Lecture on Census Taking

Prof. W. T. Wilcox, of Cornell University, lectured last evening in the Fogg Museum on the subject of census taking.

The United States was the first country to take a genuine census, and has continued the custom from the beginning. Census taking differs from registration much as the counting of stock differs from bookkeeping. The deficiency of the United States in registration is very noticeable, and has led to efforts to make the census take the place of registration, an attempt which has, however, proved unsatisfactory. The census of recent years has been overburdened with matters of secondary importance, but the new law is an improvement in this respect.

At the present time interest in the census to be taken next month has led to not a little discussion as to the probable population of the country. Prediction founded on any scientific basis is almost impossible, but if the returns of past censuses may be accepted, an approximate estimate may be made. There is good reason why the results of the eleventh census should be accepted, not withstanding the fact that they have frequently been unfavorably criticised. From calculations based upon them it may be concluded that the probable population by the next census will be seventy-five and a half millions. A result rising far above this will tend to confirm the doubts now entertained by many regarding the last or eleventh census.