54 STAT. ] Jan. 31 1940 PROCLAMlATIONS J 3,1940 Feb. 9, 1940 IN WITNESS WHEREOF I have hereunto set my hand and caused the seal of the United States to be affixed. DONE at the City of Washington this 31" day of January in the year of our Lord nineteen hundred and forty, and of the [SEAL] Independence of the United States of America the one hundred and sixty-fourth. FRANKLIN D ROOSEVELT By the President: CORDELL HULL Secretary of State. SIXTEENTH DECENNIAL CENSUS BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA A PROCLAMATION WHEREAS, pursuant to the act of Congress approved June 18, 1929, 46 Stat. 21, the Sixteenth Decennial Census of the United States will be taken beginning April first, nineteen hundred and forty; and WHEREAS this Census, which will mark the one hundred and fiftieth anniversary of the first United States Census, is required by the Constitution of the United States to determine the apportionment among the several States of seats in the House of Representatives; and WHEREAS the information obtained from the Census inquiries this year must present a complete and current factual picture of the Nation's people, homes, farms, factories, and other resources to measure the effects of the difficult decade now closing and to guide us intelligently in the future: NOW, THEREFORE, I, Franklin D. Roosevelt, President of the United States of America, do hereby declare and make known that, under the aforesaid act of Congress, it is the duty of every person over eighteen years of age to answer all questions on the Census schedules applying to him and the family to which he belongs, and to the farm or home occupied by him or his family, and all other Census schedules as required by law, and that any person refusing to do so is subject to penalty. The sole purpose of the Census is to secure general statistical in- formation regarding the population, business activities, and resources of the country, and replies are required from individuals only to enable the compilation of such general statistics. No person can be harmed in any way by furnishing the information required. The Census has nothing to do with taxation, with military or jury service, with the compulsion of school attendance, with the regulation of immigration, or with the enforcement of any national, state, or local law, or ordi- nance. There need be no fear that any disclosure will be made regard- ing any individual person or his affairs. For the due protection of the rights and interests of the persons furnishing information, every employee of the Census Bureau is prohibited, under heavy penalty, from disclosing any information which may thus come to his knowledge. Life and liberty in a free democracy entail a variety of cooperative actions for the common good. The prompt, complete, and accurate answering of all official inquiries addressed to each person by Census officials sould be regarded by him as one of the requirements of good citizenship. February 9, 1940 [No. 2385] Preamble. 2U.S.C.. 2a;5 U.S.C. 35;13U.S. . §§ 1-8, etc.; Supp. V:, 1,3,74; 39 U.. C. 324 Duty of persons over 18 to answer census questions. Purpose of the cen- sus. No disclosures as to individuals to be made. 198470--41 -PT. 11-- -2 2685
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