THE CENSUS.

Press, Volume LVII, Issue 17121, 16 April 1921, Page 9

THE CENSUS.

TO BE TAKEN TO-MORROW. The general population census of Xotr Zealand is to bo taken to-morrow. This involves sonio responsibility on householders and other persons in charge of dwellings and institutions, private or public, for there is a liaoility of a fino of ii'O if tho schedule is not filled in and available for tho sub-enumerator when he calls for tho paper on or after^ April 18th. Tiiero is a penalty of iv similar maximum amount liable if information is divulged. Tho hist census was taken in October, 191 G. The general population census provides lor stating tno number of residents in tho house, particulars of then professions or occupations, birtli places, nationality, religion, and education. Particulars are also to bo supplied of the clnSvS of iiouso in which tno house- , holder lives, and if tho house is owned or rented. If a person is out of employment it should bo ibontioned, as well as tho term of unemployment. Persons who sharo houses or rent flats are, witn the object of maintaining secrecy, given separate schedules lo till in. J3y means of tho census an effort is being mado to ascertain tho housing position in tho Dominion, and with this ond in viow sub-enumerators are instructed to take notico of untenanted dwellings or houses in course of construction, and tho number of rooms in each such house. To-morrow's census paper contains several now foatures ; To all students of social and economic matters a most interesting feature is the amount of family dependency existing. An innovation oT tuis census will reveal tho number of orphan children, nnd also tho .number, of children dependent upon tho averago person. Another innovation is a query regarding Jifo insurance. New Zealand is frequently stated to bo one of tho most heavily insured countries in the world. Accurate information of tho prevalence of insuring life, tho ranga of amounts insured, nnd so forth, will bo an invaluable nddition to our knowledge of social conditions. No means of acquiring this knowledge, othor than by tho medium of the census schedule, is practicable. Invariably at tho census date many pooplo are enumerated while away from their usual place ef residence, yet it is frequently desirable to know tno numboi of residents in a locality, or in the Dominion itself, rather than tho actual * number of persons there at a oetrair specified timo. The space on tho census paper headed "Visitors" will obviatt this difficulty by asking tho usual place of residence if away from home. So far the census work has been car ried out by the Postal Department, bat whon the schedules are forwarded on to Wellington a largostaff will b© engaged for some time in compiling and filing, the returns. The schedules will be, however, first examined by district enumerators, and any mistakes diMOTered will bo rectified as far as possible. Strict secrecy will Bo observoa everywhere in connexion with the census. As soon as the population figures have been compiled by the district enumerators, the Government Statistician' will bo notified, and the information, will bo available to tho Press at almost tho Bame time. Mr 11. D. Kelly, Chief Postmaster, is the census enumerator for the Christ- ' church district. This comprises the counties of Mt. Herbert, Hal swell, Heathcpte,'Springs, Pnparua,. Maltem, and Waimairi, tho borough* of RicCSrton, Woolston, Lyttolton, Sumner, |int New Brighton, nnd Greater Christ •church (including Spreydon). NUMBERING OF THE PEOPLE. ' •>* * • (By Shum-Bhum, in "Sidney Morning 1 Herald.") The Census, to be taken throughout . the British Empife this year, Is certain to causo'' much difficulty • to the officials . whose duty it ■will be to'carry it out among the more primitive races flf Aala and Africa. "Why do the Englishwant to know how many we OJreP" is the question which disturbs tho peace of many a Kaffir kraaf and Tftdian jungle village. l'h6y.,know, of oourse, these simple folk, what Rtitfyard Kipling tallr ■ us that "Allah created the EngUsl "' mad"; but that explanation is toot 'J enough to bring peace to troubled minds. * ■ . A census •is a strange thing, eemething which has never been do no before, and, therefore, is *to >bft wjtli suspicion, often with alnJtjn. won among civilised races we find. many people who have an sion from anything new. and that conservative attitude of which fiaa» ospresion in the boen done before," ii» not unldWWn among the permanent officials of HOT*, ernmenb and municipal bfficftft. An incident which occurred in an earlior census in India will illustrate Jwo kind of difficulty which thecensusaufto rities are apt to encounter,, and -WW ingenuity which they must ex«cu» tt order Jto perrtuade timid people that there ia no sinister design concealed behind the mere enumeration. The tato Sir Herbert Ilisktf, who afterward# W» came presided of the Royal Anthrppo» logical Institute of London, and whoso writings on the origin of, tem in India havo a world##© rejmtttio, was, in his youngr days, a_ district . magistrate in tno Isagpur .district of Northern India, whei» dwell thoso iunglc-folk, the Kolas. Just before the dav of the census news was brought to hi* that all the Kola villagcawere deserted, and tho villagers were Mdtaff in tho jungles. In despair he sen* out messengers in all directions, *®d succeeded m collecting a fow of tho W* men. a , "Why are you; all hiding in «»> jungje/' he enquired. . "Tho people do not know why they are to be numbered, and tJ«y are they afraid off'' "They say that the men will be branded with hot irons, and tho women will be sent away to work in tho tea-gardens of Assam." . , . , _ Realising that no mere denial watthl suffice to calm their feara, Sir Herbert, on the spur of< the moment, invented an explanation. • "You remember tno lmt grost famine?'; he asked. "Wd any of jonr people die?" "Many died." "XHd -not tho Government send you food?" . "Government sent food, but not enough." . "Well, you fpolish penile. If wc don't know how many there aw of you, how can we know how much food you necdP" The ruse succeeded. The Kolsa returned to their villages; and the census was taken without further difficulty. But it is not only among people like the forest'dwellers of Nagpur, who arc scarcely yet emerging from toB nomad. hunting 6tagc, that a censui it regarded as something to be feared. Wo arc told that whenTKing David commanded Joab, the captain of the faosts, to Bum' ber tho tfibes from Dan even to Beersheba, it was regarded as such on unrighteous act that Joab earned it out only under protest. This early ceosui, which occupied nine months and tweutv* days, in the taking, wu followed by * tihree-days' pestilence, which the Israel-. ites regarded as a punishment far r> novel and impious an act. Among Semitic races, which are always split up into small tribee, fro-

