--- title: Improvement Era description: Monthly periodical of the Mormon church, 1897 onward. This library holds the issues of November 1897 to December 1930. authors: - Anderson, Edward H. collections: - periodicals tags: - magazine - improvement-era periodical: Improvement Era volume: 3 number: 8 published: 1900-06 publisher: Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations publisher_place: Salt Lake City language: en type: magazine reference: 'Edward H. Anderson, "The Twelfth Census," *Improvement Era* 3, no. 8 (June 1900): 598–602.' source: url: https://archive.org/details/improvementera38unse transcription: Transcribed from the Internet Archive scan of each issue (the item for each issue is named in the issue's own source); unnumbered advertising leaves are omitted, printed page numbers are kept as page markers. identifier: improvementera38unse start_page: 598 end_page: 602 rights: status: public-domain basis: US publication 1930 or earlier (published 1900-06) source: https://archive.org/details/improvementera38unse publication_year: 1900 note: The Internet Archive item metadata carries a blanket "© Copyright by Intellectual Reserve, Inc." notice. The library owner judged it inapplicable because this issue was published in 1900, before 1931; a scan-level notice does not restore copyright. --- # The Twelfth Census — THE TWELFTH CENSUS. BY EDWARD H. ANDERSON. The month of June will be given over to the census enumerator who will be abroad in all the land, laden with blanks and questions. He should be treated with kindness and due consideration, for he is a political necessity in our country, besides having other virtues that entitle him to deference. When the first census was taken, in 1790, the population of the United States was about four million; when the census of 1900 shall be completed, it will demonstrate that the number of inhabitants are not far short of seventy-five million.* The cost of taking the first census, which was done under the supervision of the United States marshals, was $44,377; while it is estimated that the present census, which it is intended shall be the most thorough one ever taken, will involve an expenditure of about fifteen million dollars. It was not until the taking of the censuses of 1880 and 1890, that the huge proportions of the present one could in any way be foreshadowed. The United States marshals who engaged in the first count could not even dream what the mighty enumeration would mean in the closing year of the nineteenth century. In the item of cost alone, the difference is grandly perceptible. The expenditures for the first nine censuses, including that of 1870, was less than eight and a half million dollars —the exact figures are $8,306,323 * In a recent magazine article, Census Director William R. Merriam, in estimating the number of our population, writes: "I should say that from seventy-three to seventy-four million is the utmost that we can reasonably expect." THE TWELFTH CENSUS. 599 while for the twelfth census, as already stated, the outlay is estimated at fifteen million dollars, approaching twice as much for this one as for the first nine enumerations. In 1870, the count employed six thousand five hundred and seventy-two assistant marshals, supervised by sixty-one marshals of the United States courts; the present census will require fifty thousand enumerators, under the direction of three hundred supervisors, and a general director with his aids and clerks. This does not include about three thousand clerks which will be employed on the statistics, in Washington, for a period of two years or more. The object of the first count of the population was almost entirely to obtain the proper apportionment for representation in Congress; but, while one of the main purposes yet is to obtain a basis of proper representation in Congress, the work and scope of the census has vastly changed since then. In addition to the mere numbering of the people, and the gathering of the facts in the great divisions of vital statistics, agriculture and manufactures, added principally in 1850, the census now includes a whole library of industrial and sociological data. I say, added principally in 1850, but beginning with 1810, the government has used the census more and more as an instrument for collecting and publishing a variety of statistics.The census of 1890 involved an incredible amount of labor, and, owing to tardiness in Congress and a variety of other causes, in the beginning of the work, the obstacles encountered by Mr. Porter, who was appointed superintendent, were well nigh insurmountable. It required seven years for completing and publishing the reports of the eleventh census which fills thirty octavo volumes. The cost of the work was more than ten million dollars. In 1810, the Secretary of the Treasury had charge of the census agents as to the enumeration of manufactures, but in 1820 the entire charge was with the Secretary of State, where it remained until 1850, when the supervision of the census was committed to the newly created Department of the Interior, and since then it has been chiefly under the charge of the Secretary of the Interior and a census board. The labor now devolves upon a census director and a census bureau. The present census law is a wide departure from any previous legislation of the kind. One of the 600 IMPROVEMENT ERA. main changes, aside from the personnel in charge, is that it has given more time for preliminary work and arrangement. Those who are informed pronounce the law decidedly the best that has ever been enacted for taking a census. Much, therefore, is expected from the present effort. A director, who is William R. Merriam, has been given general charge of 4he administration, and under him is an assistant director, a trained statistician, Fred H. Wines, who will be held responsible for the labors of the various statisticians employed by the bureau. Five chief statisticians are provided for, each having a certain line of enquiry in which he has a reputation for capacity and thoroughness. Then there are nearly three hundred district supervisors who have been selected to take charge of the work in the many census districts throughout the country. These