Evening star., 1940-01-07
Census Becomes a Big Business
OF Social and Economic Force
Mere Nose Counting Drops to Insignifcance as
Federal Quizzers Prepare to Plumb
Depths of Data
By Blair BoNes.

Next to unemployment, a problem
which has vexed the Roosevelt admin
istration greatly Is the question Of hous-
ing. One-third OF the Nation is ILL
housed, Mr.. Roosevelt has said. Billions
of dollars have been spent in leveling
slums, in building model dwelling units
for low-income groups, and in lending
money to home owners so they may
keep or improve what they have already
in the way of house. The 1910 census
offers the administration its first oppor-
tunity to obtain almost complete infor-
nation on the manner in which America
is housed. The fact that the Roosevelt
administration may be out Of of1ice q
few months after the 1910 census IL
completed will not lessen the housing in
quiry's value for any succeeding Federal
administration.
To Go Into Details.
The housing census will have a sepa-
rate QUESTIONABLE all its own, designed
to provide detailed information for each
dwelling unit in the United States,
whether occupied or vacant, rural or
urban. For each dwelling unit data will
be secured as to the number of rooms,
water supply, bath and toilet facilities
and light equipment. For each occu-
pied unit. or occupied household, infor-
nation will be obtained concerning the
principal refrigeration used, the presence
or absence Of radio, the character of
the heating equipment and the principal
heating and cooking fuels used.
The census takers, headed by w. L.
Austin, the director of the census, esti.
mate that when the returns are in they
will show that the United States in
1910 is Nation of $4,000, 900 persons,
Besides the population census and the
housing census, the statistical imple-
mentation Of the Governments and the
peoples public information about the
state of the country will consist of a
census OF manufactures, a farm census
and census of mines and ouarries. The
censuses OF business, manufacturing and
mines and quarries began January and
will continue for six months. The others
begin April l and will be completed by
about May /.
The Constitution provides for the de-
cennlal census, for the practical purposes
OF determining the representation in
Congress. The first census was taken
In 179O under the direction Of the
United States marshals, through a staff
OF $50 persons. The 1910 censuses, which
begin on April l, will be handled by
900 counters, working In $50 districts,
which in turn are part of 103 census
areas. The modern census is an unpar-
alleled job-seeking and job-giving oc-
casion.
The first census was little more than
q simple count of the inhabitants of
the 13 States, 3,929,214 in all, with Vir-
ginia heading the list with 747,610. The,
density of population $50 years ago was
As persons to the square mile. The
modern census planners expect that 1910
will show density of "A, compared with
41.3 to the square mile in 1890. The
early days still show a record which
modern times have not matched. The
period of greatest percentage growth in
the United States population was the
decade between 1900 and 1910, when the
increase was 1854 per cent. From 1920
to 1880 the increase was 161 per cent.
100000 Pages of Data.
During the $50 years spanned by the
census the center of population has
moved from the Atlantic Seaboard to
Indiana. The population records of the
census for its whole history embrace
over 100000 pages and take up a mile
of shelving. Now these records are be-
ing micro-hlmed to insure that they
will last forever, or as close to forever
as it is possible to get.
A census enumerator some time during
April will pay a call at 1000 Pennsyl-
vania avenue NV, as we'll as on all the
other homes in the city. There he will
put the questions to the residents in
the White House, including Mr.. Roose-
velt. In the census volumes of the past
are the enumeration records of every
President of the United States, except
Washington. Washington's is recorded
by the initials ''P. U. S."-President of
the United States-in notation writ
ten by Robert Morris on circular con-
tanning the list of the occupants of the
Capitol Building at Philadelphia.
Today the United States, on the eve
Of the gigantic scrutiny called the six
teenth census, and the daily activities of
its 32,0O0,0 900 people together comprise
the most enormous and most intricate
business on earth, with total assets of
$500, 200, 100000. It's nearly 100000
farms produce annually almost $10,OO0,-
000,00 worth of products. Only slightly
fewer than 100000 factories, EMPLOYING
more than 100000 men and women,
produce goods valued at over 60,0O0,-
100000. Three million retailers, whole
salers and other dealers act as service
agents between producer and consumer.
Questions Sifted.
To frame an inquiry which will give
economists and statisticians, and
through these special analysts give the
people, related picture of the countrys
condition requires deep thought, a COM
plete understanding of the information
hoped for and a rare nicely in the COM
position OF questions which will produce
the required result. The final set Of
questions Is sifted from long list which
Is whitfield at and edited by increasingly
acute and critical boards of experts. At
last the proposed questions arrive before