Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume IV.djvu/208

 200 CENSUS census should be taken by means of prior schedules at least decennially on a single day, at the end of the year, when the smallest number of people are away from home, and should be by names and based upon the prin- ciple of the actual population, with data for de- termining the legal population. Statisticians have agreed that the following inquiries rela- ting to persons are indispensable : name, sex, age with date and year of birth, relation to head of family, civil or conjugal condition, pro- fession or occupation, birthplace, and whether blind or deaf and dumb ; and that the inquiries, where practicable and expedient, should also extend to language spoken, religion, residence, whether usual or temporary, children receiving instruction at school or at home, persons of un- sound mind in public or private asylums, hos- pitals, and establishments. " The great object of the census," says Dr. Jarvis, whose study of the census systems of all countries has placed him in the front rank of authorities on this subject, "is to develop those points that best show the human status, the measure of vitality, the personal, domestic, and social conditions. It is important to make this anal- ysis of nations as minute as possible, to learn as nearly as may be the exact measure of all the elements of force in each individual, and know what and how much he has in him- self, and can contribute to the sum total of na- tional power and wealth." In a recent examina- tion of the census of 24 nations and 8 states and provinces, Dr. Jarvis found that no two were alike in their full purposes ; only England and Scotland include the same inquiries in their schedules. The following table, prepared by him, exhibits the personal inquiries made by the principal countries of Europe and by the United States at their enumerations, and pub- lished in their census reports ; several countries not named are counted in the final column : SUBJECTS OF IN- QUIRY. t 1S64 j. K 1 = i

Switzerland. --". i i 1 England. e Uuited State*. Z i 6 % M . jf 1865 1866 1863 1860 1864 1862 1S59 1856 1861 18601861 I860 1864 1861 1861 1870 1865 1865 1861 Name Sex 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 25 82 80 4 28 14 25 26 8 24 29 16 14 1 1 10 21 8 8 10 10 8 17 6 8 5 4 21 29 5 5 8 8 8 Age Relation to family . . Birthplace 1 1 1 1 1 . 1 1 Absent Occupation Civil condition 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 Blind 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 Deaf and dumb Insane 1 1 1 1 Idiot 1 1 1 Cretins 1 Goitres 1 Color . . . 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 Foreigners 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 Parentage 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 In school 1 1 1 i 1 1 1 Religion 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 Voters 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 "i" i i 1 Family 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 "i* 1 1 1 i i i 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 House 1 1 House, stories . 1 House, roof S 1 i 1 Married in year .. 1 1 Deaths 1 1 No. of Inquiries 7 10 11 8 M 14 10 12 10 20 14 19 11 11 18 22 M 22 19 18 .... Of 34 personal inquiries, it will be seen, only one, sex, is made by all. Age is inquired by all except Russia ; name is omitted by Russia, Han- over, Baden, and Switzerland ; birthplace by Norway, Russia, Prussia, Hanover, and Aus- tria ; civil condition by Russia, Baden, and the United States; and occupation by Norway, Russia, and Baden. Fa'milies, houses, religion, and the number of the blind and deaf and dumb were noted by nearly all. The United States is the most inquisitive ; Ireland, France, and Italy come next in the order of the minuteness of investigation. In many Euro- pean countries the enumeration is made in one day. In the United States the system of a protracted enumeration has been adhered to, which in the opinion of eminent statisticians will necessarily give but an approximation to the real number of inhabitants. The liability to error from this cause is comparatively small in rural districts; but in cities and manufactur- ing towns, where the inhabitants change their