The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1924-11-21

yeas for him to get around to
the farmers. So it happens that
the 1925 census is an Agricult-
ural Census while the one of
, Of 1924 was an Industrial Cen
= sus.
The enumerators are farmers
living in the districts in which
!. they work. In order to cover the
whole country it requires ap-
prOximately 10000 enumera-
tors and 200 supervisors. A
large number of the districts
will be supervised by regular
employees detailed by the Bur-
eau of Census and by the state
statisticians Of the United
States Department of Agricul-
ture. Outside of the regular en-
plOyees the personnel is identi-
fled with farming interests.
The enumerators visit every
farm in the United States. They
are commissioned to ask CUES
lions in confidential way and re-
ceive information that at first
might be thought to be no
bOdy'S business but my own.
The Census Enumeration is a
sworn officer of the govern
ment. He treats everybody a.
like. Ali must tell the census
man the things Uncle Sam
wants to know.
The information gathered can
not in any way be determintal
to the person giving it. No
tax officer is permitted access
to the farm schedules, nor is it
permissible for any person en-
plOyed as an enumeration, clerk
istenOgrapher, supervisor or as
sistant supervisor to cummun-
icate any information or part
thereof to anyone not authOri-
zed to receive the information.
The person who violates inten-
tlOnally or otherwise, his oath,
taken when he enters into the
employ Of the United States
Census Bureau is subject to a
heavy penalty. The Census Act,
Of March 3, 1919, provides fines
up to $1,000 and Imprisonment
up to five years or both for VIC
latiOn by the enumerators, sup
ervisOr OF other census official.
No, is the farmer giving the in
formation exempt. A refusal
to answer the questions or will
fully neglect to answer any of
the questions or if he shall
give answers that are false, he
shall be guilty of a misdemeanor
and upon conviction h eshall be
fine not to exceed $500.
So on the face of it, it would
appear Uncle Sam takes the
Census seriously. Then what
good is the census to the far
er?
In the first place the census
is the basis of many plans to
improve agricultural conditions
and it is necessary to have some
sort of measure for determining
the number of farms and con-
ditions of the farms. 1t is nee
eSSary because every time Con-
gress convenes questions of I'M
portance to the agriculture
come up. Laws are introduced
and passed for the benefit of
agriculture. Again and again
farming as an occupation and
the farmer as a class are mea-
sured by Congress by this, this,
that, and the other. A great
deal will be said, but the little
that will be done in reponse to
the demands Of agriculture will
be that tiny portion that will
have the backing of sound and
impartial figures. The 1926 CEN
sus will be the yardstick used
| by Congress the next five years
for measuring agriculture. The
yardstick or measure used in
the past is inadequate. Any
measure soon Outlives it's use
fulness. That is why Uncle
Sam sends out his hired men to
count the farmers, their flocks,
acres, tons of hay and bushels
of grain. He wants to know all
these things in order that agri-
culture might stand an equal
! footing with other means of
making a living.
In the second place the census
assists the farmer by showing
where he belongs. 1t answers
his question of where to locate
for raising certain crops. The
farmer who wants to grow corn
can find by referring to the cen
Sus where corn is being grown.