THE CENSUS.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLVII, Issue 15466, 10 March 1921, Page 8

THE CENSUS.

ON s. SEEKING NIAV In FORMATIO N. Preparations are well advanced for the Census, which is to be taken on Sunday, April 17,,. thrqngj.iouLdbe Dominion. Jlje vpi'intbig of .IJifi schedules is practically. cotnplpre,.;,,iigcl they are now -being,iorwai'ded to the .sub-enumer-ators iu the. various districts, who .will arrange for their ‘distribution and collection. ■ i This year soiilqlru-tv questions having mi important be.aripg,.on social reforms are included in .the. schedule. For example, information:,/fs, .being sought as to the number of ciiiicjren under 16 years of age who are dependent.on married men, widows,,, and. widowers. The tendency is now to Tighten the burden of- tho family man as much as possible, and for this purpose it, is valuable to know how the burden is distributed—whether the wealthy iittui oi'. the poor man has the most dependants. LIFE INSURANCE. , Another question • relates to the lile insurance carried by individuals/ It has been staled that New Zealand people are the most insured,in the world, but this may be because, the wealthy men take 'out big policies. The returns will show whether the family man-is,making provision by, insurance against death or ; old age. If liOriiis not it- may bo -that ] he cannot Milord-Jo do so. Should tho question of State assistance or endowment of families by insurance be: suggested—say, £IOO,, .iyE; each child — the information asked for in the Census schedule would enable estimates of the cost, to -be obtained. ; Tins .information is not obtainable from .the Insurance offices in The form desired, as. some‘men hold policies in several different offices, some in offices outside [New; Zealand, m*<l some oilices also have, insurance covering persons why are npt;resident of the Dominion. • • r A third question as .to nationality will enable an estiinutc to bo made of the increase., in - numbers of New. .Zealandborn- persons, .compared with, families which come from--other parts •of the world, j - I . RESIDENTS AND VISITORS, | This-year., it t must bo stated on the schedule wlietli&fi the are reuidents -.or. visitors ip . the districts where they arc enumerated. New , Zealanders travel a great .deal, especially during the week-end, and it may happen'That, on census night, iu certain country districts and seaside resorts,there are .many persons whose permanent place-of residence is some neighboring town. For Clip correction of electoral boundaries it is important that this should be accurately obtained. When the last census was taken it was slated, iu some quarters, that in .Wellington there were some 2000 or 3000 persons who had come here because the - camps were near. Either they were .soldiers or they were relatives who had come to see the soldiers. I SECRECY OF THE ..CENSUS. | Some persons are disinclined to fill in tho. schedules completely, because They do not wish their private affairs to be mown. Actually there is very little ;risk of auy information being divulged. The schedules, are sent to tip head office, and there Die. information is transferred by trustworthy officers to Yards, which * contains numbers,- but no names. Then tlfc schedules tiro sent to Tie destructor, and burnt, under supervision. Afterwards it, is impossible to iscertain any .particulars relating to , lolm • Tone’s insurance or business, or Mrs. Jones’• age.- • - ■ Recently a correspondent complained that his religion had been Stated wrongly by the householder in whose house he was when the census was taken. Such ui allegation could apply - only to a private. house. . The Census Department nust hold somebody Responsible for filling in the schedule; and on the householder that resonsibil.ity ■ is placed ; • but the individual can always secure the correction of ..particulars relating to himself or lierself bv sending a written correction to tlie Census Department: properly authenticated, of course. Suppose, for example; a lady is staying in a.house for census night, and she claims her age is 18. Her hostess, who is the householder, may insist that the the age is 28 or 38. .Or* a householder of pronounced religious'views may say that his grown-up ion is-a-Presbyterian, while that young man may declare That lie has been converted to the -Buddhist faith. The householder should not force his -own opinions upon the C’onsus.DepaiTmeht, but, if he Toes, the aggrieved individual has lire riclit to supply the correct particulars. This difficulty, which must be-extremely •are, does .not apply to hotels, boarding houses, or such places, where the-house-holder has no responsibility for othsr nmates.,. - In, such a case the hotel ’icensco or boardinghousedeeper fills in a. covering, schedule, giving -information -especting. bis: house, the number of inmates, and so .on. Each person in tlie hotel-then receives an individual schedule which is ‘filled Jin by the individual, and Handed to the landlord for delivery lb the,census officer.