NEXT BRITISH CENSUS

Hokitika Guardian, 23 November 1929, Page 8

NEXT BRITISH CENSUS

PREPARATIONS IN HAND

LONDON, October 3

Preliminary preparations are already being made for the next census, Avhicli will be taken in April, 1931. This will be the last of the decennial enumeration, and in future tliq /Census Avill be taken every five years. This has long been advocated by statistical authorities, and the Avide use of sorting and recording machines'has now made the change comparatively easy. The census of England and Wales costs £500,000, Avliiclr is at the rate of about 3d per head of the population. It is the greatest statistical task undertaken by the Registrar-General’s Department, and requires the classification of replies into incredible thousands of combinations. To take one example, classification of workers’ ages and employments involves approximately 10,000 sub-groups. One hundred groups are needed to set out the simple record of ages alone. Occupation and industry now call for elaborate classification, and in the hoav census the need for care in making entries as to employment Avill be emphasised. In agriculture, for instance, every farmer is asked to state what branch of the industry lie is engaged in—dairy farming, fruit farming, poultry fanning, etc. Workers are to describe themselves as “labourers” or farm servants, and define their occupation, as carman, carter, dairymaid, etc. In the last census many entries Avere made under the description of “ labourer,” “carman,” and “operative’.’ Avithout any indication being given of the particular industry to Avliich the j avo river Avas attached. This is misleading. It is essential that the industry should he stated so that exact figures shall be available for the man-poAver contributing to each industry and of the number of persons affected by the circumstances Avhiok govern that branch of Avork.