GOVERNMENT STATISTICIAN.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1779, 18 June 1913, Page 7

GOVERNMENT STATISTICIAN.

VISIT TO AUSTRALIA. Mr. M. Eraser, Government Statistician, who returned to Wellington by Main Trunk express from .Auckland yesterday, has just concluded a tour of some weeks in Australia. He visited the statistical offices in all the States except Western Australia, and also the Commonwealth office. Mr. Eraser states that he was ev'erywherjo courteously received by the Australian officials, and was afforded every opportunity of looking into the detail working of the various offices. Ho thus obtained a considerable insight into the methods pursued, and will embody his observations in a report to the Government. Statistics in the Commonwealth, Mr. Fraser stated, are given a much more important place than they are in New Zealand. Tho Commoiivtealth and State Governments make considerable tise of them, and the members of the general .public display a livelier interest in the information presented l>y tho statisticians than is the caso in New Zealand. The compilation of statistics is a mno'b more costly business in Australia than in this Dominion, and thanks to the elaborate organisations which exists the Commonwealth Statistician is enabled to take a comprehensive view of the country and its activities as a whole. All the State bureaux work to a general plan and on uniform lines, and the compilation of Commonwealth statistics Is th.ns greatly simplified,' The police in Australia, Mr. Fraser mentioned, are extensively employed in the collection of detail information to be embodied in tho statistics, aj'<l the intelligence and industry with which they carry out those ■duties are very highly spoken of.