Evening Republican, Volume 22, Number 309, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 26 December 1919 — PLEAD FOR A COMPLETE CENSUS [ARTICLE]

PLEAD FOR A COMPLETE CENSUS

PUBLIC MUST AID THE CENSUS TAKERS IN THE DUTY OF COUNTING NOSES. - ‘ v The fourteenth decennial census, to which President Wilson has called the attention of the nation in his proclamation made public recently, is to be the biggest, best and most complete ever taken if the plans of the census bureau do not go awry. l Director of the Census Samuel L. Rogers has announced that everything is in readiness to begin the canvassing campaign that during the month of January, 1920, will cover every mansion, every cottage and every.'hut in the country. An army of more than 87,000 enumerators, under the direction of 372 cenajia supervisors,- will be engaged in making the count. Every person in the land will be enumerated and the names, ages, birth places and occupations of all of Uncle Sam’s nieces and nephews will be set down and ffbrwarded to Washington. Many other questions concerning, home tenure, citizenship, marital status, literacy, sex, color and race are contained in the population schedule, which the enumerators will fill out from the answers given them. Farmers will be asked the questions contained ‘ln the agricultural schedule relating to farms. These questions cover farm tenure, farm products, values of farm lands, buildings, implements and improvements, field crops, garden products, farnf expenses, live stock, poultry, bees, in fact, all phases of the farming industry are covered. Even the family Ford will be counted, as, in fact, will all automobiles andtractors on farms. Questions as to telephones and electric lights, gas and water plants are also included in the group inquiries which fall under the general head* ing of “farm facilities,” the purposed of the government in collecting information of this character being to show the modern improvements on the farms during the past decade. So do not treat the census taker as a nuisance, but greet him as a friend. Tell him all about everything. The census bureau desires to emphasize the fact that the information gathered in the census is for general statistical purposes only and -that such information cannot be used as a basis for taxation. Nor can such information be used to harm any person in any way. This is pointed out in the president’s proclamation. j As a matter of fact, the identity of the individuals is lost as soon as the filled out schedules are received at Washington: For upon reaching there the information is transferred from the sheets to cards. This is done by machinery and names are discarded entirely. , Moreover, every person connected with the taking of the census is prohibited by federal law from divulging any information given them in the performance of their duties. t The bureau of the census has always had the willing co-operation of the public in the past and confidently looks forward to that same spirit of co-operation for the census of 1920.