The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1930-03-24
CENSUS army
SOON TO Open
NATIONAL QUIZ
Thirty Million Homes to Be
Visited: Information
of High Value.
QUERIES ARE PERSONAL
Unemployment Figures Are
Expected to Prove of
Great Aid.

81 Scripps-Hop0rd Newspaper AHidrce
WASHINGTON. March 24.-Ten
days from now census takers will
knock at the doors of thirty mil
lion homes in the United States and
ask number Of extremely personal
questions.
Why does the government want
all this information? What use
will it make of it? Is the census
of any practical benefit to the
average citizen? These queries,
often asked, have been answered
by the United States census bureau.
In the first place. figures on pop
ulation were sought only for use in
reapportionment Of congressional
representatives Now they serve
many other purposes. Figures about
population are necessary in con-
sidering a source of water supply
for a given city, construction of a
railroad through a certain terri
tory, location of business in 8 GER
tain region.
"N'fN ~ manly w
Because the census asks the age
and sex of every person, public
health officials are able to compute
life tables, birth rates, death rates
for different ages, different sexes,
and different parts of the country.
Life insurance companies are able
to compute rates.
1t is necessary in war time TO
know the number of males Of
military age. Every board of ed
ucation wants to know the number
of children of school age in it's
territory. every manufacturer of
razorS wants to know the number of
adult males, every manufacturer of
dresses wants to know the number
Of adult women. To consider old
age pensions it is necessary to know
the number of the aged.
This census will tell what has
happened in the industrialjzation of
the south, of the growth of popula-
tion and results of reclamation in
the west, the movement from coun-
try to cities. whether the movement
for naturalization of the foreign
born has had any effect.
Home Owning on List
For the first time each family will
be asked whether it owns or rents
its home, and will be asked the
value of the home or how much
rent it pays.
This, for the first time, will make
possible q classification of families
according to economic satus. or buy
ing power. information which ear
nestly is desired by advertisers and
manufacturers.
Another new question concerns
the age of each individual at first
marriage. It is expected to give
definite information as to the rela-
tive marrying age of persons in diff
ferent racial and economic groups.
1t also will permit tabulation OF
data on the size of families at diff
ferent points in married life.
This census will determine for
the first time the potential size Of
the radio audience.
Perhaps the most important new
questions on the list relate to un-
employment. Great care was used
in framing questions TO be asked on
this subject, the census bureau says.
JObIess to BE Counted
An advisory committee, composed
of leaders from labor, finance, in
dustry and schools, studied the pro-
posals at various groups, and agreed
on these four questions for the un-
employed:
|. Is he able to work?
D. Is he looking for a job?
3. For how many weeks has he
been without a Job?
4. Reason for being out Of a job,
or for losing his last job?
With the information it collects,
the government will know the num-
Der Of men and of women unem-
ployed the average age of The a.
employed, hoy many are married
and how many single, how long they
have been idle, and the reasons.
This information can be classified
for sections Of the country, for diff
ferent elements of the population,
and for the foreign born.