Census of Production in the United States

CENSUS OF PRODUCTION IN THE UNITED STATES The first census in the United States, taken in 1790, covered population alone and not until 1810 was any effort made to secure data on other subjects. As economic problems have grown in number and complexity, the data gathered through censuses of production have multiplied greatly and the figures are now put to a multiplicity of uses. Production figures gathered through regu lar censuses now cover manufacturing, mining, agriculture and forestry.

Manufacturing.

The first production statistics of any kind collected by a census in the United States were those relating to manufacturing for the year 181o. These data were collected in connection with the regular decennial census. Five items of manu facturing were included at this census, the kinds, quantities and values of manufactured goods, the number of establishments, and the number of machines. The data were inaccurate and incom plete, but for the first time a general indication of the extent and nature of the manufacturing industries of the country was available. In the census of 182o, the number of items on manu facturing was increased to 14. No manufacturing data were in cluded at the census of 183o, but at the census of 184o, manufactures statistics were again introduced. The census of 185o, however, may be considered to be the first scientific enumer ation of manufactures, the schedule calling for information as to the number of manufacturing plants, capital, value of materials, employees, wages, value of products, percentage of profit, home manufactures, as well as data relating to certain individual in dustries. Thereafter each decennial census saw a gradual expansion in the items for which information was collected.

Down through the census of 1900, which, like its predecessors, covered the quantities produced in the year previous, all the statistics on manufactures related to the output of industry, wherever made. These censuses thus covered goods made under the factory system and those made in the hand and neighbour hood industries. As the factory system expanded, the volume of goods produced outside of it declined in relative importance and the canvass of the non-factory industries added greatly to try cost of the census, on account of the great number of insignifican establishments to be covered. After 1900, the census wa

restricted to goods made in factories whose products during thi year were valued at $5oo or more. Furthermore, the census o manufactures was taken every five years instead of every ter years, so as to provide frequent information on the growth o industry. Thus censuses of manufactures were taken in 1905 191o, 1915 and 192o, covering the output of the previous yea] in each case.

After the census of 192o changes were made both in the interval between census periods and in the minimum size of reporting establishments. The World War had shown the sity for securing more frequent and prompt returns of manuf ac. taring production, so the new census law provided for enumera.

tions every two years, covering the output of the years 1921 1923, 1925 and 1927. To facilitate the prompt issuance of them figures, the limit on establishments covered by the census wa: raised from a minimum of $5oo value of product to $5,000. WhilE this raising of the limit reduced the number of reports by 22% it reduced the number of wage earners and total value of product: by less than 1%.

For the census of manufactures of 1927, the schedule called for the following information: days of plant operation during the year ; hours normally worked by wage earners per week ; person: engaged, classified as proprietors, salaried employees, and wage earners (the latter given as of the middle of each month) ; amounts paid for salaries, wages, materials and fuel and pur chased power ; factory selling value of products ; number, type and horse-power of power equipment, including electric motors; number and kilowatt capacity of generators ; and consumption of coal. For the more important industries, special data relating to the output of their principal products, both in quantity and value, are presented. At the last quinquennial census, taken in 1920 and covering the year 1919, additional inquiries included capital invested, cost and quantities of materials used, by kinds, for certain industries and amounts paid for rent and taxes. These questions, which have proved more difficult for the manufacturers to answer accurately, have generally been omitted from the biennial census schedules in the interest of greater speed in the collection and compilation of the results.