DIE BEVÖLKERUNG DES KANTONS BASEL-STADT : Am I, Dezember, 1888. Im auftrage des hohen Regierungsrates bearbeitet von Dr. Karl Bücher, ord. Professor der Nationalökonomie, u. Statistik an der Universität. Basel, Kommissions-Verlag von H. Georg, 1890. Pp. 96 and lviii ; 8 charts

1890 The Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science  
Kommissions-Verlag von H. Georg, 1890. Pp. 96 and lviii ; 8 charts. The productions of official statistical bureaus do not, as a rule, appeal to the general interest. In the mass their importance is fully recognized, but the details interest us only for special purposes. To attract attention such works must show especial excellence of preparation, peculiarity of method, or novelty of subject. The present work on the population of Basel can claim no interest on the last score, but it is
more » ... ve in the methods in which the data were obtained and the excellence of their presentation. The data of the work were collected as a part of the census of Switzerland. The attempt was made to secure the benefit of the enumeration by lists and cards. The original facts were collected by cards, in sets of eight for a family. From the cards, lists were made by the enumerators in order that each district might preserve its own materials. The lists, however, proved worthless as a basis for further preparation of the data, and it became necessary to go back to the cards again. Another feature of this work is the happy combination of private research with official data. Official bureaus confine, as a rule, their work to the publication of tables, leaving the utilization of them to private individuals. The wisdom of confiding the discussion of the results to those most intimately acquainted with their origin, is in the present case most amply proved. The result is a 2015 at GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY on April 28, ann.sagepub.com Downloaded from
doi:10.1177/000271629000100209 fatcat:mujyfz3dorgupf55dacoojo55a