The Waikato Times.

Waikato Times, Volume XL, Issue 888, 2 March 1878, Page 2

The Waikato Times.

Equal and exact justice to all men, Of whatever state er persuasion, religious or political. * * • • . • Here shall the Press the People's right maintain, Unawed by influence and unbribed by gain.

SATURDAY, MARCH 2, 1878

Before the next publication of this journal shall have appeared the census, or numbering of the people of New Zealand, will have been taken. Census papers have been, or ought to have been, left by to-day m every house, so that the head of each family may make a record of each person who slept m such house on the night ot Sunday, the 3rd inst.

The taking of the census from time to time by the Government ia a work of considerable importance, and undertaken at no little expense by the State. It is therefore the duty of every person m the community to do do what he or she can to render the work a success and the information required complete io all its details. From these returns are compiled the various statistical tables which enable the Legislature at a glance to understand the position and requirements of the colony as a whole or of particular portions of it ; and, therefore, our readers may easily understand how important it is that the schedule should be filled up , accurately and fully. It is almost impossible to over-estimate the value of correct statistical returns, showing the national strength of the colony, its population, the occupations of the people and their educatioual status, its advance m agriculture, its wealth m herds and flocks, and the other many facts which the census paper now before us is intended to bring to light. The information asked for is of a very comprehensive character, an improvement on the schedule filled up on the previous occasion of taking the census, and the instructions how to fill m the necessary forms are sufficiently explicit, we think, for almost v any one to understand. The agricultural and live stock returns are slightly amplified as compared wth those formerly taken, and m the matter of filling up the " religious" column, it has been left to the option of the individual, whether he will do so or not. It has been thought too inquisitorial to insist on this information, and any one declining to famish m may fill up the column instead with the simple word, "object." Aa we have said, the instructions funiitiiied on the back oi the paper are bo u>i cisc tuat it ia difficult io imdei'Bt.iud vow any one vviio can reaa and wme cau pobsii lv m-ike unj mistake. The head of tbe iaiu <ly, of course, commences on the first line and atj-itK nimaelt or herei'f as ** head of tne fauiilj; ;" iheu lullowa the stau'Uieut oi tex ; then the relation to Che head of the household, ana next the eoudiliou, that is, whether 'married or single widowor widower,and eveuiu xhejease of the chi.dreu this columu m to bu filled up, iuough, i« seems scarcely necessary to state that a two-year old toddler is unmarried. Then comes a double culuma headed, " rank, professiou, or u»uul occupation" (present and paßi.) With respect to ihis matter, the schedules contains most explicit instructions. Vague detiuitiona are not to be given, -fersoua of no occopation are not to style themselves " gentle, men" and " ladies," and owners as well as occupiers of lands are to content themselves with the simple designation of " faruiera," which, if they are not, they ought to be. A man is to state what was his past occupation, and wiial is his present, thus, he may have been bred a carter or labourer, and may be now a Legislative Councillor The next division is the health column. This will be of considerable value especially, to friendly societies and others, who can calculate the percentage thatmay be reckoned upon of permanent sickness m a given population. The place of birth follows next, and the other, the religious column to which we have already alluded. The degree of Education is the next thing asked for, and the school attendance of children. We need no 1 point out the value of th^s information, for it wll be apparent to any one especially m the matter of school attendance. The agricul ture and live Btock returns are also comprehensive, and of the u'omst: value to the State. A faithful and accurate return under these heads will n-.»t only show the relative wealth of different districts, tut their advance since the period of last taking the census, and it is to hoped that 'even endeavour will be made to f irnish authoritative and trustworthy returns.