Evening star., 1937-04-17
Amazing Results 0btained':'
by Mechanical Means Turn
Human Agency of Historic
Character Into Process of
Robot Nature.
By Lucy Salamanca.

" HEY can tell you the most
astonishing things-backed up
by facts and fgures-over at
L the United States Bureau of
the Census. For instance, we have
just learned. with something of a
shock, we admit, that the world does
not, after all, belong to youth The
world, 1t seems, belongs more and
more to people between the ages of
so and rs. Moreover, it belongs to
them so definitely that manufacturers
are beginning to take their statistical
measurements as a gauge for the kind
Of commodities they had better be
turning their attention to producing
In the years ahead. Less youth, less
fancy haberdashery and fewer shift
ing styles. More niddle-aged more
radios and comfortable armchairs
Increased expectancy of life has al
tered the whole horizon of the COM
modify market. It's down in black
and white over at the Census!
Many other intriguing facts with
regard to ourselves as Nation are
down in black and white at this same
bureau, too! For example, we learn
that somewhere around 196O-When
the United States has become a sort
of middle-aged Notwithstanding
definitely will have happened to our
birth rate. In fact, that same birth
rate, while still holding its own against
our death rate, is steadily and surely
decreasing in its rate of increase.
That sound little complicated at
first blush. What it really means is
that, as Nation, we have maintained
q preponderant ratio of births to
deaths, but that ratio has been
gradually narrowing until it is pos
sible to compute the day-not so far
distant-when birth rate will pretty
nearly have caught up with death
rate-and then, for heavens sake,
where will we be? 1t is our guess
they could tell you at the Census
Bureau. Their wizardry with facts
and figures that you can't dispute
Is breathtaking and appallingly ir-
REPUTABLE.
How many people are born and
how many die every year, every week,
every day. every hour, and every min
ute in the United States?" we fling
out, trying to catch them unaware.
Instead of catching them unaware
we get the most explicit, nicely tabu-
lated reply any statistician could ask
for
I'm the United States of America"
In 1885. There were 2,155,1o5 births.
Every week Of 1885, 6,7S4 people died
and 41,444 were born; in every dav
there were 1916 deaths and 5,9O4
births. Every hour of 1885 ushered
out l59 mortals and ushered in 246.
Every three minutes three people died:
every three minutes four were born"
You just can't argue with people like
that.
TT is no exaggeration to say that
never in the history of the United
States has the United States Bureau
OF the Census of the Department of
Commerce been so important or &C
compl1shed so much that is vital to
American citizens as it has during the
present administration. The reasons
for this are apparent. New deal leg
fslation, emphasizing social security,
business stability, manufacturing and
agriculture, has brought to bear a con-
centrated interest upon such matters
rs the birth dates Of individuals, the
economic condition of the country.
and what may be expected for the fu-
ture with respect to plans of today.
AL this, In turn, means records
plenty Of records. Birth records,
business records, financial records,
manufacturing records agricultural
records. Where do records come from?
From censuses, of course. And if YOU
don't think the present administration
has been busy at the Bureau of the
Census, under its director, William L.
Austin, take brief look at few of
the accomplishments of the last three
years!
Expansion of the business census,
real property inventory, tax delin-
quency study, criminal judicial sta
tistics, completion of registration areas,
improvement OF the agricultural CEN
sus, ALLEGATION of births and deaths by
residence, birth registration campaigns
in various States, with encouragement
of backward States and new registra-
ton tests; reorganization of the Divi-
sion Of Vital Statistics, organization of
q special advisory committee for vital
statistics, card index project in st.
Louis. expansion of accident statistics
summary, special reports, publication
Of life tables covering the entire
United States for the first time,
studies in intra-city trade areas, de-
velopment Of new method for estimat-
ing national and State populations,
installation of micro film equipment
and Its use in the interests of the pub
lie; employee training program and