THIS REPORT IS PUBLISHED IN TWO PARTS, AS FOLLOWS: PART I-SUMMARY AND GENERAL TABLES. PART II-SEPARATE DENOMINATIONS: HISTORY, DESCRIPTION, AND STATISTICS. 263493 LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL. SIR: DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE, BUREAU OF THE CENSUS, Washington, D. C., February 28, 1919. I have the honor to transmit herewith Part II of a special report on religious bodies. This presents for each separate denomination statistics representing conditions, as near as may be, as of the close of the year 1916 and descriptive statements of its history, doctrine, polity, and work or general activities. Part I presents a summary of the results and general tables covering all denominations. The descriptive statements for those denominations that have come into existence since 1906 were furnished for the most part by prominent persons, usually officials in the denominations, while for those denominations included in the census of 1906 the statements published at that census were submitted to competent persons in the respective denominations for correction or such additional statements as were needed to indicate the development during the decade. As explained in the letter transmitting Part I of this report, the statistics for 1916 were collected mainly by correspondence but partly by the employment of special agents. The work was conducted under the supervision of Mr. William C. Hunt, chief statistician for population, assisted by Dr. Edwin M. Bliss, expert special agent. The delay in the completion of the report on religious bodies was due to numerous interruptions during its preparation on account of urgent war work. |