among "domestic products," but reckoned in the United States
census among agricultural products. Of these 150 items, only 24 are
reported in the United States census of 1870, although some of those
omitted are from $1,500,000 to $5,000,000 in annual value. In the case
of manufactures the defects are still more striking--ludicrously so but
for the importance of the subject. By the schedules of 1850 the facts
called for in regard to manufactures are simply these: number of
establishments, horse-power, hands employed, capital, wages, materials,
products. The 1 establishment which employed 3 hands and turned out
$3000 worth of artificial eyes demanded and received exactly the same
treatment with the 22,573 flouring- and grist-mills with their army of
58,448 workmen and $444,985,143 of products. On this Procrustean bed all
are stretched or shrunken--the giant industries by which men are fed,
clothed, housed and shod, with their 1,000,000 of men and $2,000,000,000
of products, and the pigmy occupations of making skewers,
calcium-lights, mops, dusters, etc., employing 150 persons and
aggregating $150,000 of products.

And this leads directly to a consideration of the measures necessary to
secure a proper census of the United States in 1880. To begin with, as
already reiterated, a new law is imperatively demanded: no good thing
can come of the present statute. As early as possible during this
present Congress a committee on the tenth census should be appointed,
which should carefully study the laws and methods of every civilized
state and country in which a census is taken, and from these collect
whatever is best, giving at the same time ample power to the
superintendent in all matters of administration and appointment. Such a
law might be as short and simple as that of Rhode Island, which is
comprised in eight brief sections, yet is so comprehensive that under
its provisions was compiled the most complete census yet taken in this
country, if not in the world.

The time at which the census is taken should be changed from June 1 to
at least November 1, if not to January 1, when the labors of the year
are ended, when the harvest has been gathered in, the books made up and
the family naturally talk over the events of the past twelve-month.
Then, if ever, is the time when full, frank and honest answers will be
given, and the census-taker will be hailed rather as a friend than an
enemy in disguise. The method adopted years ago in