The attention of this study is devoted entirely to the experience of the United States. Some comparative information for other countries will be found in two publications: Organization for European Economic Cooperation Technical Assistance Mission No. 33, Industrial Censuses in Western Europe (Paris, 1951); and Statistical Office of the United Nations, Studies in Methods: Industrial Censuses and Related Enquiries, Series F, No. 4, 2 volumes (New York, 1953). Most of the problems discussed in this volume have their origins in earlier decades, and often it would have been interesting to explore their histories, although this was not feasible. Much of this history for the period before 1900 is available in Carroll D. Wright (assisted by William C. Hunt), The History and Growth of the United States Census, Senate Document No. 194, 56th Congress, 1st session (1900). The first quarter of the 20th century is treated in L. F. Schmeckebier, The Statistical Work of the National Government (Baltimore, 1925), and in W. Stull Holt, The Bureau of the Census, Its History, Activities, and Organization (Washington, 1929). Melvin A. Hendry, Jr., in "Methods Used in the Census and Annual Survey of Manufactures, and Their Effects on the Character of the Data" (an unpublished master's thesis filed with the Library of Howard University, 1953), has extended some of this history, especially as it relates to statistics on manufacturing. The relationship of the Bureau of the Census to other governmental agencies and to various trade groups with respect to the compilation of statistics on manufacturing is discussed in Frederick C. Mills and Clarence D. Long, The Statistical Agencies of the Federal Government (New York, 1949), and in the report of the Intensive Review Committee (Ralph J. Watkins, Chairman) to the Secretary of Commerce, Appraisal of Census Programs (Washington, 1954). One important facet of the Bureau's history, its publications, is recorded in Henry J. Dubester, Catalog of United States Census Publications, 1790-1945 (Washington, 1950). Only selected aspects of the Censuses of Manufactures for 1947 and 1954, of the Annual Surveys of Manufactures, and of the current commodity surveys are described. Facsimile copies of the census report forms, the instructions to respondents, the list of and code numbers for the standard industrial classification categories, and similar documents are usually published in the volumes giving the results of the censuses and surveys and are not reproduced here. Because of its selective character, this volume falls short of providing a complete and organized record of "how" any particular census or survey was conducted. Such a record, especially if it were accompanied by a compendium of report forms; alphabetic and numerical lists of products; organization charts; lists of personnel and their assignments; a set of edited and "corrected" internal memoranda which contain specifications, standards, policy decisions; the results of investigations and analyses of previous and current experience; and similar working documents, would be of great convenience to the Bureau's staff, particularly since some of this material becomes progressively harder to locate with the passage of time. The Bureau has made many of its materials, documents, and interna' working memoranda routinely available to me, has searched out others for my use, and has conducted investigations and compiled data in response to my many questions. There were a few instances in which desirable data were to be had only at excessive cost to the Bureau, and these data, of course, are omitted. Nowhere did I encounter efforts to withhold data or to cover up mistakes. Consequently, I must take responsibility for the selection of the materials used here as well as for the way these materials are treated. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The preparation of this book would not have been possible without the cooperation of the Bureau of the Census and of many persons on its staff, including some whom I do not know. I can acknowledge, at least, the contributions of those who have dealt directly with the manuscript. There is a record on the margins of earlier drafts of their efforts to prevent me from including ambiguities, mistakes, misunderstandings, and errors of fact. The discussions with staff members concerning the subtleties of many of the points treated here have helped me to understand better some of the issues and thus to write more clearly about them. Maxwell R. Conklin and Owen C. Gretton read all of the manuscript in earlier forms and have made many valuable suggestions. The other Bureau staff members who have read one or more chapters I list in alphabetical order, since it would not be possible to say which of them has contributed the most: Isidore Bogdanoff (chs. 4 and 5), Robert H. Brooks (ch. 11), Angela R. Daly (ch. 11), Morris R. Goldman (chs. 2 and 12), Harold T. Goldstein (chs. 4 and 5), Nathan Lesowitz (ch. 7), Ingrid L. Millison (ch. 11), Irving Rottenberg (ch. 6), Jack Scharff (ch. 8), Samuel Schweid (ch. 7-10), and Julius Shiskin (ch. 1). Each has primary responsibility for parts or all of the subject matter covered by the chapters they read, so that the comments they made are fully qualified as expert opinions. All of their comments have been extremely helpful, even when I could not find a way to take them into account fully. For their comments and for the other help they have given me, I am deeply grateful. Errors of fact and errors of argument which still persist are now wholly my own. Duke University permitted me to devote a portion of the academic year 1956-57 to this study. The help in making these arrangements given me by Prof. C. B. Hoover and Vice President Paul M. Gross is particularly appreciated. FEBRUARY 1959. FRANK A. HANNA. CONTENTS Chapter 3. What Can Manufacturers Report?. Organization of Surveys Initiation and Review Procedures General advisory committees Advisory Council on Federal Reports Government committees Industry committees Individual comments Approval by the Office of Statistical Standards Property accounts Transportation Man-hours Other tests Studies of Recordkeeping Practices Survey of components consumption Burden 4. Classifying Industrial Activity.. Purposes Criteria Formal Structure of Standard System Variables in Industrial Classification Establishment Diversity of primary products Secondary products Range of operations Disclosures Multiunit concerns Structure of manufactures Interdependence of variables Some Characteristics of the Standard System Homogeneity Product homogeneity Internal relationships Use for coordinating statistical information Page 30 56 |