0 Female who could neither read nor write.
0~ ,. „ read only,
0— „ ,, „ both read and write.
(A specimen of this form is attached E.)
During the progress of the work of extraction it is a matter of the utmost importance to maintain a continuous check over the results at each stage. The Enumerators' Abstracts, although not in themselves absolutely correct, furnish a useful check on the office work; again the results attained by the extraction in one Department of the office, may be used to check the others.
VIII. ,
65 in a popular form results which very few members of the public will take the trouble, or be capable of working out quickly for their own infor-mation.
Maps are especially valuable in census Reports as different degrees of shading or different colours express, in the most striking manner, the results arrived at in different parts of the same country. Diagrams I con-sider of great value in expressing «Comparative» statistical results in an
easily appreciable form. I would here be permitted to remark that I do not consider statistical diagrams are suitable means of conveying to the mind accurate mathematical facts. On the contrary I consider they are
best suited for general comparative results and popular demonstration.
X·
The kind of persons best suited for the work. . It is the duty of the Chiefs of Government Departments to give special attention to economy of working and this is a special difficulty in census work, because as censuses are generally taken at considerable inter-vals it is impossible to maintain a permanent organization for the purpose and temporary organizations are always expensive. In order, to as for as possible, avoid the evil results of a temporary organization it is necessary to use as a nucleus some existing statistical organization.
In the various divisions of the United Kingdom the Department's for the Registration of Births and Deaths are used for this purpose. In Ireland in addition the Police organization is employed which each year is also engaged in collecting agricultural and emigration statistics and is thus trained to enumeration work. In England and Scotland the local Registrars are employed as Superintendents of enumeration and special enumerators are appointed under their direction. The Staff at the Central Offices in England, Scotland and Ireland are constructed in a similar manner, some of the skilled and permanent Officials being used as directors of the work, and temporary clerks appointed for the routine business.
In some processes of extraction, and tabulation of census returns, a large number of clerks can be employed with advantage while in others but a few can be profitably employed. The success of the work, in point of rapidity and economy, consists in knowing bow to apportion the clerks among the different branches of the work, when to transfer them to other branches, or when to reduce their number.
In Ireland we have found it of great advantage to employ a conside-rable number of boys between 14 and 18 years of age. These boys were found to be quick in their work, when employed on the simpler processes, and the more intelligent were promoted to be men clerks, during the progress of the work.
-XXH 5
Tlie following statement shows how the number were regulated during the work, in the Irish Census Office, both before and after the taking of the census (the date of the census was the 3rd of April 1881).
Census of Ireland 1881.
Return showing the number of the clerical staff employed in the census office, Dublin, during each month from 1st October 1880 to 30th October 1882 when tlie work was completed.
P e r i o d Clerks Boys Total
1880 October 1 1
1880 November 1 — 1
1880 December 1 — 1
1881 January 3 — 3
1881 February 8 5 13
1881 March 8 9 17
1881 April 9 9 18
1881 May 5 2 41 93
1881 June 8 5 87 172
1881 July 9 2 89 181
1881 August 9 4 89 183
1881 - September 96 87 183
1881 October 95 66 161
1881 November 9 3 60 153
1881 December 8 4 58 142
1882 January 7 3 48 121
1 8 8 2 February 7 4 47 121
1 8 8 2 March 7 3 45 118
1S82 April 70 4 1 111
1 8 8 2 May 6 0 35 95
1 8 8 2 June 5 4 26 8 0
1 8 8 2 July 51 24 75
1 8 8 2 August 4 4 20 6 4
1 8 8 2 September 39 12 51
1 8 8 2 October 26 10 36
Three commissioners, the Chief of whom was the Registrar General for Ireland, one specially appointed to assist the Registrar General, and one the secretary of the General Register office who also acted as secretary of the census office assisted by five permanent officers supervised the work of the clerks and boys during the whole period.
67 Three other clerks- of the General Register Office were employed in taking charge of correspondence and accounts.
There were besides these 72 persons employed on piece work at their own homes of whom 21 were females. Six Messengers were also employed.
