Vocational training completed (5 percent) This is a new item in the census. This information is needed to assist the Federal. State and local government agencies in locating new vocational training facilities and assessing the potential market for various training programs. A comparison of the incomes and work experience of persons with and without vocational training, for specific occupations, will provide a rough measure of the financial return from an investment in vocational training. Presence and duration of disability (5 percent) Some questions on disability were asked in each census from 1830-1890 and one on duration of disability was asked in 1890. Questions on this subject will show whether the person has a serious health condition which limits the amount or kind of work he can do, and how long it has lasted. The data will meet an urgent need by government and volunteer agencies for a factual basis on which to make an efficient allocation of billions of dollars annually for the assistance of disabled persons. Telephone (100 percent) HOUSING ITEMS First collected in 1960. This item is collected as an aid to enumeration, so that in many cases the followup interviews can obtain information needed for completing a schedule, resolving inconsistencies, etc., by a telephone call rather than a personal call. Its tabulation as a statistic is therefore a by-product. The item is used as an indicator of the level of living. Access to unit (100 percent) First collected in 1960. Whether a particular living quarters constitutes a separate housing unit, depends, for the most part, on whether it has separate and independent access and complete kitchen facilities. Identification of the mode of access therefore is of fundamental importance in determining how many housing units there are in the United States. Complete kitchen facilities (100 percent) New item in 1970. Complete kitchen facilities are defined as including a range or stove, a mechanical refrigerator and a sink connected to piped water. This question is used as a component, together with mode of access, in defining a separate housing unit. The availability of complete kitchen facilities for the exclusive use of the occupants is also one of the six items which will be used to evaluate the quality of the housing inventory.1 Rooms (100 percent) Collected in each census since 1940. The number of rooms in the unit provides the only basis for estimating the amount of available living space in the housing unit. This item, together with number of persons, provides a persons per room ratio which is used as a measure of crowding. Water supply, flush toilet, and bathtub or shower (100 percent) 1 Collected in each census since 1940. The presence of these basic plumbing needs is the most significant indicator of housing quality. The items are used in combination with heating equipment, complete kitchen facilities and rent or value to provide a comprehensive measure of quality. Basement (100 percent) First collected in 1960. The item is used for emergency planning by the Office of Civil Defense, which uses the data in developing shelter programs. Heating equipment (100 percent) Collected in each census since 1940. This item is one of the six criteria to be used in evaluating the quality of a housing unit.1 Tenure (100 percent) First collected in 1890. Information on tenure gives a measure of the extent to which the goal of widespread homeownership is achieved. Agencies concerned with housing need to know also the characteristics of households which own their 1 Information about the quality of the Nation's housing for areas as small as city blocks is used by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and by local planning and urban renewal officials to delineate areas for their housing programs. The six items are water supply, toliet, and bathtub or shower, complete kitchen facilities, heating equipment, and rent or value. homes and those which rent. Data on owners and renters are used by builders, mortgage lenders, and national and local agencies in the planning of long-range housing programs. Commercial establishment of property (100 percent) Collected in each census since 1940. The question is used to exclude properties with a business establishment from the value data on single-family homes. Value (100 percent) Collected in each census since 1930. Value is not only a measure of the level of living, but over a period of time is a measure of the appreciation (or depreciation) of the homeowner inventory. In the aggregate, value of homes is an important component of national wealth. The census is the only source of data with respect to current market value, as distinguished from construction cost or purchase price. "Value" is one of the six criteria to be used in evaluating the quality of a housing unit.1 Contract rent (100 percent) Collected in each census since 1930. Rent, like value, is a measure of the level of living and changes in the price of housing over the decades. It is an important characteristic of the rental housing inventory, particularly to those who analyze the rental housing market and predict demand for such housing. Contract rent is one of the six criteria to be used in evaluating the quality of a housing unit.1 Vacancy status (100 percent) Collected in each census since 1940. Vacancy status provides a count of the vacant housing inventory and the type of vacancies-the amount of vacancies that are on the market for rent or for sale, those that are for seasonal use and those that are not on the market. The information on the supply of vacancies is used by the Nation's builders, lenders and Federal and local agencies for analyzing the supply and demand for housing. Months vacant (100 percent) First collected in 1960. The data are used by national and local builders, mortgage lenders, and housing agencies to estimate the amount of activity in the housing market, and to measure how quickly the vacant inventory is being utilized. This item, when cross-tabulated by selected characteristics of vacant units, is particularly useful in interpreting patterns and changes in local housing markets by indicating which types of units remain vacant longer, such as units with high or low values and rents, the older or newer units, etc. Components of gross rent (25 percent) Collected in each census since 1940. Gross rent is the sum of contract rent plus the additional cost, if any, to the renter for electricity, gas, water, and fuels. Gross rent or total shelter cost, therefore, makes all rents comparable. Gross rent as a percent of income shows the relationship