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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    Lancashire, we find the estimate in excess by 22,500, and the estimated death-rate in consequence 3-8 per 1,000 below its actual figure. Bradford, in Yorkshire, again, was assigned an estimated population lower than the actual number of its inhabitants, and that justly proud town was somewhat mortified as a result. “ On the other hand, we find Liverpool with an enumerated population 49,741 in excess of the estimate, and a consequent error in the death-rate of i-9 per 1,000; and, coupled with Liverpool, I may mention Southampton with an enumerated population 12,508 in excess of the estimate, and an error in its death-rate of 2^4 per 1,000. “ These are very disturbing figures. They deal with large popu- lations, and the figures are of considerable magnitude. Mr. ©ray, the member for West Ham, is here to-day, but in order to save time is content to leave his case in your hands, as amply made out by the figures. “ I think those figures are really quite sufficient to show that there is a need of reform. Sir John Tuke was to have been here, and he is very emphatically in favour of this deputation. He says that the calculations are pretty sound for the first two or three years after the census is taken, but towards the end of that time the}1, are wholly unreliable, and there is no better authority than Sir John Tuke, and no town in Great Britain where more is known of the subject than it is in Edinburgh. “ I need not go into details, I think 1 may simply say that this is a matter affecting the welfare of the population as regards industry, as regards education, and as regards health. Each of these subjects would, for adequate treatment, occupy considerable time, but I will confine myself to saying that on every one of these points we feel the very great importance of the reform we seek. I will now call on Major Craigie, the President of the Royal Statistical Society.’’ Major Craigie, C.B., said: “Mr. Long, I have to ask you to be good enough to note that I appear to-day solely in my capacity of President of the Royal Statistical Society for the current year. In that capacity it is my duty to represent to you the strong view which the Society has for a long time held as to the necessity of a more frequent enumeration of the population of this country. Committees of the Society have given their careful attention to successive census measures in 1880, 1887, 1894, and again in 1899, in anticipation of the last census, have all in turn successively pressed forward the arguments for this administrative change. They have held a profound conviction of the absolute necessity of co-ordinating all the other statistics of the country by the great levelling and governing measure which the existing population at any given date provides for the correct appreciation of any or all of the figures we collect, with a view to determine with accuracy our national position. We, as you know, collect the most minute statistics of trade, not only vear bv year, but even month by month. We collect