NEXT YEAR'S CENSUS.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 772, 22 March 1910, Page 5

NEXT YEAR'S CENSUS.

AUSTRALIAN ARRANGEMENTS. Arrangements have been made by the Commonwealth Government for taking a census in Australia on April 2, 1911. This is the date provided for in the CensusBill introduced in the House of Commons for collecting a census in tho United Kingdom. The matter was the subject of a conference between the Commonwealth Statistician, Mr. G. H. Knibbs, and the Regis-trar-General of England, during Mr. Knibb's recent trip abroad. The scope of the census will be, as. far as practicable, identical in tho United Kingdom and in Australia. It is not unlikely that New Zealand and Canada will also adopt the same dato. Uniformity in date throughout the British Empire is hardly possible, especially in countries such as India, where difficulties arise owing to religious and other festivals, and difficulties and differences over caste laws. In view of the fact that the States aie vitally interested in securing an accurate estimate, of the population, an invitation has been issued by the Prime Minister to the State Premiers asking if they will allow their statisticians to act as State supervisors under the direction of the Commonwealth Department. The 1911 census will, of course, be uniform throughout Australia in all particulars. Mr. Knibbs expresses the hope that tho peoplo of Australia . will recogniso that it is only by individual and cordial co-operation that a census can be made satisfactory. It is proposed to issue pamphlets explaining the census for public information generally, and to enable teachers in schools to instruct their pupils in the work. Mr. Knibbs points out that in tho normal course each succeeding census should attain to a higher degree of accuracy, than its predecessor, because of the general growth. of intelligence. He hopes that the 1911 census will be no exception. As the conditions of Australia and New Zealand are practically identical, the lines along which their census counts will bo taken' will be tho samo.