between housing costs and income for various income groups within our population. Year structure built (25 percent) Collected in each census since 1940. Cross-classification of this item with other housing characteristics show the differences between housing built in recent decades as compared with that built earlier. Information about the age of our housing is also useful in assessing replacement needs. By comparing the age distributions of housing units in successive censuses, it is possible to measure the impacts of new units and the disappearance of old units on the inventory. With the growing concern of Federal and municipal governments for the improvement of the available housing, information on the age of existing housing, and the proportion of relatively new housing in the total inventory is of prime importance. Number of units in structure and whether a trailer (25 percent) Number of units in structure was collected in each census since 1940. This item tells how many households live in one-family homes, or in two-family or other various sizes of apartment structures. It helps in planning the extension of utility lines, estimating automobile parking and traffic flow requirements, school, 1 Information about the quality of the Nation's housing for areas as well as city blocks is used by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and by local planning and urban renewal officials to delineate areas for their housing programs. The six items are: water supply, toilet, and bathtub or shower, complete kitchen facilities, heating equipment, and rent or value. and playground and shopping center needs. This item, when cross-tabulated with other items such as income, household composition, rent, etc., describes the differences in the social and economic character of the people who live in onefamily homes or in large or small apartment houses in various parts of a city. Trailers were included in each census since 1950. Mobile homes have comprised a steadily increasing proportion of new one-family housing unit structures over the past few years. In 1966 they accounted for approximately 20 percent of such units. Information about the numbers of trailers (and mobile homes), their location, and about the people who live in them is important in estimating housing needs, and space and facilities requirements, and in assessing school and other public service requirements in a community. Farm residence (25 percent) Collected in each census since 1890. Information on acreage and sales of farm products is used to classify the Nation's population and its housing inventory by farm-nonfarm residence in rural territory. Data provided by the farm-nonfarm classification are widely used by many private and government agencies. They are used particularly by the Agriculture, and Housing and Urban Development Departments for the planning and implementation of their programs. Source of water, Sewage disposal (20 percent) First collected in 1960. Both of these items were included at the request of public health officials, for their bearing on problems of water-borne disease and of pollution. They are also useful to State and local public works officials in estimating prospective need for greater facilities (purification, treatment, distribution, etc.) and for new construction, such as extension of sewers. They are also important when cross-tabulated with other items such as washing machine or dishwasher to show the potential overloading of facilities. Bathrooms (20 percent) First collected in 1960. This item provides a measure of the number of complete and partial bathrooms. It is important to both the Federal Government and private organizations in measuring the quality of the housing units which have the minimum essentials. Air conditioning (20 percent) First collected in 1960. Air conditioning has become a fairly common feature of housing so that it is an indicator of the level of living and power consumption. The distribution of water-cooled systems is important to studies of water usage. Automobiles (20 percent) First collected in 1960. This item was adopted for the 1960 Census of Housing at the urgent request of numerous planning groups for use in highway planning, thruway planning, other traffic planning, parking planning, and related uses. Increased congestion makes this item even more important for 1970. Stories, elevator in structure (5 percent) First collected in 1960. This item measures the extent to which the housing inventory includes walk-up apartments and also makes it possible to distinguish between multiunit structures which are of the high-rise type and those that are of the garden-apartment type. This item is used by local agencies in the establishment of modification of zoning codes and regulations. Fuel-heating, cooking, water heating (5 percent) Data on fuel used for heating and cooking have been collected in each census since 1940; data on fuel used for heating water were first collected in 1960. Data about domestic fuels are important for air pollution control activities, in public and industry studies of additional facilities needed (such as for natural gas transmission or long-distance electricity transmission), and are a measure of the level of living. The extent to which electricity is used for high-load purposes such as heating is distinctly important in planning for the availability of an adequate supply of power. Bedrooms (5 percent) First collected in 1960. Data on number of bedrooms are used to measure the adequacy of sleeping space. Data on bedrooms cross-classified with figures on rent and value provide a standardized basis for evaluating the cost of shelter. The item is also used to provide an alternative indicator of crowding, and, hence, of the level of living. For some purposes the number of bedrooms provides a more useful measure of the adequacy of housing than is given by number of rooms, especially in structures where living, dining, and kitchen space may not be clearly separated into rooms. The number of bedrooms in relation to family size gives local housing authorities important information on the adequacy of the local housing supply. Second home (5 percent) New item in 1970. "Second" or "vacation" homes are becoming an increasingly large part of the housing inventory. Second homes are of a great variety ranging from rustic cabins to high-rise condominiums. The data are needed by Federal agencies, the Nation's home builders, and financial institutions to determine the effect of this incremental housing demand on planning and program requirements. Clothes washing machine,2 