The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-01-09
MEN, WOMEN
 AND THINGS


 is numbering his family to see how much it has grown during the past decade.
 
 The taking of the census is no new thing, for it was hardly possible for those in authority even in ancient times to realize what useful thing it could prove in the way of not only knowing the exact number of inhabitants, but just what property was available for taxes.
 
 However, there is no record of any cen sus ever having been made so far as can be judged by study of Egyptian or Assyrian inscriptions; but some authori- ties claim that in the Persian empire there was apparently some method in force by which the resources of each province were ascertained for the purpose of fixing revenue.
 While some contend that the Chinese accounts are dubious, yet we read in some histories that an enumeration of somewhat the same nature as in Persia H as an ancient institution in connection with the provincial revenues and military liabilities. I hope this was true, for l would be grieved to learn that the Celes- tials had passed up any bet when it came to being in at the start of any movement.
 in Egypt, Amasis had the occupation of eaoh individual annually registered, nomi- nally to aid the supervision of morals by ,.- .t.Iu sistence; and this ordinance, according to Herodotus, was introduced by Solon into the Athenian scheme of administra- tion, where it developed later into 6n electoral record. I am afraid the revival of such an enumeration would cause a small size riot if attempted, for am sure that "parlor'' socialists and an- archists would object, not to mention many undesirable citizens whose chief business is to foment discontent.
 
 Now I am going to give you some data out of the Old Testament, for, as some of you may know, in it there is book called Numbers, but possibly you never connected it with census. It gets it's name on account of telling about the two numberings of the Israelites, one near the beginning and the other near the end of the sojourn in the wilderness The title, however, is not very appropriate, seeing that the numberngs occupy only small part of the book.
 It was at Sinai that Moses received the c<x, fn ta xo males over 20 years of age in the Il sec ular tribes, the tribe of Levi being enu- n.erated separately. It may be of interest to state that the first numbering showed total of 6OS. .550, and the second num- bering, made on the plains of Moab s years afterwards, showed a slight de- crease there being 601, ,73O. If my memory serves me right there are more of them row living in New York city than passed through the wilderness. I know the fig ures give are in dispute.
 It will be seen by the above that the utility to a government to be able to put it's hand on persons and property Tn an accurate way was obvious, even to
  ing strength by taking poll of the maIess of Il secular tribes over 20 years of age while the Levites, who were ex- empted from military duty, were sepa- rately counted from the age of 30 up- ward, and a similar process was or dained by Solomon in order to distribute amongst them the functions assigned to the priestly body in connection with the temple.
 It was in Rome, however, that the s-s- tenn from which the name of the inquiry is deprived was first established upon regular footing, the original census pelng ascribed to Servius Tullius. and in the con stitution which goes by his name it was decreed that every fifth year the popula- tion should be enumerated along with the property of each family, land, live stock, slaves and freed men. With c1e increase in the importance of Rome the census became more necessary. I haven't time here to go into the interesting pr-i- ficatory sacrifice offered on behalf or the people by the censors or functionaries in charge of the classification.
 Do not throw up your hands, oh, you euumerators. if in your rounds in BIT mingham you find some people who think you ask lot of mighty personal questions, and rather resent your visit, for if we go according to history the hatred and suspicion aroused by the one carried out by Joab at the behest of David put all Israel in an uproar, for the Israelites held to the belief that God had punished the people for their irnpiety. This apparently irrational feeling was universal in the early times, has always been so in the east and is by no means unknown elsewhere and later. It's pre- valence in the eighteenth-century Amer ica, and even later in England, however, was probably due to misunderstood Bible teaching.
 remarked that Rome was responsible for systematic census-taking, and in the time of Augustus it was extended throughout the empire. We read in Luke that Caesar Augustus decreed that the whole world be taxed. I use the word tax in preference to enroll, for it is il- Illuminating. It is only in war times that people as a rule bother because they are enrolled, but both in war and peace times the average citizen raises a howl about i being taxed. The word census (rrom