are charged with the appointment of enumerators in their particular districts, and with the duty of seeing that the proper returns are made to the census bureau. In the act creating the bureau, two years only are allowed in which to finish certain branches of the work. When we remember that it took seven years to prepare the last census, it looks like an impossible task to complete the information under the four leading heads in the present count, in the two years allotted; the effort in that direction is being made, by a host of workers and if H is possible, it will be done. As a matter of fact, however, no enumeration has been concluded as far as the after-work is concerned, in the time specified. Five months were allowed in 1850, but it is needless to say that the time was not sufficient. It is to be hoped that the facts of the present census may be published in time to be of value; and the division of the facts to be first printed from those that will come after, gives promise of this, and was undoubtedly made for this purpose. The four grand divisions are: population, vital statistics or mortality, agriculture, and manufacture. The information under these chief subjects must be completed in two years from June, 1900, and will be known as the "Census Reports." Then as soon as this work is done, the bureau will take up the special subjects upon which information has been gathered including among others: schools, churches, insane, feeble-minded, deaf, dumb and blind; crimes, pauperism, and benevolence; social statistics of cities; public indebtedness, valuation and expenditure; elec- THE TWELFTH CENSUS. 601 trie light and power, telephone and telegraph business; transportation by water, express business and street railways, and mines and mining. When these are published they will be called, "Special Census Reports." In addition to the officers already named, as engaged in the work, a field force of fifty thousand enumerators will be sent out among the people in the month of June to gather the information desired. This mighty force of workers will require from two to four weeks for their tasks which must be completed before the end of the month. In Utah, Mr. Arthur Pratt is the district supervisor, and the state is divided into two hundred and nine districts each with an enumerator appointed by the district supervisor, and confirmed by the census bureau; there is, besides, one special government agent for the Uintah and Uncompahgre Indian agencies. In conformity with the old plan, adopted years ago by General Francis A. Walker, perhaps the most eminent man ever connected with census work, there will be special agents appointed in the largest cities of the Union, to gather information required concerning manufacturing establishments in such cities. Four special agents, in addition to those already named, will be appointed in Utah for the following cities: Lake City, Ogden, Logan, Provo, Park City, Lehi, Salt Brigham and Springville. In all other cities of the state, City, the regular enumerators will gather all the information. The allotment of enumerators to the counties is as follows: Beaver, 3; Box Elder, 9; Cache, 13; Carbon, 3; Davis, 6; Emery, 4; Garfield, 2; Grand, 1; Iron, 3; Juab, 5; Kane, 2; Millard, 6; Morgan, 2; Piute, 2; Rich, 2; Salt Lake, 68; Summit, 7; Sanpete, 10; Sevier, 7; San Juan, 2; Tooele, 7; Utah, 17; Uintah, 5; Washington, 3; Wayne, 2; Wasatch, 3; Weber, 17. When the work of the enumerator is accomplished in all the states and territories of the Union, the facts gathered will be placed in proper form for publication and use by the people. This enormous labor will begin by having each name transferred from the enumerator's sheets to about one hundred million cards which will be counted by means of the Hollerith machines. Then will follow the tabulation and classification of the results. This labor will require a force of from twenty-eight hundred to three thou- 602 IMPROVEMENT ERA. sand people employed at one time and for a period of about two years. A large and commodious building is provided in Washington which will serve as the work- shop and headquarters of the bureau, and the main body of this vast army of clerks will begin their labors about July 1, 1900. Chinese, as well as all other foreigners, will be counted, and the Indians will be considered as foreigners, but will have a separate report as to their condition. Negroes, who, in some of the earlier censuses, under certain conditions, were counted as whites — will this time have a special report devoted to their interests. Of course, every citizen of our glorious land, will be interested in learning of the increased population of our nation, and in its astonishing agricultural, commercial and manufacturing growth. But aside from these general reports, there will be much in the educational, religious, and social conditions that will prove of great interest to all the thoughtful and patriotic inhabitants of the republic. Every well-wisher of our marvelous country, will hope that with our material prosperity, and commercial advancement, which will undoubtedly appear at higlj-water mark, this enumeration shall reveal moral, religious, charitable and intel- lectual tendencies among the people, that shall assure us with unmistakable evidences of long life to the nation. But along some of these lines, not without good reason, there is serious apprehension, which, let us hope, will be dispelled by the facts brought forth. That Utah will compare favorably with her sister states, and will show a steady and sure development along all these lines, I am clearly confident. Our growth in population is phenomenal. In 1860, the population was 40,273; in 1870, 86,786; in 1880, 143,- 963; in 1890, it reached 207,905 which number will doubtless show proportionate increase in this year of 1900. Utah has grown immensely in wealth in the past ten years, and it is to be hoped that she has kept pace with her riches in the retention, and in the further acquirement, of those moral virtues with the masses, which are the foundation of true character, and of the permanent life and growth of the state and nation. The people of Utah, by freely giving the desired information,