Proceedings of the deputation to the Local Government Board advocating a quinquennial census of the United Kingdom.

  • Royal Statistical Society (Great Britain)
Date:
1904
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: Proceedings of the deputation to the Local Government Board advocating a quinquennial census of the United Kingdom. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The original may be consulted at The Royal College of Surgeons of England.

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    Dr. Joseph Groves (British Medical Association) said : “The British Medical Association has a membership of 20,000 medical men, who in their corporate capacity interest themselves in all affairs which have to do with the public health. “ Wo beg to point out to you the great discrepancy between the official estimates and the census returns, and the consequent errors in the estimated rates of deaths, births, and sickness. That in other countries, not so rich as ours, quinquennial censuses are found practicable. Further, we desire to urge the desirability of a permanent census authority, and to bring before you what you already know, how important it is that Medical Officers of Health should have at their disposal, as quickly as possible, any change in the returns, and we think that would be greatly facilitated by the establishment of a permanent census staff.” The Right Hon. W. H. Long said: “1 am much obliged to you, Sir Francis, and to the gentlemen who have spoken, for the brevity with which they have put their case, and I should like at once to acknowledge the importance of the deputation which I have the honour to receive, an importance which is made perfectly clear when one studies the names of those who have addressed us, and the names of the others who have been content to let themselves lie represented by the few who have spoken. “ As far as I know, my predecessors have all of them concurred in the views which have been expressed here to-day, as to the desirability, from our point of view as a public health department, of having a more frequent census taken than is at present the case. I should like to add, with reference to a remark which fell from Mr. Ryan, that I do not think there is any justification for it. He told us that the only opposition to this proposal arises from two causes : official convenience, or national expenditure. I really do not think there is any question of official convenience in it, for, as far as I know, all the officials who are connected with the census work would welcome the alteration. The opposition has rested, and if it still exists, rests at present, purely on the question of expenditure. We have been told to-day that there are many cases in which grave inaccuracies have been discovered in the census. I confess myself that having been in my present position when the last census was taken, and having had the opportunity of visiting the census office and watching the work in progress under the late Registrar-General Sir Reginald McLeod, I am surprised, not that inaccuracies should be discovered, but that greater inaccuracies were not found than those which actually came to light. Because it is obvious that work of so important a character as the taking of the census of the United Kingdom, when it is entrusted to a staff got together from all parts of the world for the occasion, and located in premises which can hardly be called of a permanent character, that there must be grave risks of inaccuracies and of mistakes, and 1 think it is wonderful, and reflects the greatest possible credit on those who have been responsible for the census work, that it has been done as well as it has been, having regard to the circumstances and