40 International Statistical Uniformity. 



In collecting his facts lie would have a number of books 

 open before him, all at different pages. Reference backwards 

 and forwards would tend to disconcert and irritate him, 

 would make his labour more severe, and in many cases cause 

 his task to be abandoned in disgust. The difficulties which 

 it is sought to remove from the path of the investigator would 

 still exist, though perhaps in a less degree than at present. 



The only way to secure uniformity would therefore appear 

 to lie in the organisation of a scheme which will require as 

 little agreement in nomenclature as possible, but which will 

 practically secure uniformity by including all statistics of 

 international interest which each country collects, and no 

 others. The only form which can be arranged to meet these 

 requirements is a tabulated form of summary sheet, in which 

 each statistical authority can supply the information required 

 from him from the statistics under his control. If each 

 state would fill up such a form, (which, if necessary, might 

 be printed in blank and supplied to them), and these were 

 collected together, international statistics uniform in charac- 

 ter would be secured. The principles on which such sheets 

 should be compiled are as follow : — 



1. That the arrangement shall be as clear as possible. 



2. That they shall provide for uniformity on all necessary 

 points, but that these points shall be restricted as much as 

 possible, and shall leave the greatest freedom of ' contribution 

 to each country. 



3. That they shall not interfere in the slightest degree 

 with the present method of compilation adopted by any 

 statistical department. 



4. That they shall include all leading information collected 

 by any country consenting to adopt them, and therefore (a) 

 that they shall provide for each country supplying statistics 

 peculiar to itself alone, and (6) omitting information supplied 

 by others, but which it does not possess. 



5. That where, from unavoidable causes, uniformity is 

 apparently impossible, a standard common to all shall be 

 provided. 



6. That they shall be capable of distribution in a form, 

 which shall render them easy of access, intelligible at a 

 glance, and instantaneously available for purposes of com- 

 parison. 



First Clause. — To be thoroughly effective any such system 

 being simply a compendium of statistical matter, collected 

 and condensed from an immense chaos of bewildering figures, 



