New Ulm review., 1921-05-25
ASKS DATA FROM
The HOME OWNER
FEDERAL CENSUS BUREAU is
DESTROYS OF LEARNING
INCUMBRANCEs.
LAW PROVIDES PENALTY FOR
REFUSAL TO FURNISH
INFORMATION.

March 8, 1919, requires the Federal
Census Bureau to collect statistics as
to the number of persons owning their
own homes and the encumbrance
thereon, if any. When the local
enumerators made their rounds to
enroll the residents of New Ulm in the
census lists, some of the home owners
failed to impart to them the informa-
tion desired by the Bureau on this
point and which is provided for by
law. This discrepancy was probably
due in a great measure of the fact that
the heads of the families called upon
by the numerators were not at home
at the time and the wives were not
able to impart the information.
Letter to Commercial Club.
Secretary R. M. Pfaender of the
New Ulm Commercial Club is in re-
ceipt of a letter from W. M. Steuart,
acting director Of the Department Of
Commerce, Bureau of the Census,
Washington, D. c., seeking to enlist
the aid Of the Club in obtaining the
necessary data to complete the census
records. This communication, in part,
reads as follows:
The Census Bureau is now in the
midst of an investigation to ascertain
the amount of fencumbrances on homes.
This inquiry is made in compliance
with requirements of the Act of Con-
gress approved March 3, 1919. 1t is
desired to show the total number of
homes in each city that are rented, the
number that are owned free Of mort
gage, the number that are subject to
mortgage Indebtedness and the amount
of such indebtedness. Schedules of
inquiry calling for this information
have been sent to all Of the persons re-
ported in your city as owning homes
subject to mortgage, but, unfortunate
ly, large number of the citizens have
not replied to the official request. We
imagine this Indifference on their
part is due to the fact that they do not
appreciate the Importance of the statis-
tics, and I write to you in the hope
that you will give some publicity to
the census inquiry so more prompt
attention will be given to our commune
cations.
Penalty for Refusal.
II enclose a copy of the schedule in
quiry. Two requests have already
been sent to your citizens. A third
request is now about to be mailed
The law providing for this inquiry
contains penalty for refusal to furnish
the information, but it has not been
our practice to enforce this penalty
and we hope it will not be necessary
to depart from it. I believe that your
citizens will give more prompt atten.
tion to the inquiry if they are assured
that their replies will be treated as
strictly confidential and the figures
used only for the compilation of totals
for each city.
'This is very important inquiry
The statistics will go far toward show
ing actual conditions that are existing
in the different sections of the country
and I trust that it will be convenient
for your newspapers to give publicity
to the NATTER
The Desired Data.
The request for the information re
ferred to above includes five items, a
follows:
1. Street and number of house.
2. Market value on January,
1920 of this home. (Amount for whicl
the home could be sold within rea
sonable time.)
3. Amount of encumbrance o.
this home January 1, 1920. D (educ
all payment Of principal made befor
January 1, 1929
d. Amount of this encumbranc
when existing loan was made.
5. Annual rate of interest actuall
being paid January i, 1871, on abOV
Indebtedness.
Replies Strictly Confidential.
AS stated in Director Steuart's lette
to Secretary Pfaender, all of the replie
to the above queries will be considere
as strictly confidential and no informs
ton will be supplied to state or loc;
assessors or to Federal authorities
be used for purposes of taxation. II
information will be used only to con
pile statistics showing the totals *
the different cities, states and Il
United States. No publication wi
be made whereby the figures for an
individual can be identified
All Should Comply.
All residents Of New Ulm who hay
received a letter from the Censl