Clothes dryer, and Dishwasher3 (5 percent) Home food freezer (5 percent) First collected in 1960. This is descriptive of the level of living. Urban food freezers are related to the frequency and size of food purchases, and to the types of dealers from which the purchases are made, and thus are related to distribution channels and distribution costs for farm products and other foods. Data on food freezers are used in food production studies by argricultural agencies, home economists, and the food processing industry. Television, Radio (5 percent) (The following letters were received by the subcommittee, for inclusion in the record, from representatives of various State and local governments.) CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE, Hon. WILLIAM J. GREEN, DEAR CHAIRMAN GREEN: I am writing with regard to HR 10952 by Representative Betts which has been referred to your committee for hearings. This committee of the California State Legislature has been grappling with the problem of unemployment for more than two years now. We have found that comprehensive and reliable data on the labor force is most difficult to obtain. The decennial census is by far our best source of information and we have been hoping for more information on the labor force from the 1970 census. The Monthly Report on the Labor Force, issued by the Department of Labor, is based on a national sample which does not permit a state-by-state breakdown. And our own data-collection on unemployment, which involves self-reporting by Unemployment Insurance claimants and extrapolation from these reports for data on those who are not covered by Unemployment Insurance, clearly leaves much to be desired. We have no other comprehensive sources of information on unemployment. I fear that if Representative Betts' bill becomes law, his proposed sampling for the purpose of gathering labor force data and his proposal to make the responses of this sampling voluntary may render the data unreliable. I know that other committees of this Legislature concerned with other problems share my fears about his bill. Clearly, state governments depend upon federal census information and we would be hard-pressed to replace it, if it were lost to us, or to make up for its deficiencies, if it were to become less reliable. In your consideration of HR 10952, please bear in mind the states' dependence on the census for several critical kinds of information. Thank you. Sincerely, 2 First collected in 1960. WALTER W. POWERS, Chairman. 3 New item in 1970. These appliances indicate levels of living. In addition, information on these items shows the need for water and sewerage facilities and provides the data needed for the efficient planning of new utility lines and the modernization of existing facilities. + Collected in each census since 1950. 5 Collected in each census since 1930. The question on the availability of a batteryoperated radio provides information on the extent to which households can receive radio signals, particularly in disaster situations and during power failures. The inquiry on television sets is of particular concern to the FCC. DELAWARE VALLEY REGIONAL PLANNING COMMISSION, Hon. WILLIAM J. GREEN, Member of Congress, House Office Building, Washington, D.C. DEAR CONGRESSMAN GREEN: I was scheduled to visit with you recently in company with a delegation from the Regional Council of Elected Officials (RCEO), but you had another commitment that day. May I now express my concern over another matter that may soon come to your attention as Chairman of the House Post Office and Civil Service Committee? It has to do with a number of bills that have been introduced to limit the questions that can be included in the 1970 Decennial Census. The U.S. Census is a vital source of data for the planning programs we undertake for the Philadelphia region. Great strides have been made over the years in strengthening the census data gathering efforts, by increasing the detail of the data and extending the coverage. Prior to each census year questions are raised anew as to whether persons should be required to respond to census questions and as to the means of insuring that responses will be grouped in such a manner as to safeguard the privacy of the individual. Experience with past census enumerations indicates that responses can and should be required and that individual privacy can be safeguarded through careful checks of the data reported. Both the Census Bureau itself, and agencies using the data are very aware of this need, and data are aggregated by the Census Bureau in its reporting, and then, of necessity, also by data users, to insure that individual privacy is respected. Our agency is now working with county and local units of government in the Philadelphia area in mapping blocks and identifying block fronts for census purposes, with the objective of improving the capacity of these governments to analyze problems and needs before work is begun on public projects. All of this will be for naught if the data reported on this fine grid is piece-meal, sporadic, or of uneven quality. It is for this reason that I wish to urge you to vote against adoption of the following list of bills: H.R. 10952, Mr. Betts of Ohio. H.R. 13185, Mr. Utt of California. H.R. 13240, Mr. Buchanan of Alabama. H.R. 13406, Mr. Watson of S. Carolina. H.R. 13529, Mr. McDade of Pennsylvania. H.R. 13703, Mr. Harrison of Wyoming. H.R. 13752, Mr. Ashbrook of Ohio. H.R. 13800, Mr. St. Germain of Rhode Island. H.R. 13536, Mr. Halpern of New York. H.R. 13574, Mr. Derwinski of Illinois. H.R. 13690, Mr. Hungate of Missouri. I would be pleased to respond to any questions you may have regarding these bills or any other Census data matters. Thank you for your thoughtful consideration of this matter. WALTER K. JOHNSON, Executive Director. Hon. WILLIAM J. GREEN, Chairman, Census and Statistics Subcommittee, STATE OF NEW YORK, Albany, N.Y., January 22, 1968. DEAR MR. GREEN: The current proposed legislation (H.R. 10952) to amend Title 13, United States Code, to limit the questions required to be answered under penalty of law in the decennial census of population and housing would profoundly affect New York State government. Essentially, if such legislation is enacted, it will severely reduce New York's statistical base since, as we understand it, the proposed changes would permit only seven mandatory questions which provide basic population information. The reliability and comprehensive nature of census data are of key importance to New York's statistical system. There are no alternative means or substitutes |