Evening star., 1928-01-29
BUREAU PLANS ALREADY BEGUN
FOR TAKING CENSUS IN 1880
Present Force of 700 Employees Likely to Number
1000 at Peak-Strides Made Since 1900 in
Improving Facilities.

In Chicago. at the peak Of the spe-
cial census, 22l enumerators were en-
ployed and % checkers. The schedules
then were sent 70 the Census Bureau
here for tabulation and q report has
been issued Results In this and other
trial cities caused the idea OF q na-
tional distribution census TO be placed
before Congress II cannot be predicted
that action will be taken In this session
though IL Is possible. but general
pressure from business Is being exerted
In favor Of the plan.
Distribution Statistics Of Value.
With competition as keen as II Is now
the need of facts about the distribution
OF all kinds Of commodities is more
urgent. Individual merchants or
wholesalers are assured that no pub.
iicity will be given to their private
Affairs. Only data on n large. imper-
sonal scale is issued The enumer-
ators took the regular Census Bureau
oath not TO disclose or copy any OF
the information passing through their
hands.
The distribution census In Chicago
covered 1927 wholesale establishments
and 4l.224 retail establishments. To-
tails were impressive. The wholesale
volume OF business almost reached
$1,000. .000.0 900 In 1925 There were
eighteen lines. In each OF which the
annual operations exceeded 500. 600. .0oC
annually: eight doing more than 1900.
000.000 annually: three doing more
than $500. 900. 900 annually. and one cx-
ceeding $500.000.00o
In the retail survey 1t was found
the volume totaled nearly $4,000, 600,
900 In 1926. The pay roll was sass
10000 and the average stock inven-
tory $500. 100000 There we're is3.2l1
persons employed aside from the 39.iei
proprietors and firm members. The
average sales per employe was 50 ,S08
Only New York City can surpass Chi
| cago's showing,
II the same kind OF census Is taken
Tor the Nation as a whole, the figures
VIII expand TO tremendous totals
There seems strong probability that
Congress will approve the proposal fof
national distribution census,
Mass Production stressed.
Edward A. Filene, a leader In Boston
merchandising. has stressed the idea OF
mass production and mass distribution
with emphasis upon the latter. In a
Brooklyn address. lie foreseea great
expansion of chain stores. 10 include
department stores and most other lines
as way Of making mass diatribution
more economical. Back o. this he sees
u realization among business men that
a new era 10 here In industry. and that
dement's TO the public In lower prices
through mass production and distribu'
lion must be accompanied by better
wages To employees, The ability of the
public To buy, he declared, is the
measure OF prosperity,
As this view Is widely shared The
pressure upon the Government TO give
more accurate data about the distri'
button of merchandise. through q
census of the whole Nation In 1890. viii
be felt sufficiently. II Is believed b,
proponents Of the cens.ia, 10 cause III
Inclusion IN the Census Bureaus appro'
! pTiati0n
The Census Bureau now IL housed
In d wartime building at sixth and II
streets, II IL not crowded ana might
be hufflcient 10 house the maximum
Washington toree IN 1890, unless Con-
gres6 should specify shorter time than
usual for making returns. whan II wa,,ld
b8 nec sssary 10 speed up the work by
| ~ falling mare machines ana engaging
" larger perannnstaA