XI.
The time necessary for accomplishing the work.
It is a most important element in census work that it should be terminated as soon as possible after the date of the collection of the returns.
The length of time taken in digesting and arranging census returns depends more on the number of subjects dealt with than the number of the popu-lation enumerated. It would appear a mere matter of increase in the number
of clerks - in proportion to the number of persons dealt with. . There does not appear to be any reason why it should take longer
to deal with the returns of a population of 50 millions than with 5 millions if the system of publication by limited areas be adopted.
If, however, all the information for all the people is to be published simultaneously the printing work alone must cause considerable and un-necessary delay. In the case of Ireland the primary processes of extraction took only three months and then publication immediately commenced. The first County book was published on the 26 th September 1881, the final Report on the 21s t of September 1882, or within 18 months from the taking of the census. I see no reason why a longer period should be occupied in any country unless more items were included.
• XII.
The cost of the work.
The cost must necessarily vary in different countries according to many circumstances. No general standard of cost can be established. As already shown the cost will depend much on the efficiency of the organ-isation and the early preparation of all the necessary measures for carrying out the work. It will be observed in the statement contained in section X that the census office for Ireland was opened iu October 1880 — that is six mouths before the date of taking the census. At this time all the superintendents were nominated and their work aud salaries fixed. I may add that before the general body of clerks were appointed each man or boy had his allotted seat and numbered desk awaitiug him in the office.
It may interest some of those who may have to superintend the taking of a census in future to" know the exact cost of the taking of the Irish census for 1881, which I have used all through this paper, as
an illustraton of a successful method of taking a census of a population of 5,000,000.
The following is the statement of cost, divided into the principal heads'.
' 5*
Census of Ireland, 1881.
Statement of the Net Expenditure under each sub — head.
Salaries.
Office staff #14,518. Os. Id.
Taskwork 2,932. 9 10
: ' #17,450. 9s. l i d . Incidental Expenses . 251. 14 0 Enumeration charges 3,913. 16 8 . Total #21,616. 0 7~
Cost of Printing for Census of Ireland, 1881.
n s. d. É s. d.
Preliminary Report . . . . 17 7 9
Part I. Area, Houses, Population &c.
g ILeinster (12 County Books) 2,204 2 2 c J Munster ( 6 „ „ 1 1,864 8 2 g l Ulster ( 9 „ „ ) 1.785 12 " 6
(L (Connaught( 5 „ „ ) 1,167 . 14 11 7,021 17 9
Part H. General Report 611 19 2
Supplement to Alphabetical Index 31 9 10
General Bookwork-Miscellaneous . 69 13 9
Enumeration Forms 1 as nearly as 1,559 3 2
Office Forms J can be stated 706 17 11
10,018 ? 4
Thus, in round numbers the cost of taking of a census of 5 millions of Irish people (the exact number was 5,174,836) was £20,000, and the publication of the results including the printing of the Forms &e. A" 10,000 more, or about £ 3 0 , 0 0 0 altogether, or about l ' /4 pence per head of the population.
I have endeavoured in the foregoing remarks to state as briefly as possible (consistently with the complicated nature of the subject) what I believe to be the main principles to be followed in drawing up census returns. It would be impossible to go into detail in such a matter without wearying my audience. I have tried to make the remarks practical by giving the experiences of a census which was carried out under my own supervision, and in doing so I have been ably assisted by my secretary, Mr. R. E. Matheson, who has had extensive experience in the work of census taking.
In conclusion I have only to express a hope that my paper may prove to be of some little aid in solving the great question of the best method of taking and compiling a census. A problem which it is necessary to solve before Ave can hope to arrive at that valuable consummation —a n International
Census taken simultaneously and on uniform principles.
Buchdrnckerei and Lithographie Cli. Reisscr A M. Werthner.
69
IDiscussionen.
Redigirt von
Dr. Ernst Mischler
Seeretär des Demographisehen Congresses.
I .