(a) The Secretary may collect decennially statistics relating—

(1) to the defective, dependent, and delinquent classes; and

(2) to crime, including judicial statistics pertaining thereto.

(b) The statistics authorized by subsection (a) of this section shall include information upon the following questions, namely: age, sex, color, nativity, parentage, literacy by race, color, nativity, and parentage, and such other questions relating to such subjects as the Secretary deems proper.

(c) In addition to the decennial collections authorized by subsections (a) and (b) of this section, the Secretary may compile and publish annually statistics relating to crime and to the defective, dependent, and delinquent classes.

(Aug. 31, 1954, ch. 1158, 68 Stat. 1018.)

Based on title 13, U.S.C., 1952 ed., §§111, 113 (Mar. 6, 1902, ch. 139, §7, 32 Stat. 52; June 7, 1906, ch. 3048, 34 Stat. 218; June 18, 1929, ch. 28, §3, 46 Stat. 21; Mar. 4, 1931, ch. 490, 46 Stat. 1517; 1939 Reorganization Plan No. II, §4(e), eff. July 1, 1939, 4 F.R. 2731, 53 Stat. 1431; 1940 Reorganization Plan No. III, §3, 5 F.R. 2107, 54 Stat. 1232; June 25, 1947, ch. 124, 61 Stat. 163; Sept. 7, 1950, ch. 910, §4, 64 Stat. 785).

Section consolidates part of section 111 of title 13, U.S.C., 1952 ed., with section 113 of such title which also related to statistics with respect to crime and to the “defective, dependent, and delinquent classes”.

“Secretary”, meaning the Secretary of Commerce, was substituted for “Director of the Census” to conform with Reorganization Plan No. 5, §§1, 2, eff. May 24, 1950, 15 F.R. 3174, 64 Stat. 1263. See Revision Note to section 4 of this title.

The provisions of section 111 of title 13, U.S.C., 1952 ed., authorizing statistics relating to transportation by water, and express business, to mines, mining, quarries, and minerals, to savings banks and other savings institutions, mortgage, loan, and investment companies, and similar institutions, and to street railways, electric light and power, telephone, and telegraph business, were omitted as superseded and covered by sections 121–123 of such title (enacted in 1948), which are set out elsewhere in this title. See Distribution Table.

Section 111 of title 13, U.S.C., 1952 ed., also authorized the decennial collection of statistics relating to the fishing industry “in cooperation with the Fish and Wildlife Service”. In the basic statutory provision (see amendment by act June 7, 1906, ch. 3048, 34 Stat. 218, “Fish and Wildlife Service” read “Bureau of Fisheries” and it was changed, by the codifiers, in such section 111 to the former designation because of 1940 Reorganization Plan No. III, §3, 5 F.R. 2107, 54 Stat. 1232, which consolidated the Bureau of Fisheries and the Bureau of Biological Survey into one agency to be known as the “Fish and Wildlife Service”. However, at the time of the enactment of the 1906 act, referred to above, both the Bureau of the Fisheries, and the Census Bureau (then referred to as the “Census Office”), were in the Department of Commerce. The Bureau of Fisheries was transferred to the Department of the Interior by 1939 Reorganization Plan No. II, §4(e), 4 F.R. 2731, 53 Stat. 1431, and it is within that department that the Fish and Wildlife Service now functions. Therefore, such provision in section 111 of title 13, U.S.C., 1952 ed., has been omitted from this revised title as obsolete. In any event section 121 of title 13, U.S.C., 1952 ed. (subchapter I of chapter 5 of this revised title) is broad enough to authorize such collection.

The provisions of section 111 of title 13, U.S.C., 1952 ed., which authorized statistics relating to religion, and the provisions thereof which related to the designation of reports, are set out as separate sections in this subchapter; and the provisions thereof which related to the preparation of schedules, and which authorized the appointment of special agents, are set out in chapter 1 of this title. See Distribution Table.

The proviso in section 111 of title 13, U.S.C., 1952 ed., which prohibited the collection of statistics relating to religious or church membership when the disclosure of such information was prohibited by religious or church doctrine, teaching or discipline, has been incorporated in chapter 7 of this title. See Distribution Table.