CENSUS DAY

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32562, 23 March 1971, Page 1

CENSUS DAY

Today is census day—the day on which New Zealand holds detailed five-yearly stocktaking.

Everyone alive at midnight tonight must be accounted for. Midnight is the time chosen because the population of the country is never static. Most New Zealanders will have completed their census schedules before going to bed this evening.

Every household in Christchurch should now be in possession of personal and household schedules. Any person who does not have a schedule should see the nearest postmaster today.

Every person in charge of a dwelling is responsible for seeing that completed schedules are supplied by everyone in the dwelling. Parents are required to fill in the schedules for their younger children. The word dwelling for the sake of the census means all manner of buildings where people live, also ships, trains, caravans and tents. It also includes hotels, motels, hospitals, camps; and everyone in charge of such places must ensure that everyone there tonight completes a personal schedule.

Special census officers will be on the inter-island steamer tonight and main line express trains to ensure that passengers complete census forms. Tomorrow morning hotel managers will ask guests who arrive before noon if they have completed schedules.

The first results of the census will be released within a few days. Public demand for advice at the Christchurch census office yesterday was so great that special arrangements have been made to cope with the even greater demand expected today. An additional telephone will be installed in the office today, which will be manned continuously from 8 a.m. to 10 pan. to answer questions on the actual filling out of the census forms. The telephone num-

bers for the office are 30-682 and 30-705.

A number of inquiries were made yesterday by persons who had not received their forms, but delivery of these is not expected to be completed until today.

For those who have still not received their forms by this evening, the Central Post Office switchboard, telephone 71-839, will remain open from 5 p.m.

Arrangements may be made for the special delivery of forms.