Evening star., 1924-11-16

" OR the first time in the history
- of this Government the United
states is taking census or
L agriculture midway between
the decennial censuses. This
census is provided for In the act of
Congress approved March 8, 1919. 1t
involves the enumeration Of between
6.5o0.o0o and 100000 farms. the en-
ployment OF 212 supervisors and
about $4,000 enumerators, and an ap-
propriation of s3.5O0,00o.
Bossing this job is just one little
extra chore which Congress put on
William NJ. Steuart, who already is
administrative officer of the biggest
statistical office in the world, the Bu-
reau of the Census. and who has
served Uncle Sam for A years, TAX
ing part of growing Importance in
every census since 1880.
When you mention the census"
not one-half of / per cent Of the
people have any idea of the work in
volved. Would you like to be as
signed to count the hairs on Bob"
La Follette's head? That would be
just few minutes training. There
are upward Of 1l5.000, 900 persons in
this country and the census counts
each one, makes out card for each
on which it puts - facts about each,
and then analyses and tabulates
these 81 facts about 100000 per-
sons some so different ways.
More Than 80 Nationalities.
Nowhere else in the world is there
such diversity Of nationalities, each
of which must be enumerated sep
arately-more than so nationalities
and this enumeration and tabula-
tion must be made not only nationally
Furthermore, the census must show
the marital conditions, ages and
mother tongue occupations and edu
cation. whether they live in owned
or rented houses-all of which in
great detail is required for a proper
understanding of our social condi-
tionS.
Now. do you begin to get some idea
of the tremendous amount Of i'm
! portant information in detail that is
gathered from every single person in
this broad land Of ours under Mr..
Steuart, director of the census?
He came up from the ranks. grow
ing up and into his present big job
as the country grew in area, in pop
ulation. in Industrial development. II
the census were to be taken now by
the use Of the staff and machinery
employed when he first entered this
W VI III IooV, IL require ~
years to make the tabulation. The
population has more than doubled
and the information required from
each individual has been multiplied
many times.
Correlation Of facts has made 1t
| necessary for the bureau to invent
and construct special electrically
driven tabulating machines. The last
census gave employment to some
a few months, but many of them for
several years. 1t is safe to say that
no other bureau of the entire Federal
service has shown so great devel-
! opment OF technical detail. The first
census merely got the number of per-
sons by sex.
Accompanying the development of
great detail for the population has
been a CORES sponding Development in
detail required about our manufac-
turing industry, mining, agriculture,
electrical industry, financial trans
actions by State, county and city gov
ernments, religious bodies, institu- :
tional population and, IN fact, almost
any phase Of our social and industrial
development.
Congress has provided that the Bu-
reau Of the Census should be the CEN
trail statistical office in which this de-
tailed information is assembled. 1t
was the intention, as far as possible,
TO concentrate in this bureau the col
lection and publication of all nom
administrative statistics.