Show INO O R GOVERNMENT OffiCER CAW CAN c CT T S liON GIVEN TO CENSUS BUR BUREAU W WAShINGTON Feb 15 The The United States tales census bureau Is making extraordinary extraordinary Inary preparations to ascertain the ap- ap exact number and value of live five stock on the ranges In the United States tatos on April 15 next the date of the live vo stock Inventory as required by the act ct of congress providing for the thirteenth thirteenth thir- thir decennial census Fearful that for one reason or another the he live stock raisers ma may be deterred from rom freely stating the number and value of f their holdings the census bureau burE-au Is exerting unusual efforts to assure the ranchmen and farmers especially of or the tho western vestern range states that their Interests interests inter- inter ests whether personal or corporate cannot cannot canot can- can not ot possibly be affected In any way by their heir frank and full rull disclosure of their live ve stock possessions The Information gathered by the census office Is held strictly confidential not only In respect l to is s o It the ever fact I Imparted that under d to no anyone circumstances ur not tn connected con con- with the census office but In respect re- re to Its ever being given to any other ther other branch of the government Assurance of Secrecy In behalf of the census bureau said Assistant Director William F. F Willoughby Willough- Willough by y today I can give as positive assurance assurance as- as of the confidential treatment of Information railed called for b by the live stock questions in the general agricultural schedule as I could If it a confidence were to o b b imposed po me e personally and ge geuE upon i aly alyc uE eb I le The census b bureau Is c concerned con con- cation iU of only statistical a in st the 1 t collection facts The Tho and n spirit publication I of every very act of congress providing for the various decennial censuses has been and andIs ands Is s that the Information as to Individuals firms and corporations Is to be given inviolable secrecy It Is as much privileged Information as that Imparted by jy a client to a lawyer by a patient to o a physician by a dying man to a a. minister It cann cannOt t even be Imparted to o another branch of the federal go government gov gov- v- v no matter how much much th the In- In formation may may be desired No court ever has bas or ever will ignore this Immunity Im ho from personal or business Involvement Involvement involvement In in- In- In bestowed In return for In Information information In- In formation required by United States census census cen con sus Inquiries To do otherwise would Impair If not wholly destroy the tho scientific scientific scientific efficiency of the census work So far as the live JIve stock census Is concerned the bureau following fair impartial and unbiased methods quickly separates the person firm or corporation from the facts m furnished lf e and private v or corporate r I Identity identity Iden iden- tro hora In connection n with any census s data remains remains' forever sealed and sacred in the great safes sates of the tho census office The rhe Directors Director's Report In his annual report for tor 1909 to Secretary Secretary Sec Sec- Nagel of the department of commerce commerce com corn merce mci-co and labor Census Director Durand stated The thirteenth census act Is more specific than that for tho twelfth census with respect to penalties upon supervisor supervisors super super- visors visor enumerators or other employee employees who disclose Information which they se secure so- so cure or who make mako false returns While of the census bureau in the past have been guilty of improper disclosure of Information except Information except possibly In a a. very few cases these cases these more specific provisions for penalties are highly advantageous Although the census law requires persons persons persons per per- sons Interrogated to furnish the Information informs informs- tion called for on the duly authorized schedules reliance for prompt and d a accurate accurate accurate ac ac- ac- ac curate returns must rest largely upon the good will of those making the re re- re turns Manufacturers farmers and others others oth oth- ers will not freely disclose the needed Information unless they feel assured that it will be treated In strict confidence The census bureau exists solely for the collection of general statistics and Is not and should not be be an Instrument for disclosing the tho affairs of Individual persons persons per per- sons firms or corporations Returns made by the census bureau are in no case published In such a a. way as to Identify the business operations of Individual Individual Indi Indi- vidual persons or concerns nor are they disclosed to any person aside from employees employees employees em em- of the bureau Itself not itself not even evento evento to other departments of the government govern govern- mont ment ent or to other bureaus of the department department department depart- depart ment of commerce and labor |