quehtly' at 'war--with their- neighbours, v the fear of , publicity .which a census involvea ig partly aninetinctiy© attitude of self-preservation. Arab, tribes recent any, attempt to ascertain, their real numbers, and consistently : exaggerate their own strength. "We are like tihe santfe of the desert, and - the stars in the sky," that. js to'say innumerable, is the ordinary claim of an Arab, no mat- ; uier how jietty. -may j be' tlje, tribei to which..; he belongs. So" mndh.. doea lramunity trim attack ,'depend. on.' an ilr > maion'as to their strength, that a cea-1 pus, - which,•-•would disclose thfeir wetife-; imaginary danger.. , . . 'Aiioh'g natibns more advanced, who . have settled down into.- towns, and- vil L -lages, the fear of a census no wjiger -1: lage Yrom a small one that concealment v • js\ impracticable; while, the coini of larger societies can i only'J;be Effected 1 if their number is .> =?KnoflS">at! least Approximately. .-.Lrty, makes: no Mention of any > difgoulty when Servius held' the. first , scenaus at Ronje. It was done for the of peace and'WaT,,ond d£, assessing property for .theft"poorer s ; and more ' ' ignS'rant > *clafi6eß"of the uopulace as to >f"i:atrtweifelranyscruplea:wduoh might exist, i 'But ths.'jorder wo*eriforced.,v»ith threats ■ogfimftriqonment ftnd evepjdeath; .\ . < {When j the advantages were not so ptm'oust as to be appreciated by everj'- ■ l)ody* conoehieß,' dn astute ruler could sometimes effect hia purpo& by means of .'a' subterfuge jsftna-Herodotus, most . entertaining, of all Oi&torians, relates <:* iirifiincidonfi' - this point. ' < the t population, of Scythia is I % .w&Sjnarfr-sble ,to learn with' Certainty; , ttbe,vacCo\mtß which IJreceived' varied f one, another. ' .This much, how- < .Witnessed'with; my own"eyes. ' Therayia.a traito called Exampoeus, be- - tween\the J3ossthenes and the HypaHere stands a br&sen bowl .which : - Vholdrf. witl^ ( ease,six,"hundred amphorae (s£oo gallons,) and iflybf'the thickness of'six £njgera'< breadth. -The natives i • gwe'Vmel'tne following- account of, the - wtllVVl mndft. One of i"'• 'their kings, Igrgoaihe "Ariantas,/ wishing . /tpi kriSw '.the number" bf his subjects, or--1 oU t6 ofi pain ►r. • + /_>_>__ • '• _ l * " "be periodically overhauled. -"JSfc . * Httledefwt at 'flwt, but if *• noticed "it may, cause damage 'wmupßvinto'lnlndMdS 'expounds. -Employ • O our; expert®- tooverhaulyour machinery. .We have >an -Tip-to-date plant. ' ' *ihe ,G«net«li Co., '' G5691 , 461 Colombo street, > Sydenham,

of death, the point off one of their ; arrows. They obeyed; and ho collected thereby a vast heap of arrow-heads, 1 which he resolved to. form into a memo- ; rial ; that might go down to posterity, j Accordingly he made of them this bowl, and dedicated it to Exampoeus. This was all that I could learn concerning the number of the Scythians." A ruse of more modem date was practised by 4 magistrate in India whose duties lay among the Kolas al-. -ready mentioned. . Being, perhaps, a a-more lively imagination than Sir Herbert Risley, his appeal waa made not to the practical need's of the people, but to their sporting instinct. The dread of the census had soared them into the jungles, leaving the villages empty. But a few headmen Having with difficulty been collected, the magistrate asked them if they had ever heard of Queen Victoria and the Empror of Rfussia. Thy had. "Well, said the magistrate, '.'The Emperor, of Russia has bet Queen Victoria a big dinner that he has more subjects than she. So- everybody is to bo counted. The Emperor of Russia is couilting his people now; and if you Kolas don't Come in he will win the bet." Determined, that their Queen should not _bo worsted'through any fault of theirs, the Kolas streamed back to their villages, bringing their wives arid-, children, and Itamouring to'be'counted. Some months later, when again on tour, the magistrate -was met by a deputation of, headmen. . n "Did Queen Victoria win ner bet? they enquired anxiolislv. "She did," replied the magistrate. "But if you Kolas had not -been counted she would have lost;" "And did she get her dinner?" was the .next' question. • "She did,(indeed. Arid she says it was the. best diririer she ever ate in her life." • V , . H* BRITAIN; (By Cai>l»—Press . (Aintmlitol Vifid .I?.Z. Cablfc Aaeocifttion.X ■: : (Received April 15th, 11.10 p:m.) ' , , ; LONDON, April 14. • The census in Britain is postponed, owing' to. the labour troubles.