The Daily News. SATURDAY, JULY 31, 1915. TAKING A WAR CENSUS.

Taranaki Daily News, 31 July 1915, Page 4

The Daily News. SATURDAY, JULY 31, 1915. TAKING A WAR CENSUS.

To the timid there is a somewhat alarming sound about the phrase " ivar census." At once there is conjured up visions of conscription and the fear of Joeing driven to face the horrors of war, while others are equally perturbed over an anticipated raid on their wealth. The real object of compiling a National Kcister > s to ascertain the extent of the nation's resources—human and material. In an interesting discussion on tlie subject in the Federal Senate of Australia, it was clearly shown that the idea amlbodicd in the War Census Bill was to obtain a comprehensive survey of the human and material resources of the Commonwealth, there being no idea of compulsory service, nor any intention on the part of the Government to in any way deal in a harsh, unreasonable or uprecedented way with the wealth of the community, but the measure was simply designed to enable the resources of the nation to be tabulated, so that it might be understood how the country stands. The information to be obtained includes the names and ajres of all males 'between IS and GO. whether mru-icd or simrlc. the number of relatives, state of health, nature of occupation, amount oil military train (if any) already received, nationality of both parents, and if naturalised, when and where? Another schedule of question* relates to property either possessed or held in trust, number of motor-cars and motor-cycles with description, horses. cattle, sheep, etc., value of real estate, machinery, live stock, debentures, etc.. bank deposits, shares, cash, money lent, furniture and effects, iiuome and how earned, pensions, etc., together with iiulftoinffs for interest, vent, repairs, insurance, rates, etc. That the scheme is comprehensive is apparent, and file result of the census should form a reliable index of national resources and how they can be.-l be utilised should occasion require. That coulicc'eney cannot arise unless the voluniary system fails. The lir>t consideration in every country is the safety and well-beine; of the State, anil the present war lias clearly demonstrated that win thoroughly organised scheme for secur inji national safety is imperative. It may, and probably will, be necessary to adopt a similar measure in New Zealand, for the sarnie underlying principle is applicable to all parts of the Empire—the undoubted right of the. State to take from the individual what is needed for the protection of the nation, and this plain duty, if carried out, should he thorough and effective, as well as

absolutely impartial, so that eaeli citizen shall hear a fair and equitable portion of the burden. Reliance upon the patriotic memlbers of the cominunltj' simply moans that the willing few bear the brunt of the task that should rightly bo equally distributed. Mr. Hughes was quite right when lie said in tho Federal llouso recently: "Let the man who has only his body to give give his body, but let the -man who ha.s wealth as well as body give both." Where all are equally concerned in the national welfare, each one has a duty to perform if called upon so to do. It m'av be that no serious emergency may arise to render it necessary to apply the resources of a nation for its general safety. We may rest assured that if a war census were taken in Sew Zealand it would not affect the voluntary system one iota, so long as that system sufficed, but it ia only right to prepare for the unexpected, and thiit which is worth doing is worth doing thoroughly.