“ANYWAY, WHO IS HEAD OF THE HOUSE?”

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17832, 28 April 1926, Page 8

“ANYWAY, WHO IS HEAD OF THE HOUSE?”

HUSBANDS AND CENSUS: A DELICATE QUESTION. (Special to the “Star.”) WELLINGTON, April 28. Now that the census has been duly taken and all good citizens have told. :-o the best of their ability, and with Cie utmost veracity (?) all that they know about themselves, the officials in the Government. Statistician's office are finding out some amazing facts concerning New Zealand’s population. Some of the mistakes and astounding facts on the papers are due to absolute carelessness—and some to sheer cussedness. There is a fairly large section of the community who has looked upon the Government Statistician as nothing more or less than an inquisitive man, who wants to know far more than is necessary. There are. however, many who have filled in the papers truly and accurately until they came to the question regarding who is “ head of the house.’ Since the fair sex have begun to come into their own. mere man has little left that he can lay claim to as being his alone. Therefore, who can be said to be the “head of the house?” This question has been the result of much domestic discord. Only a few days before the census papers were gathered in. a man, wearing a worried iook. came to the Statistician’s office, and asked if he could fill in the papers secretly so that his wife wouldn’t know what he had put down in writing. It would not be hard to find the head of that household ! Then again, there are other husbands whose wives have given them full permission to put themselves down as the “ head.” The husbands have beamed with joy and proudly proclaimed themselves as “ head of my house.” The wife has smiled too —winter is» coming on. and really, that fur coat in the shop window was not over expensive. There is method in all a woman's There are actually some women who have such a rooted objection to anyone but. themselves being described as the “head" that they objected to allowing tlie guard to be put. down a$ “head" when travelling on trains. They did not stop to think that the guard's wife might object to the large family her husband suddenly found himself burdened with. For the benefit of Mr Henpeck and those who are uncertain, the husband is the head of the house, so far as the Statistician is concerned JKhat the case is inside the home is, of