Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-05-19

making the actual count and for that
they will receive $10,673,000 for about
two weeks work.
The Census Bureau is now engaged
in mapping out census districts. AS
nearly as possible these will be made
to conform to the congressional districts.
over each district supervisor Will De
placed In charge with a salary that will
range from 81 500 to $4,000.
Since the census returns will show
population according to counties and
such smaller subdivisions as cities,
townships, militia districts, magisterial
districts and election districts, it will be
necessary to define clearly these civil
divisions. A map must be prepared for
each, and that means approximately
IS 900 maps.
While the enumerators will complete
| their work in about two weeks, except
in the rural sections, where they also
must take the agricultural census, the
SOS supervisors will be actively en-
| ployed for two months and perhaps
employed part time for an equal period
| in preparing for and completing the
tabulation of returns and the making
of reports to Washington.
Includes Agricultural Census.
The census of population will consist
! of recording the name of every person
| IN the country. his age. occupation, sex,
color. parentage and similar in
| formation.
In the rural sections the census of
agriculture will be taken simultaneously
with the enumeration of population.
This census was first taken in 1910,
and now is made every five years. It
is estimated that there are approxim-
ately 100000 farms in this country.
In ALL 800 inquiries will be asked of
each farm owner. pertaining to
acreage, values, tenure of operator,
crops and livestock, use Of machinery
and mechanical equipment and such
! general questions as whether electricity
| is used and whether there is radio or
| telephone in the house.
! The 1920 census revealed 246 900
tractors in operation on American
farms. BY 1925 this number had in
creased to $4,000, an increase of 1913
per cent in five years. Radio sets on
| farms in the 1925 census totaled
| $4,000, and it is expected that at least
/ three times this number will be reported
in the coming census.
TabuIation of Manufacture.
| A third census also will be taken. It
| is a census of manufacturing. covering
production in 1929. This census was
| first taken in 1910. and from 1910 to
/ 1900 it was taken decenially and from
| 1900 to 1920 at five-year intervals.
/ Since then it has been biennial
| survey.
In the taking of this census $40
manufacturing industries are recog-
nized. and concerning their operation
is gathered statistics of employment,
wages paid and value and amounts OF
their products. This data will be
analysed and compiled into a form
useful in all sorts of varied ways.
For instance, physicians may be able
to read from it a warning about the
nations health. The census will reveal
| the increase, If any. in the manufacture
of narcotics. The amount of sugar
manufactured may indicate whether too
much sugar is being consumed.
When all this information Is gathered
it is not stored away in government
buildings. The task of gathering the
information is merely the beginning.
| The work of analyzing it, assimilating
| it and publishing it in available form
will take three full years.
Machines Sort Cards.
For a part of this three-year period
the bureau will have pay roll Of $500
workers. It's normal personnel is $50
employees But more important, from
the standpoint Of expeditions tabula-
| ton of these statistics, will be the me-
chanical application used.
Mechanical equipment had part in
census taking for the first time in the
closing months of the enumeration Of
! 1870. A simple tallying machine was
j used with good results. The same ma
| chine was used throughout the 1880
! census. and in 1890 the bureau found
! that the machinery was indispensable
j to its work
| The card system of tabulation was
/ used first then and IS still employed,
! although many improvements and am
| Publications. have been made. Under
| this system the details as to a per-
| sons color, age, sex, and so on, are
transferred from the schedule to the
| cards by means of mechanical punch.
| The position of these holes on the
card indicate the fact to be recorded.
| Automatic machines sort the cards into
classes or groups of similarity. They
are then run through another machine,
| which counts them at the rate of 400
a minute. The final step is to pass the
! cards through an electric tabulating
machine, also capable of handling 400
| minute This machine not only
counts the cards but also records 60
items Of information about the indi-
vidual and prints the result on large
sheets.
Has It's Human Side.
The Census Bureau has become the
largest statistical organization in the
world. The data collected by 1t are
confidential and can only be used for
statistical purposes. but from the re-
turns of the coming census, or rather
| censuSes. there will come fund Of
information telling a story of the nu-
merical. industrial financial. agricul-
tural, social and ethnic growth and de-
velopment of this country during the
most intensive and progressive period
in its history.
But the human side of this business
of taking a census must not be over
looked. 1t will not all be a dry me-
chanical, statistical affair. Hopes for
civic superiority will be crashed as well
as raised by the results found.
Scattered throughout the country
/ there are hundreds of cities and towns.
some large and some small. engaged In
long and furious disputes during the
last eight years as to whether such and
such a town has not greater popula-
ton than this or that Pace.
May Affect Poiitics.
But within a few months after the
1880 census is taken the facts will be-
come known as to the relativs sizes of
all the aspiring cities in the United
States. Heads will be lifted in pride
or bowed, or land this IS more likely
than the bowling of heads) the results
produced by the census takers will be
challenged and StrenuouSly aSSailed as
inaccurate.
Since the Senate has Joined in one
measure, the legislation re his census