Democratic Sentinel, Volume 3, Number 5, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 14 March 1879 — THE NEW CENSUS LAW. [ARTICLE]

THE NEW CENSUS LAW.

A Summary'of Its Provisions. The law provides for the appointment by the President of one or more Supervisors of Census in each State and Territory, the whole number not to exceed 150. Each Supervisor is charged, among other duties, with that of proposing to the Superintendent of the Census at Washington the apportionment of his district into subdivisions most convenient for the purpose of enumeration, and to designate to the Superintendent of Census suitable persons, and, with the consent of said Superintendent, to employ such persons as enumerators within his district, one for each subdivision, and resident therein, who shall be selected solely without reference to their fitness, and with reference to their political or party affiliations, according to the apportionment approved by the Superintendent of Census. The enumerators are responsible to the Supervisor, and each Supervisor to the Superintendent of Census. Each Supervisor is to receive SSOO in full for all services rendered and expenses incurred, except that an allowance for clerk-hire may be made at the discretion of the Superintendent. Of course the Government furnishes all blanks, instructions, etc. The law precnoes the dut es of the enumerators and the information they are to obtain very fully. The subdivision assigned to any enumerator shall not exceed 4,ooo4nhabitants, according to the census of 1870, nor shall any such subdivision contain less than 3,000 inhabitants in any case where the last preceding census shows the number of inhabitants thereof. The boundaries of all subdivisions shall be clearly described by civil divisions, rivers, roads, public surveys, or other easily-distinguished lines Enumerators east of the Rocky mountains are to receive not more than $-1 per working day, and those west of the mountains $G per day for actual fieldwork. In lieu of this per diem, the Superintendent of the Census, in subdivisions where he shall deem such allowance sufficient, may allow enumerators not exceeding 2 cents for each living inhabitant, 2 cents for each death reported, 10 cents for each farm, and 15 cents for each establishment of productive industry enumerated and returned, in full compensation for all services. Enumerators are required to take an oath for th© faithful performance of their duties, and a penalty is affixed for violating the same, as also for the refusal of any person to give the information required by law. This information is to be furnished by the heads of families, or, in the absence of a head of family, by any member over 20 years of age, and in the case of corporations and companies by any authorized officer. The inquiries embrace those used in the last census, with many important additions, and the census, when complete, will present much the most complete exhibit of the population, wealth, business and social condition of the country that has ever been made. The act appropriates $3,000,000 as the maxim rim cost of thte census, exclusive of printing and engraving.