FRANCIS AMASA WALKER. 651 



While this vast work is not, of course, of uiuforiii merit, on the whole 

 it must be considered as the greatest, most elaborate, and most valuable 

 contribution to the body of statistics furnished by any country up to 

 its date. It has been criticised, attacked, and abused; it has been 

 lauded and indorsed, but so far as I know it has never yet had a severer 

 critic than General Walker himself. 



In the various analyses accompanying the innumerable tables he 

 always took pains to ijoint out the weak spots. He put his downright 

 integrity into this work, as into every other to which he put his hand. 

 He has been blamed for launching the Government upon an exhaustive 

 census, but it must be understood that it was never General Walker's 

 idea that a census so comprehensive should be repeated. It was the 

 centennial period, as I have said, and he wanted to exhibit this country 

 in all its vast, comely proportions through the statistical method. In 

 this he succeeded. When it was done he was in hopes that the Gov- 

 ernment would establish a scientific census, profiting by the experience 

 of the past, and giving to the world the results of work conducted by 

 a trained and well-qualified force. * * * 



With the cessation of his duties as Superintendent of the Tenth 

 Census, and his voluntary duties as general supervisor after his resig- 

 nation, General Walker's active statistical experience came to a close, 

 but his interest in official statistics never flagged. He was an honorary 

 member of the Eoyal Statistical Society of England. He was in Eng- 

 land and France at the time of the celebration of the jubilee year of 

 the society. The proposition was advanced that out of that jubilee 

 celebration of the Eoyal Statistical Society there be established an 

 international statistical institute. There had been many attemj)ts to 

 create an international statistical body, taking the form of statistical 

 congresses held from some time in the fifties, for twenty or thirty years. 

 The results of these congresses were of no great importance. It was 

 therefore the view of the principal statisticians of the world that some 

 regular organization could be of great service in harmonizing interna- 

 tional statistics for comparative purposes. General Walker gave his 

 warm adherence to the j)roject. The International Statistical Institute 

 was organized, and he was made one of its vice-i^residents. In 1893, 

 when the institute met in Chicago, he was created honorary member 

 and president-adjoint, presiding at the deliberations of the institute dur- 

 ing that session. In 1882 he was elected president of this American 

 Statistical Association, and he served it devotedly until his death. I 

 have been informed that he was present at every meeting of the asso- 

 ciation. His last service in the interest of statistical science and of 

 statistical progress was rendered in Washington on Thursday, Decem- 

 ber 31 last, only a few days before his death, which occurred on the 

 5th of January. It was on the occasion of the opening meeting of a 

 series to be held by the Washington members of the association. 

 President Walker was delighted at the prospect, and, at great incon- 

 venience to himself, was present and made an address. This address is 



