-
ment, and other facts of importance
to the community and the nation for
the formulation of legislation of a
helpful character.
'"The survey relating to education
would be so made as to secure def
mite and classified information as a
basis for the formulation Of legisla-
ton for the establishment of a Fed
eral department of public education
and for the standardization and ex-
tension, with the aid of the Federal
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