THE NATIONAL COUNT-UP.

Press, Volume LVII, Issue 17115, 9 April 1921, Page 9

THE NATIONAL COUNT-UP.

HISTORY OF THE CENSUS. The census of New Zealand will bo taken on Sunday, April 17tih. A modern census is a very important enquiry, intended to suprjly information about' tho people of the country. This is a very different thing from an enquiry about persons, •which the census oiiginally was. Nowadays the investigation is perfectly impersonal, and so far as its effectiveness is concerned would be equally serviceable if no names were entered in tho schedules. The names are, however, required in order to avoid- duplications,, whether by error or intention." The history of the census shows that it has completely altered in purpose as compai'od with tiie systematic count of Roman times. • The Romans made an exhaustive tally of the people, but its object was to compile a register of every man's position in the State, so as to determine 'his liability for taxation. The word census is from the Latin censere, meaning to assess, and the officials were' the censors. The Romans were the first people to place the census upon a regular footing, but long_ before that estimates of the population were made in various countries for various jmrposes. The fighting strength of the children of Israel at the Exodus was ascertained by a count of the men of twenty years and upwards*, made clan by clan, and •there are other Biblical records of such counts. Persia and China used the census for taxing purposes in very early times. In Egypt there was an ancient system of registering occupations for the purpose of discouraging disreputable means of livelihood;' and this was \e.ter earned into Greece. The modern census, having for its object the preparation of a reliable estimate of the structure of a 'people and its mode of living, is very recent. In Britain, the first census was not held till 1801; prior to that the population wasmerely estimated. The ftr'st census in Now Zealand was taken in 1851. The first modern census in the world waß taken in tho United States in 1790. America has led ever since in census matters, and has been , forced by the magnitude of the population to develop the wonderful methods of mechanical) counting which are now beicg adopted in other parts of the world. A mechanical count will bb made for the'first time in New compile the, tables for this year's census.