THE CENSUS

Timaru Herald, Volume CLVIII, Issue 23316, 27 September 1945, Page 6

THE CENSUS

Filling In Of Schedules Post Office Answers Many Inquiries Although the general public, were expected to have completed their Census Schedules by midnight on Tuesday, it will be up to 14 days before they will have all been collected from residents and returned to the chief ern’merator for South Canterbury iMr R. A. Heron); checked and sent to Wellington. “It would be impossible to pet them all in on one day,” said Mr Heron. "The delivery of schedules was thorough in the area covered by the borough and Levels County, and I have had surprisingly few comnlaints of nonarrival of schedules. All the figures have to be checked and an accurate count will not b? known for at least 14 days." The census staff at the Chief Post Office were inundated with inquiries irom puzzled residents as to the correct way to answer various questions on the forms, and such a baffling question as to who was the head of the house nroduced the usual heartburning. In every case, if lor one night only, a firm stand was taken on behalf of the male member of the family by the Department. “It was surprising the number ol people who overlooked a member ol the household at the last moment and had to send in an urgent call for another schedule; the number of persons who ignored the fact that they had a baby in the house; or, perhaps, because grandmother sat tight and said nothing all day they omitted her, too. from the list requiring a personal schedule,” continued the enumerator. "In the old days it was only a matter of including the extra residents on the general schedule, but now every member of the household requires a special schedule to fill in personally.” Farmers' Chores One farmer took so literally the question on personal occupation as to itemise his dally chores to such an extent as nearly to fill the schedule, and the resident who quoted the number of eggs laid by his hens in dozens and apologised profoundly for the tact that no check had been taken of the number consumed. The Department was kept busy till a late hour answering questions, the majority of which were extremely intelligent. although one householder had to take a great deal of persuading that although he was British he was still a European. “The old chestnut of length of residence—3o feet, was not offered this time," continued Mr Heron, "but one sub-enumerator who was peaceably delivering his schedules was met by an irate householder armed with a broom who obviouslv was prepared to defend herself to the last before the took 'one of them schedules into her flat, and it was only by quoting the various penalties and general fate awaiting those who did not fill in the forms which allowed the schedule to b-> left for filling in purposes. Two men who had wined and dined wisely if not well arrived at the Post Office yesterday and demanoec schedules. On being asked why they did not have any at their home addresses, they became vague and hesitated. After a lot of questioning, the sub-enumerator asked, with the idea of finding out whether forms had been deliverer! or not, where they had slept the previous night. The became electric, bordering on threatening, with the reply of. “What is it to do with you where 1 stayed last night?” One resident picked up the first form he saw and Without thinking went ahead filling it in until he got down to the part as to how manv hens he had, and then realised that he was on the household instead of the personal schedule I