THE CENSUS

Grey River Argus, 22 September 1945, Page 4

THE CENSUS

Why it is Needed Now WELLINGTON, Sept. 21. In the House Mr W. J. Polson (Nat., Stratford), opened a debate on the vote for the Census and Statistics Department. He said he found a great deal of consternation among people who had homes and feared that the necessity to disclose the number of rooms would result in persons being forced upon them who might be entirely unsuitable to come into their private homes. He asked the Minister for an assurance that such a course was not intended. Mr Nasli said the census schedule was entirely confidential. There might be schedules showing that there were thousands of houses having ten rooms, and it was important to know that fact, but there was no possible chance of the information asked for being used for the purpose suggested by Mr F'olson. There were thirteen questions concerned with dwellings. Only five were different from questions in previous censuses.-

Mr MacDonald (Nat., Mataura) said part of the reason for. the census was the re-distribution of political boundaries. He would like an assurance from the Minister that the question in the census form relating to normal place of abode was for that purpose. Mr K. J. Holyoake (Nat., Pahiatua) moved an amendment to reduce the vote of five pounds to indicate that the census should be postponed until forces and displaced persons returned to their homes. Mr Holyoake said the only reason for holding the census was political. It was not the normal year for the census. He estimated there were between a hundred and hundred and fifty thousand displaced people in New Zealand at nresent. They were displaced because of working in war industries and in cities and towns other than their own. Mr Nash said there had been no census since 1936, and one imperative reason for taking the census was that the present electoral rolls were quite inaccurate. Remuera, for instance, had more adult persons on the roll than others, while ip Wellington suburbs, if a census were not taken, there would be 28,000 more electors at the next election than in 1936. The normal year for census would have been in 1941, and it. was now vital to find out where the people were, so that electoral boundaries could be adjusted properly to give proper representation. On a division being taken, the amendment was defeated by 39 to 30. The vote was massed.