Enumeration of l'opulation.—The census has been a matter of In its present day form it involves a record of the salient farts pertaining, to every person in the community. these facts being summarized for territorial and other groups. But it outs a long time in coming to this point. and early records arc (oftentimes Nery summary.
Dcrciopment of Population Census.—The pro gress of census-taking can be seen in an exami nation of the development of the census of the iTnited States. That of 1790 was a model under taking, whose results were fully stated in an octavo pamphlet of fifty-six pages, while the report upon population in the census of 1890 tills two quarto volumes, of 2181 pages. The cen sus. of 1790 recorded only the heads of famine., dividing the members of the family into the fol lowing classes: free whites, males HI years anti ever, males under IC years. females, other free persons, and slaves. Until 18•0 no essential change was made in the form of enumeration, though the classes were enlarged to embrace age, IICCillintiOn, physical infirmity. and other data. By 1810 the schedule had grmn so unwieldy that for each family there were as many as sev enty spaces in which entries might be made. In this period there could be no tabuliairm of st• tistics in the modern sense_ of the word. No combinations other than those given in the orig inal schedule could be made, and facts given under one head, e.g. age, could not be combined with those given under another. c.g. illiteracy. In 1850 a radical change was introduced. and for the first time every inhabitant was recorded by same, the questions being answered for each per son specifically, and not for the family group of which he was a part. This. change in the manner of asking the questions necessitated the establish ment of a central office in Washington in uhich all the schedules were gathered and the tabula tions made. The eollection of the figures was in the hand- of the United States marshal, until 1SS0. but since that dote has been in charge of the Census (Mice, and eonsiderable improvement in the quality of the returns has resulted. The of 1900 was taken wider a law of 1899, which notably improved the mechanism of cen sus-taking in minor points.
Census 3/Ohm/R.—The operations of the cen sus are manifold, and can be stated only in the briefest manner. Preliminary steps arc the preparation of the schedules and the division of the country into enumeration districts. The
are minutely prescribed by law, but the better way is for the act to enumer ate the points to be covered and leave the formu lation of the questions to the experience and discretion of the census authorities. The country must be divided into well-delined enumeration districts. containing approximately the same number of persons, and not too extensive to be fully covered by the enumerator in the time al lotted to him. In countries where the census is taken in a single day, the districts must of necessity be smaller than in the United States. where two weeks are given the enumerator in cities, and a month in rural districts. After he has completed lwis work his papers are sent. to Washington for examination and tabulation. In 1890 the work of tabulation was done by electrical machines, the invention of Air. Herman Hollenth. These machines have now acquired a permanent place in census work. The facts re corded on the schedules are drawn off by a punching machine on cards. where each perfora tion some one of the characteristics noted on the schedules. Such a card is prepared for each individual. The cards are placed in a holder and brought into contact with a large number of corresponding in location to the perforations. If there a hole in the card the point pa,ses through, establishes a current, and makes a record upon a recording dial. The points which touch the cards at places where there are no perforations are pushed back by springs and r•turn into place when the card taken out. By Means of this machine the count is made with unerring accuracy and the number of eombinations of the different data is greatly increased. It will be readily understood, if it has not been expressly stated, that a modern eensit: of population is something more than a statement of the number of the people. The usually embraced in inquiries re late to sex. race, age. nativity, citizenship. con jugal condition, occupation. literacy, in foreign emintries. religious belief. The geo graphical distribution of the people sites another and ino,t important element. These various ele ments in conjunction with the geographical de tail fulni-h an almost endless variety of •om binations. The result is a minute analysis of the population from these various points of view.